David Owen
Overview
George Wright is consistently recognized as one of the best, most affordable public golf options anywhere. Much like The Country Club, "The Wright," as it’s known to locals, is routed through rocky outcroppings similar to Brookline and wild terrain that challenges the golfer with constant elevation changes, many blind shots and smallish greens. Donald Ross' routing through tree-lined corridors is bold and adventurous, but also highly walkable, with nearly every green just a few short steps away from the next tee. At $41 to walk for city residents ($50 for non-residents), you won't find a better deal in the state, which is probably why it's hard to secure a tee time. Plus, the course is always in good condition thanks to superintendent Leo Curtin and his crew, with our panelists reporting that George Wright’s greens are routinely on par with any of the high-end private courses operating with an exponentially higher budget. George Wright hosted the 2018 state amateur along with its sister course, William J. Devine.
About
Panelists
Ratings from our panel of 1,900 course-ranking panelists
100 GREATEST/BEST IN STATE SCORES
Shot Options
Character
Challenge
Layout Variety
Fun
Aesthetics
Conditioning
Reviews
Review
“A true Great Depression-era, Donald Ross municipal gem. With a layout that would be fighting for Top 200 status with private course conditioning, the George Wright of today plays better and better by the year as the post-pandemic golf surge put money into the course's coffers that has gone right back into capital maintenance and improvements. The greens tend to run quite true, and Ross's mix of blind approaches and rolling greens makes GW a must-play when in the Boston area. The standout stretch is without a doubt the eight par-4's in a nine-hole stretch from #5 to #13, each with characteristics that make it a unique and stout test for the modern game, nevermind in the era where the course was blasted out of a granite ledge in an outlying neighborhood of Boston. This is truly one of the best four or five municipal courses in America."
Read More2024
Review
“Greens run nice, rest of the conditioning is tolerable. Don't miss the chance to play here. 1 and 18 are nothing burgers but the 16 in between are mostly prime beef!"
Read More2023
Review
“One of the best municipal courses in the USA and comparable to some of the private courses in the Boston area."
Read More2023
Review
“George Wright, named after one the first early baseball stars, is a City of Boston success story that proves that cities can manage great golf courses if they put their minds to it. This is a full-scale, mid-career Donald Ross course that was originally slated to be private but ended up in the hands of the city in the 30s. After years of play the course fell into neglect in the 90s/00s, but was slowly revived as a pet project by Boston major Tom Menino, along with its sister course at Franklin Park. The efforts culminated in the courses hosting the Mass Amateur in 2018! The course is a fantastic example of Ross design in New England, as the great terrain dictates the play here, showing what a great router of courses Ross really was. The front nine starts slowly before attacking some great land, as #5 and #7 especially create problems for the player that would like to overpower the course, but will likely end up in the trees if not heeding caution and laying back for a longer approach. The back nine dives down at #10, back up at 11, down at 12, and you get the idea...you are in for a wild ride. It's no surprise that this is currently the toughest tee time in town!"
Read More2022
Review
“George Wright is a classic Donald Ross municipal course in Boston. While the conditions are never fantastic and the course could use a renovation, the bones here are fantastic with some really great architecture and memorable holes. This is undoubtedly one of the best munis in America and a great option for those visiting Boston."
Read More2021
Review
“This has to be one of the best municipal courses in the country. It's kept in remarkably good shape considering the amount of play. Greens are consistently in better shape than many nearby private clubs. A handful of ho-hum holes, but not too many gimmes. If you play well you can score, if you're spraying it off the tee you'll make plenty of doubles."
Read More2019
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