A classic Donald Ross design tucked right into Cambridge! Fresh Pond is a gem of a municipal course--beautifully laid out with subtle elevation changes, tight fairways, and well-guarded greens that really make you think your way around the course. Knowing it was designed by Donald Ross makes the layout even more impressive, especially considering how compact and walkable it is. The course is always in pretty good shape for a city muni, and the setting around the reservoir adds a nice peaceful vibe. You can easily get in 9 holes after work or on a summer morning and feel like you got your golf fix without committing to a full day. That said--be ready for a wait if you go on the weekend. It's a popular spot, and pace of play can slow down during peak hours. Booking ahead is a must. Overall, a fun and challenging course with some real architectural pedigree. Great value and a staple for local golfers. read more

Fresh Pond Golf Course - Golf Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

See all

There's a new parking policy for 2026. Make sure to get a pass or something from the pro shop even if they don't offer it. Otherwise you'll get a $25 ticket while golfing. read more

Perfect golf. Best course besides Atkinson. Perfect staff, underrated course in my opinion.

This review is specifically for John the starter (really deserves 0 stars). The other employees at Fresh Pond Golf have been nothing but friendly and gracious. But man, John seems to have woken up on the wrong side of the bed every day of his life. He's always looking for someone to scream at and makes an otherwise pleasant experience utterly intolerable. Echoing the other reviews below, he publicly berates and embarrasses patrons of the course and seems to be on some kind of power trip as he makes threats, raises his voice, and is extremely rude and aggressive. It doesn't hurt to be kind. He deserves to be fired. read more

FPG, in Cambridge, MA 9 Hole Beginners, especially should know the golf course local rules, pace of play, can be slow at times. Tee Box Drives, allow 1 Provisional Ball if 1st drive, seems lost. 3 minutes to look for lost ball is generous, in fairness its not a tournament but instead your recreational golf round. Public, golf course pace of play says; "just drop a ball approximately where your went lost" and continue play of your round. read more

Fresh Pond Golf Course - 6th Hole Par 3 260 Yards Bunkers to the right. - Golf Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

Amazing collection for the level of play here. Greens are as good or better than many high end private courses. Impressive municipal.

Course itself is solid for the price. The one younger man who works in the pro shop the last few years was always friendly and welcoming...and then you get to the first tee box.... Essentially every time I've played this course, the starter says "alright lets go hurry up guys" at the first tee. I understand they try to keep pace up, but from a golfer's perspective, there is no worse way to start a round than to feel rushed...probably why I've never hit a good first tee shot there. At the end of the day, we are playing GOLF, its really not that serious but you wouldn't know it by how you are treated by the starters. Again, course is solid, but why do I feel like I'm inconveniencing the staff for playing golf at their golf course??? read more

Hidden gem! For being wedged between fresh pond and the busy alewife parkway this course feels incredibly expansive and alive. It was also nice and quiet around 6:30 pm on a Tuesday. Great opening tee shot on #1 leads to a fun dogleg left on #2. A tricky downhill par 3 follows which gives great views of the pond. #4 is fairly boring but the par 5 on hole #5 has a nice tee off with water hazard right. #6 and #7 are fairly flat and standard. #8 is the signature hole with a gorgeous par 3 set up over a pond with willows in the back. Watch out for the screaming red chested bird as you cross the bridge! #9 provides a nice tee off challenge - close to 200 yards to hit the fairway from the blues. $20 bucks for the course is pretty decent, though I think $10-$15 would get me coming back a little more often All in all, very pleased with the way this course played on a nice summer weeknight read more

See all

My buddies and I were looking to book a same day, twilight tee time (something around 6-6:12). We called early in the morning. Mr. Carry answered the phone... "We close the course at 6:15 and you need to call 2 days before to get that tee time. Have a great day". Then hung up. For someone who's supposedly a golf "professional", this was an extremely unprofessional way to treat potential customers. Maybe this is why Mr. Carey is a golf pro at a 9 hole muni course (that's poorly maintained) and not a country club. Common courtesy is something Mr. Carey was obviously never taught. As someone who grew up learning the game on public municipal courses, this is highly discouraging. At a time when golf's popularity has taken a hit, you would think Mr. Carey would exude a bit more personality. It's this type of old man golf mentality that discourages younger generations to pick up the game. This phone call really rubbed me the wrong way. I will be taking my clubs and hard earned dollars elsewhere moving forward. Golfers, both young and old, play here at your own caution. Bill Carey is a snobby dick. read more

An emerald in the "big city." Immaculate, green, perfectly landscaped. Nice rates. Nice pro shop.

