Many of the 200 golf courses in the state of Connecticut are private country-club courses available only to a small percentage of the population. However, he state does have public courses that provide the golfing experience to local residents and visitors to the state without required membership dues. The cities of Connecticut manage many of the state's public courses.
Municipal Courses
The municipal golf courses are your best bet when looking for public golf in Connecticut. Griffith E. Harris Golf Course, managed by the City of Greenwich, is the only public course in that city. Stamford has a pair of courses in E. Gaynor Brennan Muni Golf Course and Sterling Farms Golf Course. Oak Hills Park Golf Course is Norwalk's municipal course, while Tashua Knolls Golf Course is Trumbull's offering. Fairfield is a city with three municipal courses in Fairchild Wheeler Golf Course, H. Smith Richardson Golf Course and South Pine Creek Golf Course.
History
Connecticut history is on display at many of its public golf courses and you can take a walk back through time as you get in a round. The E. Gaynor Brennan course was originally opened as a private course in 1922, but was the course then known as Hubbard Heights was converted to a public course in 1949 when the city of Stamford acquired it in a foreclosure sale. Stamford's other public course also has a strong sense of history as Sterling Farms Golf Course incorporates the farm buildings from the dairy farm that formerly stood on the grounds into its layout.
Course Layouts
The public courses in Connecticut combine the natural terrain of the area with man-made design elements created to challenge your game. Rolling hills are common to these courses, with greens that are difficult to read and fairways that are often narrow and bumpy. Doglegs and bunkers have been cut into the courses, making greens harder to reach. Multiple tee positions let you decide how hard or easy you want to make the course each day you play it.
Other Public Courses
The state's non-municipal public golf courses also give you options as you consider possible courses to play during your visit to Connecticut. Longshore Park Golf Course in Westport offers you a short course at just 5,845 yards from the longest tees, but it compensates with very small greens surrounded by sand.
Hawk's Landing Country Club in Southington is an even shorter public course at just 4,433 yards. Its fairways are narrow and straight. Par-3 holes are the design at Highland Greens Golf Course in Prospect, where you can get in a quick round in less than two hours.
Features
The nine-hole Highland Greens course in Prospect is the only lighted golf course in the state. This public course provide opportunities for you to stretch your legs and enjoy the outdoors even if you don't have time to play a full round. The practice facilities include multiple putting greens at many venues as well as driving ranges of all kinds.
Fairchild Wheeler in Fairfield offers a youth golf camps and is the home of The First Tee of Metropolitan New York.
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