Newton Commonwealth Golf Course

I’m honestly surprised at all of the positive reviews on here. My friends joke that you need a hard hat to play here, it’s a hacker’s paradise. Lots of women and children which bring pace of play to a grinding halt. Not in great shape and several holes with signage that threaten to kick you off the course for using a ‘wood’ off the tee — huh? Pay $ 10 more and play a ‘real’ course… unless you’re just picking up the game. No driving range.

Conveniently located near Boston. Tee boxes, fairways, and greens are in really good shape (except for the 3^rd hole, the tee box is turf… kinda cheesy).
The front 9 is a lot better than the back 9, but overall it is a fun course. Lots of par 3’s on the back 9.
I would come back.

Probably the rudest club house staff in all of greater boston. I was a regular there, frequenting the place about three-​four times per week as my gracious summer vacation permitted me to do so. They act as if they’re doing me a favor by allowing me to play golf. I’ve called them a few times to ask about the conditions of the course IE pace of play, can i come down as a single and hop on on short notice, they tell me to go look online. Very unhelpful.
Also, I was there with my handicapped friend who had lost a leg last summer in a boating accident. He was taking a cart and I was walking with my push cart. The guy at the front desk accused of me trying to cheat the system and get a cart for free. I then explained to him i use a push cart. He charged me for the cart and non-​resident (i live in newton). I told him he overcharged me, he then asked for my card to reimburse me, literally threw the receipt at me and i was still overcharged by $ 5 dollars.
I generally don’t write bad reviews on places but i’ve had it with this place. They are rude and over pack the course.
Honestly, the dude with a sweet goatee and tats probably doesn’t belong in the club house if he’s going to be a jerk.

Very well kept course. I’ve played there many times and every time is good! If you slice a lot then you might want to play somewhere else. The fairways can be narrow with condos on the side of the fairway.

Golf course is in great condition but the golf shop attendant Mike has made my last few experiences horrible for a few reasons and I personally won’t return. I don’t know if it’s an age issue but he is very condescending. I went during the week on a slow day with a friend to play and when I told him we didn’t book a tee time he looked horrified and told me we were lucky they could fit us in when the course was wide open. He spoke to us as if it were an issue we wanted to PAY him to play at the golf course. Rather than thanking us for choosing the golf course and bringing our business there he treated us like we were a problem and was extremely rude. Today I called and told him we wanted to book a tee time and told me I had to go online to do so, expressed my disappointment and he said we could go somewhere else… Which I will forever be doing from now on.

Great course with a good amount of skill level needed to enjoy.
Getting from hole to hole had some decent hills to get up and was at times confusing or where the next tee was but, other than that, solid.
Pro shop had some nice equipment and clubs, almost got a new driver. My friend got a new putter though.
I would def recommend this course to a beginner to moderate golfer.

This review is based off service, not course.
My car was accidentally damaged from someone on the course. Purely an accident, but the staff was more than helpful with me. Hats off to them.
The course is also fun to play! Other golfers are also friendly.

Took a lesson here last weekend, it was great! Jason the instructor was awesome and the course was in great shape after the horrible winter. I will definitely be back! Parking can be an issue here, so make sure you head out early!

This is definitely the front runner of the Sterling courses that I have played since moving here. The course is very short but provides some challenges at times. There is a lot of undulation on many of the holes, almost to much at times. There are a couple holes that you can pipe a drive down the middle of the fairway and end up in the left or right rough due to elevation change.
The course is always in great shape, very green grass, fairways, greens, and seems to be well kept. No practice facilities to warm up so come ready to play! The course has plenty of character and is priced fairly. The cart fees are too much though and should be included in the price ($ 50+ weekend 18 with cart per person).
The staff is great for the most part; the service staff (food and bev) can have some better days but overall good people. The fact that the beers are served in cups from the clubhouse is interesting but from what I understand, that is a Newton issue rather than a course rule. They have a handful of cigar offerings on site and are reasonably priced as well.

The course is in very good condition and is still feels like a Donald Ross course. Also the price is on the cheaper side too. But where I went here the pro inside to be uninterested and wouldn’t strike up a conversation. Also there was no starter outside to regulate who goes where. That is the problem with this course is it has an incredibly slow pace of play. It took us almost 3 hours to play nine holes on a wens day afternoon. Good course for the money but be prepared to play a 3 hour round.

Always been a fan of this urban course. The grounds crew do a decent job and the Pro shop staff are great! The course itself is very challenging and the prices reflect that. It is very hilly and you may want to get a cart to save your legs for the back 9 holes especially!