The course is actually good with good greens BUT man the staff that works there is something else. I'm not talking about the guy at the pro shop but the starter and the old guy driving around looking to scream at someone for something. We parked with 2 wheels on the rough instead of all of the wheels being on the cartpath on accident and the old guy drives and screams while my friend is chipping. The starter is always mad about something and rushing everybody to hit their balls and get out of the way. I shanked my ball because of being rushed and he told me to let the group behind me go and I felt embarrassed. Also my score is 85-90 so I'm not a complete amateur. I would love to come back but while the same staff is there count me out. read more

In my opinion, Fresh Pond is the best value for 9-holes in the Boston area. The course is easily walkable and the greens, tee boxes and fairways are all in great shape especially compared to other muni courses. The yardage and course layout challenge all aspects of your game. You're certainly not going to find a course in better shape for $24 (non-resident rate) within driving range of Boston :) Although I've never taken a lesson from him, Bob is extremely friendly and recognizes many of the longtime players. Tee times fill up quickly on weekends, so if you're not a member, you'll have to wake up and call first thing on Friday morning for that weekend if you want to have a reasonable tee time. read more

I had a very mixed experience at this course. The lady who was the starter was an amazing help. She was very professional and kind. As for the course it was great but very busy and slow. The course ranger with the name of Bobby, who drives around with a dog in his cart, was an incredibly rude, harassing, and unprofessional employee of the course. He came up to our foursome on the first hole and told us to hurry up and play fast when we were waiting behind the group in front of us. He then continued to tell our group to stay off the grass with our golf carts where there was no signage stating no carts of any kind. He had a very aggressive and rude approach to us from the very beginning and made us feel like we were targeted and rushed the whole outing. I wish I could give this course a 5/5. But an employee who treats paying customers with arrogance and rude communication, I can not give a score better than 1. This course is great but needs to reassess the employed course ranger position. read more

We love this course! We play it all the time. The course itself is very well maintained, there are always carts available and there are some great par 3's and par 5's to enjoy. The cost is affordable and the staff is always pleasant and helpful. Great for a nice 9 holes! read more

Pretty decent for a driving range. $7 for a medium bucket of balls, $10 for large, $12 for extra large. Clubs are free! The conditions are decent, not perfect. Management was kind and allowed me to return an unused medium bucket for a voucher. read more

Have enjoyed playing golf at Fresh Pond for many years because of the condition of the course as well as the great staff. I've had club's re gripped, purchased clubs, bag, carts, etc. Quality sales and service for a reasonable price. Shout out to Bob and staff! read more

I've been here once, and that was enough for me. The only good thing I can say about this course is that it's in a convenient location. There aren't many courses (or ranges) nearby Cambridge, unfortunately. It's all down hill from there. The biggest complaint I have, however, is the staff. The clubhouse staff scoffed at the idea of letting five of us play together even though there was literally only one or two other groups on the course at the time. We offered to split it up if we were slowing things down, but that was not an option we were told. The starter was perhaps the rudest, most unprofessional individual I've ever encountered on a golf course, however. He was gruff when we approached him to tee off and again got lectured about how all five of us couldn't play together (even though we told him we were splitting 3 and 2). Around the 7th hole, one of the guys in my group of 3 shanked one off the tee and wanted to hit another. As there was a hole and half open behind us, the other two of us agreed and he teed up again. Then, the starter literally drove his cart about 30 yards in front of the tee box, and sat there. When we asked if we could help him he yelled that you could not re-tee and that we were slowing down the pace of play. Mind you that we were right behind the group in front of us with no one behind. At the end of the round we let the clubhouse staff know of how rude the starter was, but they did not seem to care. Overall I avoid this place and won't ever go back. read more

Been playing this course for years now and I have noticed nothing but improvement. The staff are all kind, friendly and welcoming. They do a great job with the course, it's been in great condition this season. We play there just about every Sunday and I am yet to have any problems. Love the course will be playing here for years to come. read more

