Willowbend CC (Mashpee, Mass.) is one of the toughest courses in Massachusetts and will play host to the Massachusetts Mid-Am championship from September 18-20. Sean Fitzpatrick won the 54-hole event last year at Marlborough CC after Matt Parziale made a 9 on the 17th hole of the final round. It was Fitzpatrick's first MassGolf championship, and it was well-deserved after he shot 66-68 in the final two rounds.
This year, players will face a stout test. Willowbend CC has three nine-hole courses - Bay, Bog, and Bend. For this particular championship, players will compete on the Bay and Bog courses.
The Bay and Bog courses are highlighted by challenging green sites that will require players to hit their approach shots into the proper sections of the greens to have easy two putts and good chances at birdie. The back tees are par 70 measuring 6,600 yards; the only par fives come on Bay's opening hole and Bog's closing hole.
From tee to green, the Bay and Bog routing will ask players to make important choices. Some tee shots give players options to push the ball down the fairway and leave a short iron or wedge into the green. However, aggressive play can be perilous if the ball goes wayward. There are plenty of water hazards, out-of-bounds, bunkers, and heavy rough to penalize errant shots.
More about Willowbend and players to watch in the tournament below.