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88 Worcester Business Journal | Book of Lists 2021 | wbjournal.com F O C U S H O S P I T A L I T Y Toughest golf courses Ranked by slope rating and then United States Golf Association rating Course Slope rating USGA rating Par for course Public, private or semi- private Golf pro Club manager Year founded 1 The International Golf Club/The Pines (a) 159 Ballville Road, Bolton 01740 978-779-6911 • www.theinternational.com 155 81.7 72 Semi-private Paul Celano Steve Brennan 1957 2 Cyprian Keyes Golf Club 284 E.Temple St., Boylston 01505 508-869-9900 • www.cypriankeyes.com 146 76.2 72 Public Shawn Durocher David Frem 1997 3 Marlborough Country Club 200 Concord Road, Marlborough 01752 508-485-1660 • www.marlboroughcountryclub.com 145 78.8 72 Semi-private Greg Farland Michael Rodman 1922 4 Blissful Meadows Golf Club 801 Chockalog Road, Uxbridge 01569 508-278-6110 • www.blissfulmeadows.com 140 78.1 72 Semi-private Rick Cardoza Mark Laskowski 1992 5 Bedrock Golf Club 87 Barre-Paxton Road, Rutland 01543 508-886-0202 • www.bedrockgolfclub.com 140 73.8 72 Semi-private Joe Carr Joe Carr 1992 6 Charter Oak Country Club 394 Chestnut St., Hudson 01749 978-562-0800 • www.charteroakcc.com 140 73.3 71 Private Peter J. Hulbert Laura Cunningham 2001 7 Blackstone National Golf Club 227 Putnam Hill Road, Sutton 01590 508-865-2111 ext. 113 • www.bngc.net 139 74.6 72 Semi-private Patrick Beahn Matthew Stephens 1999 8 Pleasant Valley Country Club 95 Armsby Road, Sutton 01590 508-865-4441 • www.pleasantvalleycc.com 139 74.3 72 Private Paul Parajeckas Eileen Aviza 1961 9 Northern Spy Golf Club (b) 40 Scales Lane, Townsend 01469 978-597-8400 • northernspygc.com 138 74.6 70 Private Derick Fors Derick Fors 2020 10 The Haven Country Club 369 Cross St., Boylston 01505 508-869-2000 • www.thehavencountryclub.com 138 73.9 72 Private Hal Jacobs Brian Moffett 1955 11 Wedgewood Pines Country Club 215 Harvard Road, Stow 01775 978-897-1790 • www.wedgewoodpines.com 138 73.6 70 Private Peter Maki Joseph Pittorino 1997 12 New England Country Club 180 Paine St., Bellingham 02019 508-883-2300 • www.newenglandcountryclub.com 138 72.3 71 Public Michael Daron Julie Tartsinis 1990 12 Sterling National Country Club 33 Albright Road, Sterling 01564 978-422-0275 • www.sterlingcc.com 138 72.3 71 Private Matthew Bradbury Matthew DePaolo 1991 14 Highfields Golf and Country Club 42 Magill Drive, Grafton 01519 508-839-1945 • www.highfieldsgolfcc.com 137 74.0 72 Public Bill Chisholm Beth Shropshire 2002 15 Red Tail Golf Club 15 Bulge Road, Devens 01432 978-772-3273 • www.redtailgolf.net 136 77.4 72 Public Chris Kasheta Chris Kasheta 2002 16 Holden Hills Country Club 1800 Main St., Holden 01520 508-829-3129 • www.holdenhillsgolf.com 136 76.0 74 Semi-private N/A Tanyon Ventres 1948 17 Shaker Hills Country Club 146 Shaker Road, Harvard 01451 978-772-3330 • www.shakerhills.com 136 73.9 72 Public Andrew Jordan Andrew Jordan 1991 18 Framingham Country Club 16 Gates St., Framingham 01702 508-872-9790 • www.framinghamcc.com 136 73.7 72 Private Graham Cunningham Christopher Mitchell 1902 19 Franklin Country Club 672 E. Central St., Franklin 02038 508-528-6110 • www.franklincc.com 135 76.1 71 Private Anthony Maki Robert Carrick 1899 20 Shining Rock Golf Club 91 Clubhouse Lane, Northbridge 01532 508-234-0400 • www.shiningrock.com 135 73.3 72 Semi-private Mike Stacy Lou Papadellis 2010 21 Cohasse Country Club 322 Dennison Lane, Southbridge 01550 508-764-4067 • www.cohasse.com 133 76.6 72 Private Mark Klotz Chris Dono 1918 22 Gardner Municipal Golf Course 978-772-3273 • www.redtailgolf.net 16 Holden Hills Country Club 1800 Main St., Holden 01520 508-829-3129 • www.holdenhillsgolf.com 136 76.0 74 Semi-private N/A Tanyon Ventres 1948 17 Shaker Hills Country Club 146 Shaker Road, Harvard 01451 978-772-3330 • www.shakerhills.com 136 73.9 72 Public Andrew Jordan Andrew Jordan 1991 18 Framingham Country Club 16 Gates St., Framingham 01702 508-872-9790 • www.framinghamcc.com 136 73.7 72 Private Graham Cunningham Christopher Mitchell 1902 19 Franklin Country Club 672 E. Central St., Franklin 02038 508-528-6110 • www.franklincc.com 135 76.1 71 Private Anthony Maki Robert Carrick 1899 20 Shining Rock Golf Club 91 Clubhouse Lane, Northbridge 01532 508-234-0400 • www.shiningrock.com 135 73.3 72 Semi-private Mike Stacy Lou Papadellis 2010 21 Cohasse