A walkable nine in my backyard? Not in my backyard! Wait, yes in my backyard. Please stay. Running a small plot (for a golf course, anyway) along the namesake pond, Freshie's fairways, greens and tee boxes are well maintained and none-to-challenging. Don't expect a full clubhouse. The well-stocked pro shop is straight shacking, and refreshments only go as far as peanut M&Ms, sandies, dogs and burgs. At $2 for a frank, it's pretty reasonable. Seems a number of folks have had trouble with the staff, but not this guy. Starter was a peach and if nothing else, was slow to scoot along a pokey foursome in front of us. Saved $7 off by checking their FB page, and if they had a similar Yelp check-in offer, I'd be playing on the regs. Otherwise? Aside from a few doglegs and the occasional water trap, the replay value is minimal. And the prices don't necessarily encourage play from Somervillains, Watertownies or Bostonians that get better value from other munis. But because carts are for the elderly (save $20) and with the promo price, I paid $16 for an easy 9 and that's juuuuust right. 3.5 stahs. read more

Wow. I've golfed here for the past 10 years and it has gone down hill. Golfed there today and the greens were in the worst shape I've seen any green. They weren't watered, overgrown in some places but mostly dead grass everywhere. Putting was a joke and the ball was bouncing around everywhere. The tee boxes were in rough shape, overgrown chunks missing everywhere. Bunkers weren't kept in shape and were not raked at all. People that golf there just don't care and have not etiquette for the game. I yelled at someone for picking up my ball and pocketing it right in front of me. They let more than groups of 4 go out with really slows down the game. $21 for 9 and a half cart (splitting it with someone else) and personally I didn't think it was worth it. read more

Is anyone else freaked out by Jeb's review? He gave the place 3 stars I think and complained (rightfully so) about the rude treatment. Then he updates his review because the staff called him out as "the guy that bashed them on Yelp" or whatever. NOT COOL! How horrifying to be confronted like that face to face when you just showed up to play some golf. I would've changed my review, too, if anything to secure that they treat me fairly when I show up again. Fresh Pond: if you use Yelp to obtain feedback, great. But don't make someone feel awkward because they gave an honest review. I echo what other reviewers have said about the customer service. Maybe it's because there are so few courses to play, but the vibe here is always a bit intense. You often get grumpy old people who just want to play a quick round early in the morning and want you to get the hell out of their way. The course's staff cater to these people more than others. You feel the pressure when they watch you tee off, examining you to see if you are guilty and deserving of execution. Especially early in the season when it's my first few times out on a course, it feels rushed and stressful. I just ask that they be more understanding that everybody starts somewhere. I'm a par/bogie player and I feel hesitant when a beginner friend wants to join for a round in case they will feel crappy about themselves...because that's happened before. Also, please remember that the distance between groups is in flux. My group is sometimes right up on the ass of the group in front, and then within a hole we will fall back a bit, only to catch up again on the next hole. The staff will "catch" you (or so it feels) when you've slumped on that one hole and say things like "You're holding up the entire course." Please don't be so dramatic and nasty. Summary: only come here if you typically par or birdie. read more

This golf course has a beautiful walking trail that surrounds the course and the Fresh Pond, which is cool because you can actually see where our drinking water comes from. I don't actually play golf, but the course looks very golfy from the walking trail. GREAT place to take your pets, and there are tons of dogs that run around off leash. The walkway is paved, and up until April, you and your pups can trollop all over the golf course without the fear of being hit by a stray ball. Just watch out for the Animal Control officers. From what I hear, they are a little ticket happy if your dog's not registered in Cambridge (which mine aren't, which is why we all wore camouflage outfits today). All in all, a lovely place to get in your 10,000 steps and work off the calories that you've eaten. AND the path is far enough away from the traffic, that you can pretend you yourself are Lewis or Clark, or even Pocohantus. read more

I recently took lessons from the Head Pro, Bob Carey, and I am recommending him and the course for any beginning golfer. After looking around the area for private lessons, Bob was very affordable for 5 classes. He was very flexible with time and overall just a good guy who is knowledgeable and a great teacher. Bob was incredibly patient and even set me up with a set of clubs which had been hard for me to find as a lefty. I haven't played the course yet so I can't rate that, but the location is unbeatable and the price per round is very reasonable - plus discounts are given to those of us who live in Cambridge. Overall the course looked well maintained and I'm looking forward to playing there before the season is over. read more

If you play this course with an "is what it is" type of mindset instead of expecting a Masters type of course, then you'll have a good time and get some birdies and bogies and call it a day. First things last...it's a 9-hole public course, in the Cambridge/Belmont area and all things considered it was better than I expected. I had preconceived notions of more rough patches than a bad relationship, more surly old dudes than a VFW hall, and more backups than the Expressway at rush hour. Playing on a Saturday morning at 11am yielded none of this. The course is fairly well maintained for a public, yes there are old dudes who work there who could be construed as gruff if you expect them to blow sunshine up your rear (and if you expect that kind of treatment in New England, then you are in the wrong region), and $26 for 9 holes is kinda steep but reasonable considering it's basically in the city. So, short story long, check this course out if you haven't already, you may be surprised. I'd go back. If you want to clock out of your domestical responsibilities for a few hours and hack some swings while busting balls with your buddies without breaking the bank, then this course is the right call. read more

