Hunter Golf Club is a public par-72 course measuring approximately 6,606 yards from the tips. The course was originally designed in 1929 by R.J. Ross and is located in Meriden, Connecticut.
Hunter Golf Club originated as the Meriden Municipal Golf Course on property formerly known as the Grulich farm, formally opening in late September 1929. Financial constraints from the Great Depression limited the original design to only nine holes, with R.J. Ross serving as principal architect and a distant cousin of legendary designer Donald Ross. The course expanded to eighteen holes in 1935 through work by V. Ardsley Flood and Depression-era relief workers hired by the city. After the death of longtime professional George Hunter, the course was renamed George Hunter Memorial Golf Course in 1967. Alfred Tull performed minor redesign work between 1968 and 1970, but the transformative makeover occurred from 1986 to 1988 when Albert Zikorus completely redesigned the layout with Moore Golf Inc. handling construction. Zikorus, who trained under Donald Ross, created a modern design that showcased his mentor’s influence particularly in the greens complexes. Since the 1988 reopening, the facility has undergone multiple renovations including bunker redesign in 2010, removal of several fairway bunkers between 2001 and 2010, installation of a new irrigation system in 2012, addition of forward tees from 2010 to 2015, and clubhouse restoration following a 2014 fire. Situated on approximately 150 acres in the northeast quadrant of Meriden, the course features rolling terrain with the front nine relatively flat and the back nine presenting more dramatic elevation changes. The routing style moves north-to-south with generally straight fairways and limited doglegs, though tree-lined corridors and strategically narrowing landing areas create plenty of tactical interest. Zikorus favored downhill tee shots throughout the design, with nine holes offering elevated teeing grounds that create dramatic visual presentations. The course rewards players who value strategic positioning over raw distance, with well-protected greens featuring Donald Ross-inspired slopes and contours that demand precise approach play. This layout particularly appeals to mid-handicappers who enjoy a fair but testing examination that emphasizes course management and shot-making versatility rather than overwhelming length or penal hazards.
Strategic Test
| Handicap | Course Strategy |
|---|---|
| High Handicap (18+) | From the Gold tees at 5,666 yards with a rating of 67.8 and slope of 123, high-handicap players face a manageable yet engaging test that emphasizes accuracy over distance. The slope rating indicates approximately 2.5 additional strokes per round compared to a scratch player, making bogey golf an achievable target. Strategic elements include taking conservative lines away from creek hazards on holes 1, 15, 16, and 18, laying up short of fairway bunkers to ensure position rather than attempting heroic carries, and favoring the center of greens rather than attacking tucked pins near falloffs. The fourth hole serves as an ideal example at 354 yards from the tips, presenting a short par-4 where a fairway wood or long iron from the tee leaves a manageable pitch to an elevated green, removing driver accuracy concerns while still providing a legitimate birdie opportunity through smart positional play. |
| Mid Handicap (8-18) | The White tees at 6,156 yards with a rating of 69.2 and slope of 128 provide mid-handicappers with strategic variety that rewards both power and precision. The slope indicates roughly 3 additional strokes beyond scratch play, positioning par as a respectable achievement. These players must navigate decisions around carrying the stream at 220 yards on the opener, managing tree-lined corridors on holes 13 through 16, and reading the moderate to severe green contours that characterize Zikorus designs. The tenth hole exemplifies the strategic demands at either 380 yards as a par-4 or 587 yards as a par-5 depending on tee placement, requiring players to either execute a strong drive and mid-iron approach or manage a three-shot hole with water hazards in play and an elevated green complex that punishes poorly positioned layups. |
| Low Handicap (0-8) | From the championship Blue tees at 6,606 yards with a rating of 71.0 and slope of 132, low-handicap players encounter a layout that tests every aspect of their game. The slope rating suggests approximately 3.5 strokes above scratch play for a bogey golfer, but more importantly, the course defends par through green protection rather than pure length. Strategic demands include working the ball both directions to access optimal angles, especially navigating the narrowing fairways on 13, 15, and 16, managing distance control into small, elevated greens with false fronts, and reading the Ross-influenced putting surfaces that feature subtle breaks and significant slope. The seventh hole stands as one of Connecticut’s finest par-4s, playing 431 yards as a tight driving examination where trees compress the landing area from both sides, demanding either a controlled fade to hold the right side or a draw that avoids the dense left-side timber, followed by a precise mid-iron to a well-bunkered elevated green that severely penalizes misses. |
Nearby Course Alternatives
Timberlin Golf Club in Berlin offers another stellar Al Zikorus municipal design located approximately 12 minutes northwest of Hunter. This 1970 layout stretches 6,733 yards from the championship tees with a par of 72, rating of 72.2, and slope of 129 on its bent grass surfaces. Situated on roughly 160 acres along the base of Ragged Mountain, Timberlin features more pronounced rolling terrain throughout compared to Hunter’s relatively flat front nine, with elevation changes that create dramatic shot values and spectacular views of surrounding farmland. The course received design updates from Stephen Kay and Doug Smith in 2006 plus Ray Hearn in 2014, maintaining Zikorus’s original strategic framework while modernizing conditions and playability. Timberlin’s greens slope more aggressively than Hunter’s with thicker greenside rough creating additional recovery challenges, while liberal fairway bunkering provides a visual intimidation factor often lacking at other Connecticut public courses. The architectural pedigree matches Hunter’s quality, as both courses showcase Zikorus’s training under Donald Ross through green complexes that reward precision and punish carelessness. Players who prefer more extreme topographical variety and enjoy testing their short game from demanding lies around greens will find Timberlin’s terrain more engaging than Hunter’s moderate undulations, though the course plays slightly longer and more demanding from comparable tee boxes for mid-handicappers who struggle with uphill and downhill lies.
