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www.HartfordBusiness.com August 24, 2015 • Hartford Business Journal 9 To view the full list, please visit HartfordBusiness.com THE LIST For a compact state, we are fortunate to offer a wealth of sports venues — from outdoor stadiums and indoor arenas of various sizes, to ice rinks and auto speedways, and a wide range of turf fields used by a variety of sports. Connecticut's rolling hills, rivers, lakes and the shoreline also offer great appeal to sports pro- moters seeking scenic locations in all seasons. That said, all venues are looking for more business; it always is about the next event. To decrease the amount of venue underutiliza- tion, we continually consider different uses for facilities during their traditional quiet periods. We explore what types of events we can bring in the summer or holiday periods to an ice arena or to a convention and meetings facility, and strategically identify potential sports promoters to pitch. We also creatively evaluate a venue for the non-traditional uses it could offer. For example, a motorsports facility's paved track can be ideal for bike races and running events, while the expanse of the facility lends itself to obstacle races, dog shows and sports festivals. n Q&A: Phelps Toughest golf courses in Connecticut (Ranked by slope) Rank Course Tee Slope/ Course rating Total yardage Type of course Par Head pro(s) Architect(s) Greens fees Course record 1 Wee Burn Country Club Darien 203-655-1477; www.weeburn.com Black 146 75.3 7,132 Private 72 Samuel T. Wiley Devereux Emmet DND 65 (1) 2 Great River Golf Club Milford 203-876-8051; www.greatrivergolfclub.com Black 146 74.6 7,060 Semi- private (2) 72 Lori Dunn Lindsay Oppedisano Tommy Fazio $120-$140 NA 3 Connecticut Golf Club Easton 203-261-2544; www.ctgolfclub.com Black 146 73.7 6,899 Private 72 J. Rodney Loesch Geoffrey Cornish DND 69 4 The Stanwich Club Greenwich 203-869-0555; www.stanwich.com Black 143 77.0 7,445 Private 72 John M. Scali William and David Gordon $85-$95 66 5 Round Hill Club Greenwich 203-869-2350; www.rhclub.org Blue 140 73.3 6,740 Private 71 Tom Henderson Walter Travis $80 (3) 63 6 Black Hall Club Old Lyme 860-434-5171; www.blackhallclub.com Black 140 73.0 6,656 Private 71 Andrew Campbell Robert Trent Jones Sr. DND 65 7 Ellington Ridge Country Club Ellington 860-872-9133; www.ellingtonridge.org Blue 139 73.8 6,936 Parkland 72 Tony Rowe Geoffrey Cornish DND 65 8 Rolling Hills Country Club Wilton 203-762-4600; www.rhcconline.com Blue 139 73.1 6,737 Private 71 Ray Ford Alfred Tull; Roger Rulewich (4) $80 64 9 Bull's Bridge Golf Club South Kent 860-927-7135; www.bullsbridgegolfclub.com Gold 137 74.1 6,992 Private 72 Paul Ramee NA DND NA 10 Ridgewood Country Club Danbury 203-743-4491; www.ridgewoodcc.com Blue 137 73.1 6,758 Private 71 Bob Geambazi Devereux Emmet Guest fee: $85; cart fee: $26. 63 11 Fox Hopyard Golf Club East Haddam 800-943-1903; www.golfthefox.com/ hopyard Black 136 74.1 6,912 Semi- private 71 Ron Beck Roger Rulewich $104 64 12 Hop Meadow Country Club Simsbury 860-658-7623; www.hopmeadowcc.net Black 136 73.9 6,915 Private (2) 72 Joe Cordani Jr. Cornish $70 (walk) 63 13 Country Club of Farmington Farmington 860-677-1681; www.farmingtoncountryclub.com Blue 136 72.0 6,580 Private 71 Jeremy Vitkauskas Devereaux Emett DND 64 14 The Course at Yale New Haven 203-392-2376; www.thecourseatyale.org Blue (2) 135 72.9 6,789 University 70 Peter Pulaski C.B. Macdonald, Seth Raynor $100 (5) 62 15 Tamarack Country Club Greenwich 203-531-7300; www.tamarackcountryclub.com Blue 135 72.6 6,709 Private (2) 70 Bobby Farrell Charles Banks DND NA 16 Glastonbury Hills Country Club So. Glastonbury 860-633-5253; www.glastonburyhills.com White 135 70.4 6,125 Private 72 Scott Knights Geoffrey Cornish DND 64 17 Laurel View Country Club Hamden 203-287-2656; www.laurelviewcc.com Black 131 71.8 6,491 Public 72 Edward Grant Geoffrey Cornish $49-$53 69 Sources: Individual courses, Notes: NA = Not available. DND = Did not disclose. Slope adjusts handicap to the difficulty of the course. The more difficult the course, the more strokes needed. Under slope, golfers no longer have a handicap, they have an index. An average course will have a slope rating of 113. The index is the mathematical calculation of the golfer's playing ability on an average course. Some courses have different rates for carts, seniors, twilight and residents. Please call courses to verify rates. The following courses were contacted but either did not respond or declined to