Boston's Best Public Golf Courses

It is nice to be able to play a game of golf without joining a club or heading out to the countryside to find a public course. Luckily, Boston has several good public courses that allow visitors and residents to get in their leisure and exercise without the commitment involved with membership. The city itself even owns a few of its own golf courses, which are as nicely kept as the other best public golf courses in Boston. Whether a beginner or a pro, there are holes to sink in this beautiful city.

George Wright Golf Course
420 West St.
Hyde Park, MA 02136
(617) 364-2300
www.cityofboston.gov

As one of the best municipal golf courses in the country and certainly the best in Massachusetts, this 1938 golf course has everything a golfer can expect outside of an exclusive course. The name derives from a Boston Red Stockings player who was also prominent in the golf community in the state. With affordable rates combined with professional policies, the experience at the George Wright Golf Course is a fulfilling one. This course has 18 holes and manages to challenge even experienced players with its hills and often narrow playing areas.

Related: Boston Area's Best Most Affordable Golf Courses

Fresh Pond Golf Course
691 Huron Ave.
Cambridge, MA 02138
(617) 349-6282
www.freshpondgolf.com

With only nine holes, Fresh Pond Golf Course is not the most time-consuming public course in Boston, but it is beautiful. The entire course is in the Fresh Pond reservation, putting players smack in the middle of the scrap of wildlife left in the city. It has its challenges, like water features, but beginners will find this course a forgiving one. Call in for a first-come, first-served tee time on the weekend or make reservations for a weekday. Season tickets are also available, which gives holders the chance to call in for weekend tee time up to the Tuesday before.

William J. Devine Golf Course
1 Circuit Drive
Dorchester, MA 02121
(617) 265-4084
www.cityofboston.gov

Donald Ross, the man who designed the city's other golf course, designed the William J. Devine in Franklin Park. The older of the two municipal golf courses in Boston, William J. Devine opened in 1896. This makes it the second oldest municipal golf course in the United States. This 18-hole, 70-par course is where Georgian Campbell, the first woman to play golf professionally in the U.S., taught other women to play the game. Prices are a little steeper than some other public golf courses in the area, but the course is well kept and ranked high with experts.

Robert T. Lynch Municipal Golf Course
1281 W. Roxbury Parkway 
Brookline, MA 02467
(617) 730-2078
www.facebook.com/brooklinegolf

The Robert T. Lynch Municipal Golf Course is a challenging 18 holes laid out along roughly the same design as it had in 1933 when it opened. However, thanks to a few land acquisitions, the golf course stretches over more than 6,300 yards, leaving golfers with plenty of playable space. This is yet another affordable course that works for both beginners and experienced golf players. Those who are just starting out will enjoy that this course offers a variety of golf instruction courses.

Related: Boston's Best Mini Golf Courses

Newton Commonwealth Golf Course
212 Kenrick St.
Newton, MA 02458
(617) 630-1971
www.sterlinggolf.com

The Newton Commonwealth Golf Course is a full 18 holes recreated by Donald Ross in 1920. It opened with its original design in 1897. This course has a number of difficulties, so beginners may find the sand, water and narrow fairways to be a bit of a challenge. With a great clubhouse for hanging out and watching friends golf, though, this may be one of the more fun public golf courses in the area for non-golfers.

Shelly Barclay is a professional freelance writer and amateur author. She writes on a variety of topics from food to mysteries. She loves to share the culture and rich history of her birthplace and home, Boston, with the rest of the world. Her work can be found at Examiner.com.