Copper Hill Golf Club is a public par-36 course measuring approximately 3,039 yards from the tips. The course was originally designed in 1952 by Allen Bissette and is located in East Granby, Connecticut.
The history of Copper Hill is a compelling story of community dedication and revival. Founded by local farmer Allen Bissette on former tobacco fields, the course served the local population for decades with a straightforward, enjoyable layout. After a period in the late 1990s and 2000s under different ownership, where it was renamed Fox Run at Copper Hill, the course faced potential closure due to declining conditions. The narrative shifted dramatically in 2009 when PGA Professional Paul Banks and his family took over operations, eventually purchasing the property in 2010 and restoring the original name. They embarked on a significant revitalization project, focusing on the core architectural assets. This included rebuilding and redesigning several greens to improve drainage and strategic interest, adding fairway bunkers to create risk-reward scenarios, and undertaking a thoughtful tree management program. Their efforts transformed the course from a neglected track into a revitalized and cherished local hub for golf, preserving a classic New England design for a new generation. The club’s focus on junior golf and community events has further cemented its status as a vital local asset.
The course is routed over a compact and intimate parcel of approximately 82 acres. The terrain is best described as gently rolling parkland, with subtle but ever-present elevation changes that influence both tee shots and approaches. The routing is a traditional nine-hole loop that begins and ends at the clubhouse, making it an exceptionally pleasant walk. Its design vibe is that of a classic, mid-century American course, where the architecture works in harmony with the landscape rather than dominating it. Mature trees provide corridor framing on most holes, defining the lines of play without being overly punitive. This is a design that appeals to the thinking golfer, the player who values precision and strategy over raw power. It will be most enjoyed by those who appreciate the challenge of shaping shots to access specific pin locations and who find satisfaction in a well-executed approach to a small, contoured green. The course does not demand heroic carries but instead asks for consistent control and intelligent course management.
Strategic Test
The strategic examination at Copper Hill is one of subtlety and precision, consistently rewarding thoughtful play over brute force. Off the tee, the player is frequently presented with real choices; the doglegs and tree-lined corridors demand careful consideration of position. A driver is not always the correct play, and the golfer who can successfully work the ball to the advantageous side of a fairway will find much clearer angles for their approach shots. The addition of fairway bunkers by the current ownership has introduced critical risk-reward decisions on several holes, further enhancing the strategic depth. The course is not designed to favor one particular shot shape, instead asking the skilled player to demonstrate a versatile command of their ball flight to navigate the routing effectively.
From an accessibility standpoint, the course is quite welcoming to the high-handicap player. The fairways are generally wide enough to accommodate some inaccuracy, and there are very few forced carries over significant hazards. The primary challenge for the less-skilled player will be the small, push-up greens. The architecture allows for ground-game approaches on many holes, enabling players who struggle with aerial shots to run the ball onto the putting surface. This design choice makes the course playable and enjoyable for a wide range of abilities, ensuring that a bogey golfer can navigate the layout without undue punishment while still finding the challenge rewarding. As one reviewer aptly states, “A great course to walk. Not overly difficult, but you must hit your shots.”
Understanding the course’s challenge is clarified by the USGA Slope and Rating system. The Course Rating indicates the expected score for a scratch golfer (0 handicap), while the Slope Rating measures the relative difficulty for a bogey golfer (around an 18 handicap) compared to a scratch player. A standard course has a Slope of 113. At Copper Hill, the back (Blue) tees have a 9-hole rating of 35.4 and a Slope of 121. For an 18-hole round, this would roughly equate to a rating of 70.8 and a Slope of 121. The rating being below par (72) suggests a scratch golfer is expected to score slightly under par, while the Slope of 121 indicates the course presents a slightly more difficult challenge for the bogey golfer than a course of average difficulty. This data confirms the strategic test: the course is gettable for the skilled player but has enough architectural nuance to challenge the average amateur.
| Handicap | Course Strategy |
| High Handicap (18+) | Playing from the White (2,737 yards) or Gold (2,552 yards) tees is recommended. The Slope of 111 from the White tees is below average difficulty, meaning the course will play fairly and predictably. The strategy should focus on keeping the ball in play, utilizing the open fronts of greens for run-up shots, and aiming for the center of the small putting surfaces to avoid tricky chips. |
| Mid Handicap (8-18) | The Blue (3,039 yards) or White tees offer a suitable test. The 121 Slope from the Blue tees requires more precise ball striking. The key will be navigating the doglegs to set up ideal approach angles. Players should identify which holes favor their natural shot shape off the tee and be prepared to use less than driver to ensure they remain in the fairway. |
| Low Handicap (0-8) | The Blue tees provide the sternest test. At just over 3,000 yards for nine holes, the course demands elite iron play and distance control. The strategy revolves around aggression to the correct side of fairways to create birdie opportunities. The low-handicap player must challenge the corners of doglegs and attack pins, as the course’s shorter length will yield scoring chances if approaches are played from the proper position. |
This emphasis on positioning is perfectly illustrated on the closing hole. The 9th hole, a 402-yard par 4 from the back tees, is the longest two-shotter on the course and serves as a memorable finale. Its primary strategic feature is a fairway that slopes distinctly from left to right, demanding a tee shot that favors the high left side to avoid being funneled into a poor position. For the low-handicap player, the ideal shot is a driver started down the left tree line, using the slope to find the center, setting up a mid-iron approach. The mid-handicapper might opt for a 3-wood to ensure accuracy, understanding that a shot to the right side will likely result in a blocked or sidehill approach to the elevated green. The high-handicapper should focus simply on a solid strike down the left-center, accepting a longer third shot in exchange for a better angle and avoiding the trouble on the right.
