Maplegate Country Club

Covered with large pines, maple trees and gentle slopes the golf course at Maplegate Country Club is an interesting and fair layout, sure to please every level of golfers. Host of U.S. Open qualifiers in 1998 and 2001, the par-72 course was designed by Leonard French and Phil Wogan. Opened in 1988, it has four sets of tees, ranging from 4,852 yards to 6,815 yards. The golf course is set on a 150 acres of gently rolling land, which doesn't exceed slopes of 5 degrees. The isolated location off Interstate 495 in Bellingham and Franklin, about 45 minutes from Boston, accounts for much of the tranquility of playing at Maplegate Country Club. The front nine is more target-style golf, while the back nine allows golfers to let the driver fly a little more. The no. 1 handicap hole is the 522-yard, par-5 fourth. It's a tight, slight dogleg right through a thick grove of trees with a large fairway bunker that looms about 100 yards from the green. The finishing stretch is strong, ending with a sharp dogleg right par-4 that plays nearly 450 yards from the back tees. Besides the golf course, Maplegate offers a driving range and practice putting green. Lessons are also available from the golf professionals at the club. Inside the clubhouse, you'll find a well-stocked golf shop with all the latest in apparel, accessories and equipment. The club also offers snacks and beverages in the clubhouse.