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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.

200 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

Gentlest slope

Avg min slope

112

Slope 115 or lower

200

Hardest Easiest Longest Oldest Newest

#	Course	City	Par	Slope
1	Sandwich Hollows Golf Club GOLD tees · 3,588 yds · Rating 56.8 · Par 71 · R. T. Jones · 1971East Sandwich	East Sandwich	71	70
2	Rockland Golf Course WHITE tees · 2,764 yds · Rating 55.4 · Par 60 · Phil · 1955Rockland	Rockland	60	80
3	Londonderry Country Club RED tees · 3,088 yds · Rating 57.4 · Par 62Londonderry	Londonderry	62	81
4	Butter Brook Golf Club SENIOR tees · 4,908 yds · Rating 61.6 · Par 72Westford	Westford	72	84
5	Royal Crest Country Club RED tees · 2,736 yds · Rating 56.4 · Par 56 · 1920Walpole	Walpole	56	85
6	Lost Brook Golf Club WHITE tees · 3,002 yds · Rating 56.3 · Par 54 · Sam Mitchell · 1967Norwood	Norwood	54	85
7	The Back Nine Club BLUE 54 tees · 2,984 yds · Rating 55.5 · Par 54Lakeville	Lakeville	54	89
8	Chatham Seaside Links RED tees · 3,332 yds · Rating 60.0 · Par 68 · 1895Chatham	Chatham	68	89
9	White Cliffs Country Club RED tees · 3,007 yds · Rating 55.5 · Par 62 · Gary Player · 1986Plymouth	Plymouth	62	91
10	Alpine Country Club Forward tees · 4,712 yds · Rating 61.2 · Par 70Cranston	Cranston	70	91
11	Lakeview Golf Club MIDDLE tees · Rating 59.3 · 1930Wenham	Wenham	—	91
12	Cranberry Valley Golf Club KIRBY tees · 3,613 yds · Rating 60.1 · Par 72 · Geoffrey Cornish · 1974Harwich	Harwich	72	92
13	The Golf Club at Southport GOLD tees · 2,716 yds · Rating 53.6 · Par 56Mashpee	Mashpee	56	93
14	Paul Harney Golf Club RED tees · 3,130 yds · Rating 58.4 · Par 61 · Paul Harney · 1967East Falmouth	East Falmouth	61	93
15	Kings Way Golf Club GOLD tees · 3,228 yds · Rating 57.2 · Par 60 · Brian Silva · 1987Yarmouthport	Yarmouthport	60	94
16	King Rail Golf Course GREEN/GREEN tees · 3,938 yds · Rating 60.2 · Par 68Lynnfield	Lynnfield	68	95
17	Reedy Meadow Golf Course RED/RED tees · 4,180 yds · Rating 63.0 · Par 68Lynnfield	Lynnfield	68	95
18	Weathervane Golf Club RED/RED tees · 3,860 yds · Rating 59.4 · Par 72South Weymouth	South Weymouth	72	96
19	Gannon Municipal Golf Course YELLOW tees · 4,092 yds · Rating 62.2 · Par 70 · Wayne Stiles · 1929Lynn	Lynn	70	98
20	Pinecrest Golf Club RED tees · 4,206 yds · Rating 61.6 · Par 66Richmond	Richmond	66	98
21	Scottish Highlands Yellow tees · 4,678 yds · Rating 62.9 · Par 71Salem	Salem	71	98
22	Hillcrest Country Club White tees · 5,000 yds · Rating 65.0 · Par 70 · 1910Leicester	Leicester	70	98
23	Swanson Meadows Golf Course RED/RED tees · 3,658 yds · Rating 60.8 · Par 64North Billerica	North Billerica	64	99
24	North Hill Country Club RED/BLACK tees · 5,383 yds · Rating 68.2 · Par 72 · William F. Mitchell · 1968Duxbury	Duxbury	72	99
25	Sassamon Trace Golf Course RED/RED tees · 3,316 yds · Rating 58.4 · Par 64 · G. Cornish · 2001Natick	Natick	64	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?

200 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.