Nearby Course Alternatives
Airways Golf Course in West Suffield presents a straightforward examination of Geoffrey Cornish’s talent for extracting maximum strategic value from modest properties. Located just seven minutes northwest of Copper Hill, this family-owned 18-hole layout stretches 5,845 yards to a par 71 from the tips, with a course rating of 66.0 and slope of 106. Cornish, who designed more than 240 courses across New England during his prolific career, built Airways in 1973 on former farmland, employing his signature lay-of-the-land philosophy that emphasized strategic placement over manufactured difficulty. The routing features fourteen well-positioned bunkers and several ponds that, combined with thoughtful green contours and periodic ground movement through the fairways, generate adequate resistance without resorting to artifice. The tree-lined corridors provide definition without excessive punishment, though errant drives will find trouble when the long game misfires. Most notably, Cornish achieves meaningful challenge through green complexes that feature sufficient tilt and internal contour to test short game precision, particularly at signature holes like the par-4 twelfth, where a rolling fairway bisected by a large tree leads to an aggressively bunkered putting surface. The player who prefers a longer examination over 18 holes with less elevation change than Copper Hill’s rolling terrain will find Airways a worthy companion, particularly those who appreciate the democratic, functional architecture that characterized mid-century New England golf design and value a layout that rewards strategic thinking over pure power.
Simsbury Farms Golf Course in West Simsbury demonstrates how Geoffrey Cornish adapted his minimalist design principles to more dramatic topography, creating one of Hartford County’s most respected municipal facilities approximately twenty minutes south of Copper Hill. This 6,509-yard, par-72 layout occupies 235 rolling acres of the former Orkil Farms apple orchard, which Simsbury officials purchased in the late 1960s with recreational development in mind. Opening in 1971, the Cornish and Bill Robinson design stretches from the tips with a 70.3 rating and slope of 129, significantly more demanding than most comparable public venues. The routing takes full advantage of natural elevation changes throughout the property, incorporating the old orchard’s remaining apple and pear trees into strategic positions that frame corridors and complicate approach angles. Several holes play against the backdrop of West Mountain, which can confound distance calculation on approaches, while the putting surfaces themselves represent the layout’s primary defense—some greens stretch nearly 50 yards front to back, and others pitch so severely from back to front that leaving the ball above the hole virtually guarantees three putts. The par-5s measure under 490 yards from the combo tees on three of four holes, offering reachable birdie opportunities for longer hitters who can navigate the tree-lined fairways. As part of an extensive municipal sports complex that includes tennis courts, an enclosed hockey rink, and a swimming pool, Simsbury Farms maintains exceptional conditions through municipal oversight and benefits from high-volume play that keeps maintenance standards elevated. The player seeking more dramatic elevation changes, longer yardage, and a fuller 18-hole test with championship tournament pedigree—Simsbury Farms has hosted the Connecticut State Women’s Amateur, State High School Championship, and Connecticut Senior Open—will find this layout more engaging than Copper Hill’s gentler nine-hole examination, particularly those who relish hilly New England golf at its most scenic during autumn peak foliage.
Final Word
The practice facilities at Copper Hill exemplify the property’s comprehensive approach to golfer development, anchored by a full-service Golf Academy that PGA professional Paul Banks established in 1994, sixteen years before purchasing the course itself. The academy features a 3,500-square-foot pitching and chipping green adjacent to the driving range, providing substantial space for short game refinement that separates this facility from typical nine-hole operations. Banks’ two decades of teaching experience inform instruction programs that span multiple skill levels and age groups, from entry-level juniors aged 5-8 through champion-level competitors aged 9-16, with the facility proudly serving as a First Tee of Connecticut host site since 2004. The nine life skills fundamental to First Tee programming—honesty, integrity, sportsmanship, respect, courtesy, judgment, confidence, responsibility, and perseverance—permeate not just junior instruction but staff training throughout the operation. The recently refurbished clubhouse houses The Grill at Copper Hill, where the outdoor patio has earned recognition as one of the area’s finest dining venues, offering rotating tap selections and what locals consider the best wings in the Granbys. Beyond traditional golf, the property has expanded recreational opportunities to include FootGolf, volleyball courts, and cornhole, transforming the facility into a genuine social hub for northern Connecticut rather than merely a golf destination. The 2012 Walter Lowell Public Golf Course Distinguished Service Award, presented to honor Copper Hill as the model public course serving Connecticut and Western Massachusetts, validates the facility’s commitment to accessibility and community engagement. This recognition, which the Connecticut Section PGA inaugurated in 2001 to acknowledge courses that exemplify public golf’s responsibility to provide playing opportunities for everyone seeking to learn and enjoy the game, speaks to how thoroughly Banks has realized his vision. What distinguishes Copper Hill in an increasingly competitive public golf marketplace is this holistic integration of quality golf, comprehensive instruction infrastructure, community programming depth, and genuine hospitality—a combination that transforms a 1952 Allen Bissette design into something considerably more valuable than its modest nine-hole footprint might suggest, proving that scale matters far less than intention when cultivating an authentic golf community.
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.
