#1 at Ponkapoag Golf Club

Greens were in tough shape and needed to be mowed. Very slow greens

Ponkapoag is insulting to the golfers that pay good money to play here. Tee boxes full of sand, long fairways, bare patches on the greens. Charging $40 to play here is criminal. I'd rather play minigolf.

The price is good ($17.00) but not worth ($40.00) to play golf here.

A Massachusetts disgrace This is just criminal the way they let this place go downhill just criminal there’s a state workers with state pensions take some pride in your work

We knew rain was coming and my buddy called to make sure we would either get our money back or a rain check. He spoke Jillian on the phone and she said sure no problem. When we get there the scribbled sign on the counter said no refunds no rain checks. She never remembered the phone conversation.!!!! He called 2 hours ago.!!!So we thought we would get in 10–2 holes before the heavy rain. We are driving down the first fairway and I realize there is no score card or pencil. I have a pencil and paper in my bag. So we are hurrying to beat the rain. We played course # 1. We are on “2 and as we approach the green the front is all dried out, with bald spots of dirt and ruts. The course was in very poor shape but the nonchalant, could care less attitude of the girls working the counter and refusal of a rain check after 7 holes was unacceptable. I had played there a few years ago 6-8 times and never had any problems. When we got to the parking lot there 6-7 cars there. The girls said they never close. I did not go back to the pro shop it was raining so hard. I am hoping GolfNow might make some gesture to me even though it was a “hot deal. “. I don’t think I’ll be ever be back there again.

Greens keeper informed me they had invest 5 Million this past year to improve the course. From how it looks & played this early in the year I look forward to going back several more times.

This review is for Ponkapog #1. No starter and we teed off 10 minutes late due to a course backup. Make sure you look at the course map carefully. The tee box behind the first green is not the 2nd tee. I don't know what it is - a defunct hole?
This course is in better shape than #2 or Leo J Martin, but it isn't really what you would expect at most other courses. You have to remember that MA treats these like nature preserves that they mow. Yes, several fairways are in recognizable shape and have mostly well trimmed grass, but in others you're getting a mix of grass, clover, crabgrass, and old divots.
I liked the beautiful wildflowers, the smells of nature, and the general quiet out there even though you're steps from I-93. But stray balls have a habit of disappearing as the rough slopes away towards out of bounds/unnavigable undergrowth.

This is a review of course 2 at Ponkapoag. There's no starter here on a Sunday afternoon, so there's a little negotiation to find the other people in your group if you're not bringing a full foursome.

The layout is interesting with the feel of golfing through a public park, including various shelters and people walking on paved paths for exercise. It's a nice feel.

Some tee boxes and greens were very good, but a few tee boxes were bare, dry-packed, rocky new england dirt. And some of the greens had dozens of 1/2" holes that I hoped were aeration holes gone wrong from a couple months back. This combined with bare spots made the greens very challenging.

Some holes are fun/challenging, like a downhill, dog-leg left where you have no idea where you're headed.

I'm told course 1 is much nicer which explains why so few people were playing here (on top of the 90+ degree weather). I'll have to try that one next time

This was my first time back at Ponky #1 after about 20 years. I played many times in the past as I grew up in the area. I had heard that the conditions had improved considerably after an extensive renovation after years of neglect. I can tell you that the conditions haven't improved much at all in 20 years. As long as the Commonwealth of Massachusetts owns Ponkapoag there is no hope that it will ever be an acceptable golf course(s). Ponky has been a patronage haven for politicians for years and it appears that this environment still exists. Investment must be made to cut down trees, clean up brush throughout the property and install cart paths. Only a private company can do all these things. The Commonwealth of Mass. will not. Contrast this course with the two owned by the City of Boston (George Wright and Franklin Park) and you will note that Boston gets it and Massachusetts doesn't .

Don't waste your money here. Until this becomes a real golf course. Go to the many other very good golf courses in Massachusetts.

This should even be used as a gold course. Maybe a dirt track for nascar. Donald Ross must be looking down and shaking his head at the condition of this course.

The condition of this course is an embarrassment. You can't even push a tee into the tee boxes which have almost no grass on them at all and the fairways are 90% dirty or hard pan. I will say other than being slow the greens were in good shape. Donald Ross is rolling over in his grave seeing how bad of a condition this course is in.