White at Tunxis Country Club
About
Tee | Par | Length | Rating | Slope |
---|---|---|---|---|
Blue | 72 | 6638 yards | 71.3 | 124 |
White | 72 | 6241 yards | 69.4 | 120 |
Red (W) | 72 | 5744 yards | 71.5 | 116 |
Hole | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Out | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | In | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Blue M: 71.7/131 | 541 | 439 | 370 | 176 | 508 | 394 | 379 | 164 | 341 | 3312 | 347 | 535 | 376 | 548 | 199 | 428 | 176 | 378 | 339 | 3326 | 6638 |
White M: 69.8/128 | 526 | 407 | 343 | 153 | 476 | 366 | 358 | 147 | 332 | 3108 | 334 | 508 | 358 | 515 | 176 | 413 | 154 | 357 | 318 | 3133 | 6241 |
Gold M: 68.6/125 | 507 | 387 | 323 | 135 | 454 | 348 | 344 | 133 | 327 | 2958 | 330 | 490 | 346 | 488 | 161 | 404 | 137 | 347 | 303 | 3006 | 5964 |
Red W: 71.7/116 | 442 | 338 | 316 | 130 | 444 | 336 | 339 | 129 | 323 | 2797 | 320 | 484 | 341 | 480 | 159 | 398 | 132 | 336 | 297 | 2947 | 5744 |
Handicap | 1 | 3 | 11 | 17 | 5 | 7 | 9 | 15 | 13 | 12 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 14 | 8 | 18 | 10 | 16 | |||
Par | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 36 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 36 | 72 |
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Reviewer Photos
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The long second hole, a par-4 which doglegs left to reach this raised green, measures 439 yards from the blue tees. Photo submitted by AptlyLinked on 06/05/2022
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No. 4 at Tunxis White is a tight par-3, its green guarded by water and by Town Farm Road. Par is a very good score here. Photo submitted by AptlyLinked on 06/05/2022
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It’s gorgeous scenery, but a watery grave will be the fate of golf balls falling well short of green eight. Ditto for misses long or left. Photo submitted by AptlyLinked on 06/05/2022
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The peninsular green at ten overlooks the lake that borders parts of holes seven through twelve. Photo submitted by AptlyLinked on 06/05/2022
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My path to green twelve was crossed today by two families of Canada geese. Photo submitted by AptlyLinked on 06/05/2022
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A pond bisects the seventeenth fairway, and may tempt big hitters to fly it off the tee–if their desire is a wedged approach. Photo submitted by AptlyLinked on 06/05/2022
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Among the premier holes at Tunxis White are those with greens set on mini-peninsulas. The par-4 seventh is the first you’ll encounter. Photo submitted by AptlyLinked on 11/21/2021
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Eight. Par-3, 164. The second peninsular green may give some golfers jitters on the tee. Photo submitted by AptlyLinked on 11/21/2021
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Ten. Par-4, 347. My favorite hole. A ‘simple’ drive-and-pitch hole to this green, water-guarded everywhere but in front. Photo submitted by AptlyLinked on 11/21/2021
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Twelve. Par-4, 376. A masterful hole--maybe the course’s best--ending on a cleverly contoured green (upon another peninsula). Photo submitted by AptlyLinked on 11/21/2021
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Four. Par-3, 176. Overdraw your tee shot and your golf ball will be deep-sixed. That’s frost you see in the shadows. Photo submitted by AptlyLinked on 11/21/2021
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The tenth, again, from behind the green. Photo submitted by AptlyLinked on 11/21/2021
Genuinely Challenging
With some fifty bunkers, bountiful trees, and water on eight holes, Tunxis White offers more than enough challenge. Oh, and it slopes at 131, by which we should only classify this privately-owned and very popular course in the ‘tough’ category–as that’s the same slope as TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, or just a few points shy of the Player Course at Lyman. The stroke rating, too, is a redoubtable 71.7 versus par of 72. Fortunately, there’s plenty of room off the tees and fairway widths range from standard to a bit on the wide side, so tightness does not add to the difficulty (with the exception of hole eighteen). The White is essentially a flat course but its character comes from varied, well-bunkered or otherwise protected green complexes and especially from the six hole stretch comprising seven through twelve, a stretch including four raised peninsular greens that look spectacular on a beautiful, sunny summer day as was this one.