Ah, Fresh Pond - not sure why I keep coming back, but for some reason I do. I guess it's because you're really close to my house, but every time I go, I wish I would have sucked it up and drove the extra 20 minutes to somewhere a little nicer. A 9-hole track, usually backed up by guys named Sully who think they're on the PGA Tour and lining up 5 foot bogey putts like the Masters was riding on it. I've had some 3+ hour 9 hole rounds, which is totally ridiculous. There doesn't seem to be anyone monitoring the pace of play, and I think the greenskeepers must be on vacation because the course is generally in poor condition. read more

This course is well managed by Bob Carey & Co. For the amount of play it gets, it is exceptional. For those of you who haven't been there for a few years, it has come a long way. Pro Shop is well stocked, and there are some deals to be had too! Donald Ross would be proud. A storm last year took one of the signature Willows that border the first and ninth holes. Overall, I recommend to golfers of any level. read more

Its an okay course, kept up well. However, the guy in the clubhouse needs an attitude check. Least accommodating and friendly staff I've come across at a course. Don't allow online bookings and then get angry when you call? Not sure what they expect, its 2020 time to get an online service read more

The course is well maintained. The greens and bunkers are excellent for a public course. It won't host the US Open, but it is fun to play. The 3rd and 4th holes would easily fit in at any top level private course. When you consider that the course receives 40,000 rounds played per year, it's condition is even more impressive. The shop is a great place to purchase golf equipment. The Pro maintains a huge inventory and always has specials or discounts. The staff is professional and efficient. Some reviewers have referred to the staff as rude, but I don't think that is fair or accurate. They can appear to be curt or "all business", but that's due to the constant high volume of play. Whenever I have been there, the phone is ringing off the hook. My only complaint is with the pace of play, but that is also due to the high volume and the overall level of play. I prefer to play here on weekdays and not weekends. All in all, it's a gem, but it's not a hidden gem. ;-) read more

Busted by Bob! I totally forgot I wrote a review about Fresh Pond golf course until I was reminded by Bob, the pro in the clubhouse today. He saw my ID, and said, "oh, you're the guy who slammed us on Yelp." I disagreed, but after looking- I guess I did. Sorry Bob! I'll up my review by a star (a year later). I'm not positive why I was so harsh on the staff at Freshie a year ago. They're fine. And apparently, they're avid Yelp readers. Anyway- I maintain everything else I said earlier: Fresh Pond is a great little walkable place to tune up your game and forget you are in a city. Solid prices, decent shop, well maintained... Just avoid the place on Thursday mornings and Saturdays. read more

I have only golfed here once and it was just an ok experience. The greens and bunkers were in rough shape. It is a really short course and it gets backed up pretty easily. I came during the day on a weekday and there was quite a long wait. I can only imagine how the weekends are here. It is not horrible for a municipal course in a really busy area. read more

I've played here four times this year while in search for a course close to the city. It is a decent course especially because it is close to downtown. It is also relatively well priced. The only downside is that there is no driving range, it gets crowded, it is short unless you play from the blues, the putting green is down a big hill, and there is no bar. The course is in good condition. The greens are well kept except for the occasional ball mark, and there is a nice layout to the course. I am still looking for the perfect course but this is enough to hold me over. read more

Freshie! It's gotten better each of the last couple of years as maintenance and drainage have significantly improved and I really like it. Great layout with lots of sand and water in play, easy to walk nine and you can use every club in the bag. Can get crowded, but if you time it right (early morning or early afternoon) you can blow through a good nine in right around 2 hrs. Proshop isnt poorly stocked in terms of gear, but the kitchen is basic grab and go fare and no bar. Whatever, you're in Cambridge- there are 1,000 places to eat and drink within 5 mins. I play it roughly once a week and really enjoy it and the scenery is beautiful. Cant beat it for the local muni. read more

This course is amazing it is almost always maintained well and it has a great location and some nice views it is well worth going to it's in very immaculate condition for a public course read more

Management is horrendous. Uppity and rude. I will never be back and will warn folks away. They do not deserve your patronage