This is a great inexpensive public course outside of Boston. For such a low cost course it is very well kept. The grass is always very green, they always have people working on the greens, and there aren’t any bare patches or lots of divots in the fairway.
The course itself is not particularly long (par 70) but it does well with a lot of elevation changes in tight quarters. Some of the holes are overlooking the top of newton hitting greens way down some tall hills. The greens a little on the fast side and fairways are tight so it will really help your game.
Also, every time i have gone the staff has always been friendly and are always willing to answer questions.

I’ve always had an awesome experience at Newton Commonwealth. One of the toughest things about golf is the intimidation factor. You can feel belittled if you aren’t an expert, not here.
Albie and Mike have always made me and any guests I bring very comfortable regardless of our skill level. They take the pressure and intimidation factor away completely.
Not to mention it’s proximity to the city. Course is always in great shape, and everyone from the clubhouse guy to the groundskeepers are super friendly.
FIVE STARS!!!

For a public course in the Boston area, this is definitely a winner. They changed management companies a couple years back and you can definitely see that they’ve made some positive changes to the course flow (they changed the sequence of some holes) and have also pumped some money into the course itself.
Despite that fact that I never seem to play a good round here, it’s a great course and great value.

This course is decent, but very hilly and narrow in some areas. Pricing is somewhat reasonable, although the «per rider» cart charges are pretty steep.

we always enjoy golfing here. the course is well-​maintained, the staff is friendly, and it is reasonably priced for the area.
pace of play can be pretty slow, but it’s a short, walkable golf course. although the fairways are kind of on top of each other, as long as you hit the ball straight this isn’t too much of a problem.
we took golf lessons here, and the course pro mike is a great guy. he was extremely patient, kind, and knowledgable, and although i’m new to the sport, my fiancé has commented since on how excellent my swing is.

The course itself would probably get a 2.5 (other reviews are spot on: challenging greens, but short course full of hackers), but the customer service here has left a seriously sour taste in my mouth.
I reside in the area and have played this course three times in the past couple of months. Each time I think to myself «There is no way the guy at the pro shop could be having as bad of a day as the last time I was here.»
However, I’ve been proven sorely incorrect each subsequent time. The guy is a jerk, hands down, no way around it. I come for the convenience, but I will not be returning. It’s annoying to have to start your round with such an unpleasant interaction. The customer service is that bad. Don’t bother asking a question unless you want a loud sigh, a roll of the eyes, and some kind of condescending/​snide remark.

This course is great if you’re looking for a course close to the city, but other than that I try to avoid it whenever possible.
If you like to walk courses, DO NOT expect to have any energy left after playing here. It is hills, hills and more hills. You will get a workout, it’s more like hiking with golf clubs in tow.
Also, the course is extremely tightly packed. You will get your head taken off by players on the next tee on certain holes if you’re not paying attention.
The course itself isn’t bad, but if it weren’t for its location it wouldn’t get half the business it does. The staff is friendly enough, and they have good sunset specials in the summer, but paying around $ 40 without a cart to play here is not worth it in my opinion.

I was both pleasantly surprised and somewhat disappointed when I first played Newton Commonwealth. The quality of the layout and design given the tight quarters are impressive, as are most of Donald Ross’s designs. Despite being short, many of the holes are quite challenging with the use of slope and elevation changes. It’s actually quite idyllic at times with wonderful views of the surrounding areas.
I would have been more disappointed had I not already been told many times how slow the play is and how many balls will fly over your head. Still, I couldn’t help feeling let down with the experience somehow. Just for the course itself, play aside, I would be very close to giving four stars if it weren’t for a few boring holes (100 yard par 3? eh) and small letdowns like an astroturf tee box on one hole and the lack of a real grass practice green.
So why not three stars?
The old starter here is extremely unpleasant and at times downright unprofessional. I don’t want someone yelling at me to hit my tee shot when there are people standing in the fairway in front of me. If it’s too far for you to see, take my word for it, there are idiots standing in the fairway and I will likely hit them. Further, there’s no point rushing the people on the first tee because you know quite well that it’s backed up with groups waiting on the tee for the next hole. Don’t continue yelling at me even once they’ve cleared out of the way and I’m taking a swing. That’s shockingly bad behavior for anyone, let alone a paid professional.

Newton Commonwealth is okay for a municipal course relatively close to the city, but my heart is still with Franklin Park.
Regardless, NC does offer up a few decent holes on it’s short, hilly course.
The maintenance isn’t anything to blink an eye at and the layout isn’t spectacular. The club house offers more in the way of gear than does George Wright, but less in the way of refreshments and lounge area than Franklin.
NC just feels like a very generic golf course. I guess what it’s lacking for me is character. Sure, Franklin may have a few brown-​bagging crazies who’ve escaped the nearby Shattuck hospital roaming around the back nine, but I’ll take that over a couple tightwad finance dudes in Newton any day.
Update: In hindsight, I had a realization that NC deserves more than three stars, because I do go back. And you know what, I’m still freaking golfing!