Best golf courses near Danbury, CT

Brooklawn Country Club was built in 1895 with just $100 set aside for a nine-hole golf course. Just a year later, the course was one of 26 to join the newly formed USGA. In addition, Tom Morris, grandson of Old Tom Morris, was the first professional at Brooklawn, and the course has a history of hosting some of the USGA’s finest events. The course was one of the last of A.W. Tillinghast’s career, and it has been renovated more recently by Ron Forse. The greens are full of undulation, a stalwart of Tillinghast's designs, and the putting surface at the long par-4 fourth is one of his best in an area filled with his brilliance. Holes like the third and sixth are uphill without feeling like a hike, showcasing Tillinghast’s ability to work with a challenging site.

The Patterson Club dates to 1929, when General Electric Co. employees organized a Dining and Social Club with 20 charter members. The Robert Trent Jones Sr. designed course opened nearly 20 years later in 1947 on a new site in Fairfield, Conn. Today, the course is one of the best in the area, having hosted the state’s Open and Amateur, as well as numerous Metropolitan Golf Association events. The course makes captivating use of the elevation changes, including at the up-and-over finishing hole, where a speed slot can add 40 yards to a well-placed drive.

Situated just over an hour north of New York City, Centennial is a public 27-hole facility that plays over 340 acres of rolling hills. The numerous elevation changes create scenic views while the natural rock outcroppings and ponds provide challenge. In addition to the three nine-hole layouts, Centennial has a double-ended driving range, a short game area and three additional putting greens.

This is Pete Dye at his prettiest—and toughest. Pound Ridge, which sits 40 miles northeast of Manhattan, mixes perfectly manicured fairways and greens with a long, demanding, undulated layout. It's a visually intimidating course with a number of blind tee shots, huge bunker complexes, some long carries and Instagrammable beauty at every turn. In typical fashion, Dye wedged a lot of trouble into this 175-acre site with woods, wetlands, water hazards, rocks and boulders coming into play. (His advice? Bring extra balls.) There is little to no room for error on most tee and approach shots, but that's what makes it a must-play (and with five sets of tees ranging from 5,151 to 7,165 yards, you have options). The property features some of the highest points in the area, offering expansive views of the surrounding Westchester countryside—an area known for its private courses.