Four Engaging Holes at Tunxis White:
Two, Par-4, 439.
Dogleg-left where your drive isbest played carefully; nicely raised green with a big falloff in the back.
Six, Par-4, 394.
Off the tee, a trio of big left side bunkers should demand respect. The plateau green is a classic and slopes markedly in places.
Twelve, Par-4, 376.
The drive may be somewhat routine but a good approach to the peninsular green–angled some 30 degrees from the fairway–is paramount.
Thirteen, Par-5, 548
Long and strong. Equipped with seven big bunkers adding interest from tee to green. A three-shotter for most and the #4 index.
Conditions:
Overall the conditions were excellent today. The tees were fine except for a couple of spots; fairway turf quality consistent; roughs good; greens rolled true and smoothly–they were consistently predictable from hole one through eighteen.
Playing Experience:
Excellent foursome today, all GolfPass players. We enjoyed the course, the perfect weather, each other’s company, our conversation and some stories all the way around.
Some Conclusions:
This is a fun and challenging layout–another positive experience at Tunxis. All three courses (I took a good look at a couple of holes on the Red and just played the Green on Monday) now seem back in the very respectable condition I was accustomed to seeing when I was playing Tunxis regularly.
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The long second hole, a par-4 which doglegs left to reach this raised green, measures 439 yards from the blue tees. Photo submitted by AptlyLinked on 06/05/2022
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No. 4 at Tunxis White is a tight par-3, its green guarded by water and by Town Farm Road. Par is a very good score here. Photo submitted by AptlyLinked on 06/05/2022
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It’s gorgeous scenery, but a watery grave will be the fate of golf balls falling well short of green eight. Ditto for misses long or left. Photo submitted by AptlyLinked on 06/05/2022
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The peninsular green at ten overlooks the lake that borders parts of holes seven through twelve. Photo submitted by AptlyLinked on 06/05/2022
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My path to green twelve was crossed today by two families of Canada geese. Photo submitted by AptlyLinked on 06/05/2022
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A pond bisects the seventeenth fairway, and may tempt big hitters to fly it off the tee–if their desire is a wedged approach. Photo submitted by AptlyLinked on 06/05/2022
Standard Muni
I think a lot of reviews have a hard time separating the experience from the course itself. Nothing is more annoying than a great course getting thrashed for slow play or poor burger at the turn or a standard Muni being touted as some sort of gem.
Course is nice, it's just nothing special. It's a flat, open fairway Muni with better than average greens. A few holes after you cross the road bring some water in to play to up the difficulty for the average golfer but mostly everything is straight(with the occasional gradual dogleg) and flat. Good standard, benchmark Muni course but it's not a near 5 star course as it's rating indicates.
Always a fun round
Always enjoy the White course at Tunxis. . Great layout and course in good shape.. A bit disappointed with only 1 staff person checking in golfers on a Sat AM which resulted in a 20 min process during check in time
weeks ahead of other courses in the area
The grounds keeper and his staff has done a great job getting the tees, greens and sand traps into early summer form.
Great ! 8.5/10
Course was great overall
Nice Mats only Driving range $7 small bucket
Big putting green
Newer carts no GPS
Cart girl came by 3 times (18 holes)
Great stufff in the pro shop
Pretty open, wide fairways ,easy to find balls under trees , very scenic lots of ponds and fountains, great views overall
Not to many really challenging holes , an average layout
Greens were ok they did they trick but slow, kinda bumpy ,like it just held every footprint 6.5/10
Fairways were great 9/10
Bunkers were good no pebbles 8.5/10
Rough was good, some weeds, but not many dry spots 8.5/10
Shot an 86 my average is 88, took 4hrs, had a good time !!
Staying Out of the Drink at Tunxis White
The White Course at Tunxis is a big, formidable course, and one where you must proceed warily. But it’s still fun. Most of the fairways give you plenty of room to maneuver while you hit your driver all day long. A surprise, though, comes in the middle of the round, where the course makes an abrupt departure from classic golf in the form of four peninsular holes whose greens jut out into a large and beautiful pond--which, of course, also may be a setting for big numbers.