Country Club 322 Dennison Lane, Southbridge 01550 508-764-4067 • www.cohasse.com 133 76.6 72 Private Mark Klotz Chris Dono 1918 22 Gardner Municipal Golf Course 152 Eaton St., Gardner 01440 978-632-9703 • www.gardnergolfcourse.com 133 74.6 75 Public Daniel Berry Daniel Berry 1936 23 Worcester Country Club 2 Rice St., Worcester 01606 508-853-8064 • www.worcestercc.org 133 74.0 70 Private Andy Lane Troy Sprister 1900 24 Maplegate Country Club 160 Maple St., Bellingham 02019 508-966-4040 • www.maplegate.com 133 72.4 72 Public Greg Dowdell Leonard French 1990 25 Hopkinton Country Club 204 Saddle Hill Road, Hopkinton 01748 508-435-4630 • www.hopkintoncc.com 132 74.7 72 Private David Lane JoAnn Parks 2002 26 Juniper Hill Golf Course 202 Brigham St., Northborough 01532 508-393-2444 • www.juniperhillgc.com 132 74.5 71 Public Ken Chrzan Dudley Darling 1991 27 Stow Acres Country Club - North Course 58 Randall Road, Stow 01775 978-568-1100 • www.stowacres.com 132 74.4 72 Public Jeffrey T. Niejadlik David Carlson 1921 28 The International Golf Club/The Oaks (c) 159 Ballville Road, Bolton 01740 978-779-6919 • www.theinternational.com 132 73.5 72 Private N/A Dan Weadock Jr. 2001 29 Westminster Country Club 51 Ellis Road, Westminster 01473 978-874-5938 • www.westminstercountryclub.com 132 72.3 71 Semi-private Michael Leblanc Michael Leblanc 1957 30 Kettle Brook Golf Club 136 Marshall St., Paxton 01612 508-799-4653 • www.kettlebrookgolfclub.com 131 73.8 72 Semi-private Nicholas Marrone Cara Cullen 1999 31 Oak Hill Country Club 840 Oak Hill Road, Fitchburg 01420 978-342-2717 • www.oakhillcc.org 131 72.9 70 Private Bucky Buchanan David Melody 1921 32 Green Hill Golf Course 1929 Skyline Drive, Worcester 01605 508-799-1359 • www.greenhillgc.com 130 70.9 72 Public Matthew Moison Arthur Flagg 1929 33 Butternut Farm Golf Club 115 Wheeler Road, Stow 01775 978-897-3400 • www.butternutfarm.com 128 74.4 70 Public N/A Cole Page 1993 34 Stow Acres Country Club - South Course 58 Randall Road, Stow 01775 978-568-1100 • www.stowacres.com 128 71.7 72 Public Jeffrey T. Niejadlik David Carlson 1921 35 Leicester Country Club 1430 Main St., Leicester 01524 508-892-1390 • www.leicestercc.com 128 69.3 70 Public N/A Faith Whitney 1864 36 Wachusett Country Club 187 Prospect St., West Boylston 01583 508-835-4484 • www.wachusettcc.com 127 74.3 73 Public Nick Marrone Cara Cullen 1927 Source: Each club via survey and their websites, USGA Course Rating and Slope Database and course websites. Note: Ratings are taken from the most difficult tee. (a) Acquired in February by Escalante Golf of Texas. (b) formerly Townsend Ridge Country Club (c) Acquired in February by Escalante Golf of Texas. New Oaks course opens late summer 2021. Course data as of last year. - Compiled by: Timothy Doyle, tdoyle@nebusinessmedia.com The International in Bolton has reopened under new ownership. The 36-hole private golf course, which was closed for the 2020 season because of bank - ruptcy proceedings, reopen in April with a renovated clubhouse and more course changes ahead. The International's Pines course has renovated bunkers, while the newer Oaks course is slated to open in the late summer, with new bunkers, tee boxes and other course improvements designed by Tripp Davis & Associates of Oklahoma slated to take place, said David Matheson, a partner with the course's new owners, Texas-based Escalante Golf. The Pines course, designed by the late celebrated golf architect Robert Trent Jones, is the longest 18-hole course in the country – a bit too long for many golfers today, so it's planned to be shortened as part of extensive renovations due to take place in 2023. The course is expected to be unavailable for that entire season, with the reno - vations designed by a renowned firm, Coore & Crenshaw of Texas, which made renovations to one of the country's most famous cours- es, Pinehurst, in North Carolina, and designed Old Sandwich Golf Club in Plymouth. Course renovations will join improvements already been made to The International's clubhouse. Eventually, Matheson said, Escalante plans to build an entirely new clubhouse. Escalante, a 30-year-old private company, paid $10 million to buy The International out of bankrupt - cy, making it its first course in the Northeast. The International reopened in April with major renovations planned The International's golf course The Pines in Bolton