Lowest Slope Rating (Public)

Easiest Golf Courses in Massachusetts

The 25 most beginner-friendly public golf courses in Massachusetts, ranked by lowest slope rating.

The most beginner-friendly public golf course in Massachusetts on Stymie is Sandwich Hollows Golf Club in East Sandwich, with a minimum slope rating of 70 and 3,588 yards from the forward tees. Slope ratings below 115 signal a course where bogey golfers can play their actual game without the layout adding strokes — usually meaning wider fairways, fewer forced carries, and gentle greens.

187 public or municipal courses in Massachusetts carry a minimum slope of 115 or lower from the forward tees, and the average across rated public courses statewide is 112. This list is restricted to public and municipal courses so anyone can book a tee time — no membership required.

If you're new to the game, looking for a course to take a kid or beginner friend, or just want a stress-free round that lets you focus on tempo, start at the top of this list. Most of these courses also offer instruction programs, learning facilities, or shorter executive layouts that pair well with the forward-tee ratings shown here.

Ranked
25
Gentlest slope
70
Avg min slope
112
Slope 115 or lower
187
#CourseSlope
1
Sandwich Hollows Golf Club
GOLD tees · 3,588 yds · Rating 56.8 · Par 71 · R. T. Jones · 1971East Sandwich
70
2
Rockland Golf Course
WHITE tees · 2,764 yds · Rating 55.4 · Par 60 · Phil · 1955Rockland
80
3
Butter Brook Golf Club
SENIOR tees · 4,908 yds · Rating 61.6 · Par 72Westford
84
4
Royal Crest Country Club
RED tees · 2,736 yds · Rating 56.4 · Par 56 · 1920Walpole
85
5
Lost Brook Golf Club
WHITE tees · 3,002 yds · Rating 56.3 · Par 54 · Sam Mitchell · 1967Norwood
85
6
The Back Nine Club
BLUE 54 tees · 2,984 yds · Rating 55.5 · Par 54Lakeville
89
7Chatham Seaside Links logo
Chatham Seaside Links
RED tees · 3,332 yds · Rating 60.0 · Par 68 · 1895Chatham
89
8
White Cliffs Country Club
RED tees · 3,007 yds · Rating 55.5 · Par 62 · Gary Player · 1986Plymouth
91
9
Alpine Country Club
Forward tees · 4,712 yds · Rating 61.2 · Par 70Cranston
91
10
Lakeview Golf Club
MIDDLE tees · Rating 59.3 · 1930Wenham
91
11
Cranberry Valley Golf Club
KIRBY tees · 3,613 yds · Rating 60.1 · Par 72 · Geoffrey Cornish · 1974Harwich
92
12
The Golf Club at Southport
GOLD tees · 2,716 yds · Rating 53.6 · Par 56Mashpee
93
13
Paul Harney Golf Club
RED tees · 3,130 yds · Rating 58.4 · Par 61 · Paul Harney · 1967East Falmouth
93
14
Kings Way Golf Club
GOLD tees · 3,228 yds · Rating 57.2 · Par 60 · Brian Silva · 1987Yarmouthport
94
15
King Rail Golf Course
GREEN/GREEN tees · 3,938 yds · Rating 60.2 · Par 68Lynnfield
95
16
Reedy Meadow Golf Course
RED/RED tees · 4,180 yds · Rating 63.0 · Par 68Lynnfield
95
17
Weathervane Golf Club
RED/RED tees · 3,860 yds · Rating 59.4 · Par 72South Weymouth
96
18
Gannon Municipal Golf Course
YELLOW tees · 4,092 yds · Rating 62.2 · Par 70 · Wayne Stiles · 1929Lynn
98
19
Hillcrest Country Club
White tees · 5,000 yds · Rating 65.0 · Par 70 · 1910Leicester
98
20
Swanson Meadows Golf Course
RED/RED tees · 3,658 yds · Rating 60.8 · Par 64North Billerica
99
21North Hill Country Club logo
North Hill Country Club
RED/BLACK tees · 5,383 yds · Rating 68.2 · Par 72 · William F. Mitchell · 1968Duxbury
99
22
Sassamon Trace Golf Course
RED/RED tees · 3,316 yds · Rating 58.4 · Par 64 · G. Cornish · 2001Natick
100
23
Tewksbury Country Club
Gold/Gold tees · 3,874 yds · Rating 60.0 · Par 66 · Flynn Development · 1998Tewksbury
100
24Plymouth Country Club logo
Plymouth Country Club
FAMILY-MALE tees · 3,907 yds · Rating 61.2 · Par 69 · Donald Ross · 1908Plymouth
100
25
Veterans Memorial Golf Course
Gold tees · 5,406 yds · Rating 65.4 · Par 72 · Geoffrey Cornish · 1940Springfield
100

Frequently asked questions

What is the easiest public golf course in Massachusetts?

Sandwich Hollows Golf Club in East Sandwich, Massachusetts is the easiest ranked public or municipal course with a minimum slope rating of 70. Slope below 115 is considered friendly for beginners and higher-handicap players.

How many public courses in Massachusetts have a slope of 115 or lower?

187 public or municipal courses have a minimum slope rating of 115 or lower in Massachusetts. These are generally the most beginner-friendly options in the state.

What slope rating is good for beginners?

Beginners typically look for courses with a slope rating under 120 and a total yardage under 6,200 from the forward tees. Courses with a slope of 105–115 from the forward tees are widely considered the friendliest starting ground.

More rankings

More easiest course rankings

Easiest golf courses ranked in other states.