Over the first six holes, course architect Albert Zikorus almost seemed to shy away from anything out of the ordinary. Holes one through three start the game off with a straightforward par-5 and two fairly robust--but fairly typical--par fours. The fourth hole does push the envelope a bit, as this mid-length par-3 features a green sided leftward by water and, to the right, the road. But you can still bail right a bit. Holes five and six both pose some problems, including big bunkers, raised greens, and some wooded zones past the roughs. Yet so far the course hasn’t been afire with uncomfortably tough challenges, even if the first six aren’t pushovers.
At the seventh hole, a change is underway. It’s not a tough driving hole, yet the approach (to a green surrounded mostly by water) should quicken your pulse. Three of the next five holes, having similarly water-threatened green complexes, invite a mid-round crack-up. Ten may be the most aesthetic hole along this stretch, its fairway wood-lined but then opening dramatically to a long vista into the Farmington Valley’s faraway hills, and, in the foreground, across the course’s expansive central pond.
The eleventh is a long, string-straight par-5, which culminates at an eleveated green with a prominent left side bunker. Then, at twelve, comes an outstanding driving hole, where a hooked or pulled tee shot may lead to a bunker--or a watery grave beyond it. The approach at twelve is even better: it must find another peninsular green where only a small margin of allowable error is to be had, as incoming golf balls that veer too much left or right will take a swim. At least you can be long or short, somewhat.
After this impressive stretch of holes from seven through twelve, things calm down. There’s a birdie opportunity at the par-5 thirteenth and then a straightaway but long par-3 at fourteen. The finish, which is solid if unspectacular, comes with a trio of three good and varied par-4s along with a well-bunkered, midrange par-3. The closer, one of these four-pars, is short but tight.
Tunxis White puts forth a solid challenge that demands good ballstriking throughout the round--but especially over the water-guarded holes at 7, 8, 10, 11, and 12. This interesting whole middle stretch departs from anything Mr. Zikorus has designed; individually the seventh, eighth, tenth and twelfth rank among the best holes he’s created.
Conditioning Woes: I’m not sure why it’s not been cleaned up, but five or six of the greens were marred today by goose guano as well as worm castings (my guess) to the extent that putting was nearly impossible on these. Many of the greens were also topdressed, but that is to be expected in November. Otherwise, conditions around fairways, tees, and roughs were fine for this time of year.
Playing Experience: Very good, as usual. Friendly service and a 3-hour round, as I was let off the first tee even prior to my actual tee time.
Some conclusions: It’s hard for me not to like a course that supplies a tee-to-green test like this one. The neat trick about the water holes is that they’re demanding but not overly so: you still have enough margin for error on the four peninsular holes to get away with slight misses--just not big ones. So these may be ‘target’ golf holes but they’re not extreme. The course’s entire feeling definitely leans toward the Robert Trent Jones school of design (I can see a few parallels to Hazeltine in Minnesota), but with still some touches similar to Zikorus’ original mentor, Donald Ross.
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Among the premier holes at Tunxis White are those with greens set on mini-peninsulas. The par-4 seventh is the first you’ll encounter. Photo submitted by AptlyLinked on 11/21/2021
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Eight. Par-3, 164. The second peninsular green may give some golfers jitters on the tee. Photo submitted by AptlyLinked on 11/21/2021
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Ten. Par-4, 347. My favorite hole. A ‘simple’ drive-and-pitch hole to this green, water-guarded everywhere but in front. Photo submitted by AptlyLinked on 11/21/2021
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Twelve. Par-4, 376. A masterful hole--maybe the course’s best--ending on a cleverly contoured green (upon another peninsula). Photo submitted by AptlyLinked on 11/21/2021
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Four. Par-3, 176. Overdraw your tee shot and your golf ball will be deep-sixed. That’s frost you see in the shadows. Photo submitted by AptlyLinked on 11/21/2021
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The tenth, again, from behind the green. Photo submitted by AptlyLinked on 11/21/2021