South Shore Country Club in Hingham, MA
Designed in 1922 by Wayne Stiles, South Shore Country Club has all the feels of an old New England course. From the hard greens to the tree-lined fairways that seem to eat away at the rough, no one could call you out for wanting to use the “Leaf rule” in the summertime at South Shore Country Club.
It is a tough course to recover from offline tee shots as there is usually hazard or trees guarding most fairways. There are only a couple of blind shots with the elevation changes. The varying topography makes this course tougher to play.
It feels like you are walking on waves as you play. Many holes go from an elevated tee box down to the fairway and back up to the green. The constant up and down of the holes will have your legs working a bit more. However, the holes are laid out well, so there are not many places that a golfer has walked far between the previous green and the next hole.
The fairways are lined with tall trees, which helps golfers zero in on the fairways a bit more. On some occasions, it feels like there is the only fairway on the hole and no rough. Conditions here make this a must-play. There some similar holes and some very different holes, but the whole course has the same consistent looks and feels as it plays throughout the 18 holes.
It is not an easy Stiles course design like D.W. Field in Brockton. There are more elevated greens and length to this course. Stiles designed this course with a premium on second shots and approach shots to the greens.
The most memorable hole is most likely the 18th hole as you return to the clubhouse, playing your way in. The clubhouse sits up on a hill as the backdrop for the par 5 that is reachable in two for longer hitters and windy days.
Conditions: The conditions are consistently better than most golf courses in the area. It can get a little wet in some areas, but all the greens typically stay in great shape throughout the year.
Difficulty: The course can play tough when the wind is not going your way, and the greens can get the ball rolling fast if you catch them after a dry week.
Practice Green: There is a practice green that rolls true to the greens on the course.
Value: Good value here as the non-resident rate is about $50.
Range: There is a small but full-sized range on-site near the practice green.
Wear a hard-hat: Better to have on ready than not have on at all. Many of the holes run close together and parallel to each other. So, there are more than a few spots that hard-hat is warranted.
