Cape Cod has an epic golf scene featuring some of the country’s most scenic and challenging courses. Of course, the region is headlined by the Cape Cod National Golf Club in Brewster, a championship-level course recognized as one of the country’s 20 best by Golf Digest magazine.
However, Cape Cod National and many other courses around the Cape are private, so you’ll need a membership or an official invitation from a member to play. That doesn’t mean you’re out of luck regarding high-end courses, though, as options like Cranberry Valley Golf Course in Harwich, Massachusetts, are available.
Cranberry Valley is a beautiful public course just outside of downtown Harwich that’s accessible for golfers of all levels. It’s also well-maintained and surrounded by a forest, providing an escape from Cape Cod’s bustle.
You won’t want to miss playing Cranberry Valley when checking out the Cape in the spring or summer. Here’s a look at what you can expect when visiting this course.
About the Course
Cranberry Valley Golf Course was designed by Geoffrey Cornish and Bill Robinson and first opened in 1974. The course is challenging yet approachable and was number 12 on Golf Advisor’s list of the top courses in Massachusetts in 2022.
Depending on your skill level, you’ll have a few options when playing Cranberry Valley. The course is a par 72 with four par threes, ten par fours, and four par fives. You can extend the course to 6,482 yards if you play from the blue tees or shorten it to 5,060 yards by starting from the green tees.
The longest hole is the 521-yard 18th, and the shortest is the 174-yard 13th hole. Both of those numbers are from the blue tees.
Overall, Cranberry Valley is a fun course with lots of variety and an unpretentious atmosphere, making it the perfect place to play a round or two while vacationing on Cape Cod.
2023 Green Fees
Another aspect that makes Cranberry Valley a fun spot to fit in a quick round is its relatively inexpensive green fees. The course opens on March 17 in 2023, and you can play for just $49 Monday through Thursday until May 25. Weekday rates increase to $85 per round between May 30 and August 31 before dropping to $65 in September and back to $49 from October 2 through its closing date on December 17.
Weekend and holiday rates never increase beyond $85, although the high season runs from May 12 until October 9. There are also $65 weekend rates between April 14 and May 7 and October 13 and 29, along with $49 rounds available between March 17 and April 9 and November 3 and December 17.
You’ll also find discounted mid-day rates when starting your round after 1:00 PM, additional twilight discounts when playing after 3:30, and a reduced replay rate if you want to go for 36 holes.
Cart rentals are available at the course, too, with rates of $25 for 18 holes and $14 for nine holes. You can also use the course’s driving range, with a small bucket of balls costing $5 and a large bucket going for $8.
You can’t beat the prices at Cranberry Valley, especially when you factor in the quality, making it easy to see why this course is so popular with locals.
Jake’s at Cranberry Valley
Like any good golf course, Cranberry Valley has an on-site restaurant. Jake’s at Cranberry Valley is open for breakfast and lunch and features a diverse menu with just about anything you could want.
The breakfast menu has all the traditional items you’d expect, like eggs, bacon, sausage, home fries, pancakes, French toast, and corned beef hash. You can also grab a breakfast sandwich and enjoy your meal with a cup of coffee or juice.
For lunch, Jake’s serves salads, soups, burgers, hot dogs, subs, and various sandwiches. You might also be surprised to learn that you can get a traditional Cape Cod lobster roll before heading onto the course. All lunch items come with your choice of fries, house-made potato chips, or coleslaw, and some appetizers are available if you have a smaller appetite.
Spend Time Outdoors on Cape Cod
Booking a vacation rental for your golf holiday ensures you have all the space you need to relax before and after each round. These rentals also provide plenty of room to store your clubs and a fridge to keep your drinks cold for your next excursion.
You’ll undoubtedly want to spend as much time as possible outdoors while vacationing on the Cape, and the region’s abundance of beautiful golf courses makes this goal far easier to reach.