Lyman Orchards Golf Club – Jones Course in Middlefield presents a championship-caliber test from Robert Trent Jones Sr. located approximately 15 minutes east of Hunter. This 1969 design stretches 7,011 yards from the tips with a par of 72, rating of 73.2, and slope of 129, offering a dramatically different experience than Hunter’s traditional parkland routing. Situated on approximately 300 acres of former farmland along the Connecticut River, the course features severely rolling hills on the front nine and a back nine routed through woodlands and wetlands with water affecting seven holes. The Jones pedigree brings signature architectural elements including innovative bunkering with more than 40 sand hazards, liberal water hazards that encourage risk-reward decision making, and severely sloped greens that demand precise distance control. The course received redesign work from Roger Rulewich in 1969 and Mungeam-Cornish Golf Design in 2009, maintaining Jones’s hard par but easy bogey philosophy while updating agronomic standards. The facility spans significantly more acreage than Hunter with superior conditioning typical of Troon-managed properties, though the strategic demands skew toward aerial golf rather than Hunter’s emphasis on ground game options. Advanced players seeking a legitimate championship examination with modern amenities and pristine conditions will favor the Jones Course’s length and dramatic hazard placement, particularly those who excel at controlling trajectory and working the ball to access specific quadrants of large, contoured greens that punish imprecise approach play more severely than Hunter’s smaller, more accessible putting surfaces.
Final Word
Hunter Golf Club distinguishes itself through a comprehensive practice facility that includes a driving range with five hitting stations, a large putting green positioned behind the ninth green, and dedicated chipping and sand bunker practice areas that allow players to sharpen all aspects of their short game before heading to the first tee. The range features both mat and grass hitting options depending on seasonal conditions, providing year-round practice opportunities that many municipal courses cannot match. Beyond golf, the facility’s crown jewel remains Violi’s Restaurant, an Italian dining destination that transcends typical clubhouse fare through an extensive menu, course-side views from a semi-circular glass-enclosed dining room, and outdoor patio seating during warm weather months. Violi’s operates as both a daily lunch and dinner venue and a banquet facility capable of hosting wedding receptions, anniversary celebrations, retirement parties, and corporate events, creating a true destination atmosphere rather than merely serving as a nineteenth-hole watering spot. The restaurant’s reputation extends beyond the golf community as evidenced by its stand-alone following among local diners who appreciate fine Italian cuisine in a picturesque setting. The pro shop offers fully stocked merchandise and PGA professional instruction for players seeking to improve their games, while the facility maintains active men’s and women’s club organizations that rank among Connecticut’s largest and most vibrant golf communities. What makes Hunter special lies in its successful transformation from a Depression-era municipal layout into a modern championship-caliber test that has hosted the Connecticut Women’s State Amateur and Senior New England Public Links Championship while remaining accessible and welcoming to players of all abilities. The Zikorus redesign proved visionary in creating strategic interest through routing, green complexes, and hazard placement rather than relying on artificial difficulty or excessive length, resulting in a layout that rewards thinking players who emphasize course management over brute force. The course’s consistent recognition as a Connecticut Top Ten public facility and number seven ranking by Pub Links magazine validates its architectural merit and conditioning standards, while reasonable pace of play and professional marshaling ensure an enjoyable experience from first tee to final putt.
David is an avid golfer who loves walking Connecticut’s courses and playing alongside his family. He’s passionate about golf course architecture and one day hopes to play at Pebble Beach.
