Worcester Business Journal

wbjournal.com | March 24, 2025 | Worcester Business Journal 11 quarters of Staples. A lifelong player of the game, Mahoney said the big breakthrough for short courses came in 2017. Pinehurst Resort in North Caroli- na, one of the country's top courses and four-time host of the U.S. Open, added a nine-hole, par-3 course that year. "For most people, when you say par-3 golf, they think of what they might have experienced 25 or 30 years ago, which was oen a nondescript plot of land with 9 or 18 holes of unremarkable golf and unremarkable design," he said. "Places like Pinehurst that really put an empha- sis on a much different experience." WedgeLinks Framingham is being designed to take advantage of the par- cel's natural topography with minimum disturbance of the natural environment, said Mahoney. He wants challeng- ing-yet-approach- able course to represent what the next generation of short courses can be. Despite its location near a corporate campus, he wants Wed- geLinks to be a place where anyone can enjoy the game. "We'll tend to have music playing, and you'll be able to walk the golf course with a drink in hand," he said. "It's very casual in that regard. ere won't be a dress code or anything like that. I expect a lot of people to be playing in flip flops." Two nearby shorter courses, Millwood Farms Golf Course in Framingham and Stonybrook Golf Course in Southbor- ough, closed during the post-Tiger reckoning, but Mahoney believes his course will show the new staying power of executive courses. An added bonus of par-3 courses is they require less alteration of the environment, creating a course more eco-friendly and more reflective of the original state of the land. "ere's far less to take care of [with par-3 courses], and we're going to ensure that almost everything that is outside of the playing area will be natural to the environment that's there now," he said. Newly developed grass types and other technology are driving the game's environmental impact down, he said. e Framingham course will serve as a test case for future WedgeLinks short courses in other markets, potentially allowing the brand to follow in the footsteps of TopGolf 's rapid expan- sion. In the midst of raising funds for the course's construction, Mahoney is hopeful it could be completed in time to squeeze in a few rounds before winter. W F O C U S Business Partners Connect with a world of art. Becoming a Business Partner at the Worcester Art Museum means connecting your business with our network of creatives and art enthusiasts while supporting arts and culture in Central Massachusetts. Learn how your business will benefit worcesterart.org/join-bp Central Mass. executive golf courses This region is home to five executive golf courses, which is loosely defined as a course with a smaller footprint than an 18 holes. When Wedgelinks opens in Framingham, it will be the sixth in Central Massachusetts. Course Public/private Holes Par Rating Slope Description Berlin Country Club Public 9 33 62.9 108 First opened in the 1950s as Pinecrest Golf Course, rebranded to Berlin Country Club in 1983 Cyprian Keyes Golf Club, Boylston Public 9 27 70 110 The first full-sized golf course to include a nine-hole course in Central Massachusetts when it opened in 1997 Red Farm Golf, Upton Public 9 27 N/A N/A Facility can also serve as a disc golf course. Milford Country Club Private 9 27 70 110 Condo community featuring a private nine-hole course, open to non-residents with membership Shining Rock Golf Center, Northbridge Public 9 27 N/A N/A Added a nine-hole, par-3 course in 2024 Wedgelinks Framingham Public 9 27 TBD TBD Course is planned for a 10-acre plot of land near the headquarters of Staples off Route 9 in Framingham, planning to open in late 2025 or early 2026. Sources: BlueGolf, Golflink, course websites Michael Mahoney, founder of Wedgelinks

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