Lyman Orchards Golf Club
Located in the town of Middlefield, Lyman Orchards is an impressive 1,100 acre farm that dominates Central Connecticut. It was established in 1741, making it the ninth oldest family-owned business in the United States. Their expansive and scenic property plays host to both a thriving orchard as well as two championship public golf courses. Lyman's first course, the Trent Jones Course, opened in 1969 and was designed by the renowned Robert Trent Jones. It is heralded as a top course in Connecticut and continues to serve each year as the Monday qualifying site for the Travelers PGA tour event. CTFG has also honored this course by recognizing it as a “Top Ten in CT". Visitors should come to expect a course that will continually challenge and test you throughout your round. The strategic design encapsulates a combination of wooded areas, trees, water, and bunkers which make accuracy a must on most holes. The Jones course provides its golfers with multiple tee boxes to choose from that play anywhere from 6200yds to over 7000yds. The 10th hole, par 4, plays differently from each set of tee boxes and creates an interesting risk/reward situation. With an elevated tee box, golfers look down onto a tightly guarded fairway which features a large pond to the left and trees to the right. For you big hitters and risk takers, don’t be afraid to grip it and rip it over the corner of the pond leaving you with nothing but a wedge into the green. Golfers should look to score well on the Par 3’s as they are all relatively straightforward and play on the shorter side.
The second course, the Gary Player Course, opened in 1994 and was designed by the world renowned player & designer, Gary Player. This course has an entirely different look and feel as its sister course. It is shorter than the Jones course (plays 6600yds from the tips) and offers a rather unique and interesting layout. The Player Courses design definitely appeals to shot makers and target golfers. Throughout your round, don’t be surprised to be hitting blind shots, carry shots, and irons off the tee. All in all, the Player course is in sharp contrast to the Jones course. During your round, you will definitely encounter some very picturesque holes. The 13th hole, Par 3, is absolutely stunning. The tee box is perched at the top of a hill, offering wonderful views of the course as well as the Lyman Farm. The undulating green rests far down below and is tightly guarded by a tough rough on all sides. Make sure to club wisely as theyardage is often deceiving, resulting in many golfers hitting their second shots from the hillside rough.
Lyman Orchards is definitely a premier golfing facility in Connecticut. Amenities include a nicely equipped pro shop, driving range, restaurant, and bar. It also features a golf academy that offers a wide array of instruction, ranging from individual & group to a complete two day school. It comes as no surprise that Lyman Orchards ranks highly with CTFG as they continue to do all the right things. We applaud them on their continued efforts to supply CT residents with a tremendous golf facility. If you haven’t made the trip here yet, we suggest that you make this your next golfing destination. See the details on Lyman Orchards Golf Course.