participate in this survey: Birchwood Country Club (Westport), Brooklawn Country Club (Fairfield), Club at River Oaks (Sherman), Highfield Club (Middlebury), Lake of Isle Golf Club (North Stonington - two courses), Redding Country Club (West Redding), Richter Park Golf Course (Danbury), Silver Spring Country Club (Ridgefield), The Hartford Golf Course (West Hartford) and Woodway Country Club (Darien). (1) Pre-renovation record is 63. (2) Not provided. Listed in 2014. (3) Guest fee for weekdays; $100 guest fee for weekends. (4) Originally built in 1916. Roger Rulewich redesigned in 2002. (5) Unaccompanied guest. —Compiled by Roger Magnus. Toughest golf courses in Connecticut (Ranked by slope) Rank Course Tee Slope/ Course rating Total yardage Type of course Par Head pro(s) Architect(s) Greens fees Course record 1 Wee Burn Country Club Darien 203-655-1477; www.weeburn.com Black 146 75.3 7,132 Private 72 Samuel T. Wiley Devereux Emmet DND 65 (1) 2 Great River Golf Club Milford 203-876-8051; www.greatrivergolfclub.com Black 146 74.6 7,060 Semi- private (2) 72 Lori Dunn Lindsay Oppedisano Tommy Fazio $120-$140 NA 3 Connecticut Golf Club Easton 203-261-2544; www.ctgolfclub.com Black 146 73.7 6,899 Private 72 J. Rodney Loesch Geoffrey Cornish DND 69 4 The Stanwich Club Greenwich 203-869-0555; www.stanwich.com Black 143 77.0 7,445 Private 72 John M. Scali William and David Gordon $85-$95 66 5 Round Hill Club Greenwich 203-869-2350; www.rhclub.org Blue 140 73.3 6,740 Private 71 Tom Henderson Walter Travis $80 (3) 63 6 Black Hall Club Old Lyme 860-434-5171; www.blackhallclub.com Black 140 73.0 6,656 Private 71 Andrew Campbell Robert Trent Jones Sr. DND 65 7 Ellington Ridge Country Club Ellington 860-872-9133; www.ellingtonridge.org Blue 139 73.8 6,936 Parkland 72 Tony Rowe Geoffrey Cornish DND 65 8 Rolling Hills Country Club Wilton 203-762-4600; www.rhcconline.com Blue 139 73.1 6,737 Private 71 Ray Ford Alfred Tull; Roger Rulewich (4) $80 64 9 Bull's Bridge Golf Club South Kent 860-927-7135; www.bullsbridgegolfclub.com Gold 137 74.1 6,992 Private 72 Paul Ramee NA DND NA 10 Ridgewood Country Club Danbury 203-743-4491; www.ridgewoodcc.com Blue 137 73.1 6,758 Private 71 Bob Geambazi Devereux Emmet Guest fee: $85; cart fee: $26. 63 11 Fox Hopyard Golf Club East Haddam 800-943-1903; www.golfthefox.com/ hopyard Black 136 74.1 6,912 Semi- private 71 Ron Beck Roger Rulewich $104 64 12 Hop Meadow Country Club Simsbury 860-658-7623; www.hopmeadowcc.net Black 136 73.9 6,915 Private (2) 72 Joe Cordani Jr. Cornish $70 (walk) 63 13 Country Club of Farmington Farmington 860-677-1681; www.farmingtoncountryclub.com Blue 136 72.0 6,580 Private 71 Jeremy Vitkauskas Devereaux Emett DND 64 14 The Course at Yale New Haven 203-392-2376; www.thecourseatyale.org Blue (2) 135 72.9 6,789 University 70 Peter Pulaski C.B. Macdonald, Seth Raynor $100 (5) 62 15 Tamarack Country Club Greenwich 203-531-7300; www.tamarackcountryclub.com Blue 135 72.6 6,709 Private (2) 70 Bobby Farrell Charles Banks DND NA 16 Glastonbury Hills Country Club So. Glastonbury 860-633-5253; www.glastonburyhills.com White 135 70.4 6,125 Private 72 Scott Knights Geoffrey Cornish DND 64 17 Laurel View Country Club Hamden 203-287-2656; www.laurelviewcc.com Black 131 71.8 6,491 Public 72 Edward Grant Geoffrey Cornish $49-$53 69 Sources: Individual courses, Notes: NA = Not available. DND = Did not disclose. Slope adjusts handicap to the difficulty of the course. The more difficult the course, the more strokes needed. Under slope, golfers no longer have a handicap, they have an index. An average course will have a slope rating of 113. The index is the mathematical calculation of the golfer's playing ability on an average course. Some courses have different rates for carts, seniors, twilight and residents. Please call courses to verify rates. The following courses were contacted but either did not respond or declined to participate in this survey: Birchwood Country Club (Westport), Brooklawn Country Club (Fairfield), Club at River Oaks (Sherman), Highfield Club (Middlebury), Lake of Isle Golf Club (North Stonington - two courses), Redding Country Club (West Redding), Richter Park Golf Course (Danbury), Silver Spring Country Club (Ridgefield), The Hartford Golf Course (West Hartford) and Woodway Country Club (Darien). (1) Pre-renovation record is 63. (2) Not provided. Listed in 2014. (3) Guest fee for weekdays; $100 guest fee for weekends. (4) Originally built in 1916. Roger Rulewich redesigned in 2002. (5) Unaccompanied guest. —Compiled by Roger Magnus.