Let's Review: Sandy Burr Country Club

The Skinny

Sandy Burr in Wayland, MA offers a no-frills round that has its challenges but can result in a scary number of birdies if you can tame their surprisingly well-kept greens.

The Course

This century-old Donald Ross course only 30 minutes from Boston will immediately lull you into a false sense of confidence. It starts with two par 5s that are extremely straightforward and in front of you, and follows that up with a par 3 that will require a pitching wedge at the most. Fast forward through a couple pars and at least two ‘Yo, I think I have something today’s’ and you are immediately hit with the teeth of the course.   

Playing at 6400 yards and a 71.4 course rating from the furthest tees, this is not the course where you need to show off to your 30 yard slice with your brand new TSR driver. Do not balk at the short nature of the course, there is enough character on every hole that the debate on which hole was your favorite will supersede whether your buddy’s putt on 18 was actually a gimme.  The greens deserve your respect and will end up being the difference between your 95 and 102. 

The Price

Easily one of Sandy Burr’s greatest qualities. I don’t know of a similar quality course that will let you out for less than $100 on the weekend with a cart in peak season. If you have more will-power than me and enjoy the occasional walk, you can find yourself out there for $50-$60.

Signature Hole

Holes 5 through 7 will take every shot in your bag as you have three consecutive holes with water and fescue begging for your ball at different times. A par 3 with a 180+ carry, a blind downhill dogleg, and 5 iron off the tee to a 5 iron approach are just a few of the shots you can expect to see in this three hole stretch. 

Grabbing a Bite

The Grill at Sandy Burr is a homey and great place to discuss how you think changing to a mallet putter will drop 10 strokes. Unless you’re staying in Wayland, pop in here after as the neighboring food en route back to Boston is nothing encouraging. Make sure to stop by to grab your beer of choice at the turn as there is no cart girl during the round.  

Nice to Know

A few qualities - golf carts with no GPS/screens, slow pace of play at times, and a driving range with a net that is out of service 20% of the time - leave a little something to be desired, but once you’re around the green in 2 on hole 1, you will forget about both and enjoy the round.

How many sleeves: 2

Using the standard accounting procedure of one lost ball per hole with water, two sleeves should do just fine. A lot of holes run parallel to each other which means bail outs to the neighboring fairway are your friends.