If I could give this course 0 stars I would. Tried to go there this morning with 3 friends. The course looked nice and we were all excited to play. Whoever the man was working the pro shop was extremely rude and disrespectful. We decided not to go out and golf because its very hot and we were not allowed to take carts (which is fine we understand the course rules). The gentleman working, immediately became rude and got upset with our decision. Overall, the man deserves to be fired for the way he treated us as customers. The lack of respect was extremely unprofessional and I will never recommend this course to anyone based on one employee. I am upset that it even came to the point where I would have to write a review on the matter, but behavior like that from an employee who represents the face of the course is unacceptable. read more

Great public golf course, this place is in great condition and is well kept. Great for players of all levels. This is my go to club in Massachusetts! read more

I've played here three times this summer. It's $26 on weekends which isn't bad for nine holes and it's a relatively non-threatening environment for a beginning golfer like myself. The course isn't great but it's convenient to city dwellers. In any event, I've pretty much sworn off going back since the starter (guy who checks people off at hole 1) and the ranger (guy who rides around, making sure everything's going smoothly on the course) have been ridiculously rude to us the last two outings. Two weeks ago, the ranger yelled at my husband and me while we waited near the first hole for our friends to arrive from the golf shop. He later yelled at us at the beginning of hole 7 to hurry up...which meant that we ended up sitting around, waiting at hole 8 for the two groups in front of us. Yesterday, the starter got angry with my friend for sitting silently on a bench at hole 1 and observing the groups in front of us tee off. He told him to go to the putting green or get off the course. Then, the starter proceeded to mismanage two insanely slow groups and slow up the entire process. I don't appreciate being yelled at when I'm spending money and the staff itself is running the enterprise inefficiently. read more

Having been away from Fresh for a very, very long time, I was pleasantly surprised at how much fun I had playing it recently. To appreciate this course fully, it's best to understand it's history. It was originally designed by arguably the most important course architect this country will ever see, Donald Ross. Ross studied under Old Tom Morris in Scotland, then came to this country and was eventually responsible for developing hundreds of courses. Pinehills in NC is probably his most reknowned. The first course he designed in the US was Oakley CC up the street from Fresh. Having caddied at Oakley as a kid, and having played it dozens of times as an adult, I can honestly say that Fresh is a mini-me version of Oakley. Ross' trademarks were his "turtleback" greens and using existing topography to build a course. Fresh Ponds greens are perfect examples. They are designed to accept run up approaches and most are sloped front to back with humps. The danger lies in going long into the greens, recovering from the backsides can be very punitive. By walking the course, its easy to picture that no earth moving was done during the original build. For a small course, you'll use every club in the bag. The first hole offers a generous fairway to get over first tee jitters. 2 and 3 are built into the sioped terrain and 4, my favorite hole, requires a good drive and a long approach to make par. The course is well-bunkered with large greens. The greens drain well but some of the low-lying fairways do not. This course is very playable for a beginner and also offers opportunity for the more accomplished player to get aggressive. Obviously, given it's location, this course gets tons of play. 18 on a weekend can be a marathon. Considering it's greens fees, the fact that you can play 9 on the way home from work and knowing a bit about it's history makes this course attractive to the local golfer. read more

Cambridge residents can play 9 holes on weekdays for $19!! (vs. $22 for non-res) It's a nice little course with some decent holes cut out. If you can get there on a weekday before 3pm, you'll get on the course in no time...lines typically start forming around 3...so get there early! If you want a weekend tee-time, call ahead but have your CC locked and loaded cuz it'll be necessary to fork over your digits and exp date to book your foursome. The pro-shop is very good, all sorts of brand name clubs, new and used. There are great bargains to be found here, I scored a $400 Taylor Made driver for $200 (on sale) and $125 Footjoy shoes for $90 (regular price!). There are 3 par 3's, 4 par 4's, and 2 par 5's. There are 3 holes where water hazards come into play (#1, #5, and #9). Every hole has a sandtrap of some sort (all are greenside bunkers except #7 which has 2 fairway bunkers). Since my friends are music nerds, er I mean gods, none really play golf (not stereotyping, they just don't play more than once in a decade). So I head out alone most of the time. Without fail, I get paired up with some really interesting locals who I have a great time with. Most of them are club members and retired, but are cool as hell and have great stories to tell. read more

Great local course. Hidden gem. Steal away mid day mid week and you will walk right on for a quick nine holes. Guys in the pro shop are great too. read more