Golf in Massachusetts
Overview
What golf looks like for retirement in Massachusetts: where to do it, what the state costs, and the towns that fit.
Course sample
George Wright Golf Course
Golf ranking
#17
Massachusetts scores 72/100 for retirement golf fit.
Current weather
Checking current weather
Find places
This page explains golf in Massachusetts. The sorter handles the local question by city or ZIP.
Golf in Massachusetts
The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation operates two state-owned public courses, Ponkapoag Golf Course and Leo J. Martin Memorial Golf Course, with senior weekday green fees of $17 for 18 holes and a 5-day senior season ticket available for $475. Both courses serve the Greater Boston area and accept walk-in and advance tee times.
Published local price
DCR Ponkapoag Golf Course and Leo J. Martin Golf Course (state-operated public courses) weekday 18-hole adult rate; senior (62+) weekday $17; rates vary by day and season
Published range: $17 to $35.
Massachusetts DCR - Green Fees · as of 2026Where to go
Golf score
9th of 51 states for retirement golf
Golf score blends year-round playability (34%), playable access (16%), affordability (16%), course pedigree (12%), and statewide course density (22%).
Courses
A sample of marquee courses across Massachusetts, with where to play and how to book.
Ross routing blasted through ledge, hilly with some blind shots · Donald Ross
A true Donald Ross muni right in Hyde Park, built into rock ledge by WPA crews. Greens sit just steps from the next tee, so it stays a friendly walk at a friendly price.
Opened 1938 · $ · Slope 126
Photo: SJMW1987, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Two championship courses across rolling glacial kettles and pines · Rees Jones and Nicklaus Design
Two big daily-fee courses in Plymouth, one by Rees Jones and one by Nicklaus Design, set in sandy pine hills. Walking is allowed if your legs are up for the rolling terrain.
$$$ · Slope 135
Treeless links on old quarries with Boston skyline views · John Sanford
A windswept, links-style 27 holes built on former Quincy quarries with fill from the Big Dig. On a clear day you play with the Boston skyline and the harbor islands in view.
Opened 2003 · $$$$
Photo: Eric Moreno, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Two 36 holes of Cape pines, each hole named for a sea captain · Geoffrey Cornish and Brian Silva
Brewster's town-owned pair of 18s winds through classic Cape Cod pines, with holes named for old sea captains. Players call it perfectly walkable, with fair rates for the quality.
Opened 1999 · $$ · Slope 122
Seaside nine on windswept bluffs above the Atlantic by Highland Light
One of the oldest courses on Cape Cod, a genuine nine-hole links on the bluffs by Highland Light in Truro. It is built for walking, with ocean wind and views the whole way around.
Opened 1892 · $
Holes weave through dense forest with heavy elevation change · Roger Rulewich
A stern, scenic test tucked into the Franklin County hills near Bernardston, with fairways carved through deep woods. Walking is allowed, though the elevation changes will get your steps in.
Opened 1990 · $$ · Slope 141
Dramatic elevation changes on a former Crane Paper hill estate · Damian Pascuzzo
An upscale public course in Southwick set on a former Crane Paper country estate, with big elevation swings and mountain backdrops. A polished day out in the western part of the state.
Opened 2001 · $$$ · Slope 139
Classic 1927 layout framed by the purple Berkshire hills · Wayne Stiles, restored by Gil Hanse
A revered 1927 Wayne Stiles design at Williams College in Williamstown, sympathetically restored by Gil Hanse. Walking is welcome at all times, with the Berkshire hills all around you.
Opened 1927 · $$$ · Slope 136
We've mapped 13 courses across Massachusetts so far.
What Massachusetts costs
Cost of living
106
BEA index, U.S. = 100
State income tax
~5.0% state income-tax planning rate
Social Security
Not taxed
How people start
Most metros list city-run courses with published fee schedules. Those set the affordable floor before any private club enters the picture.
Many courses post a reduced weekday senior rate and a season pass. The difference between pay-per-round and a pass is the number that usually drives the yearly cost.
In warm states the season runs most of the year; in cold ones it is a few months. The yearly cost is rounds-per-year times rate, plus cart and equipment.
Towns in Massachusetts
The City of Boston operates George Wright Golf Course (420 W St., Hyde Park), a Donald Ross-designed 18-hole municipal course, and William J. Devine Golf Course at Franklin Park (1 Circuit Dr., Dorchester); 2026 rates list senior resident 18-hole weekday rounds at $40, compared to $46 for standard residents. The Massachusetts DCR also runs Ponkapoag Golf Course in Canton with senior weekday rates as low as $17 for 18 holes.
City of Boston Golf / Mass.gov DCRCommon questions
The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation operates two state-owned public courses, Ponkapoag Golf Course and Leo J. Martin Memorial Golf Course, with senior weekday green fees of $17 for 18 holes and a 5-day senior season ticket available for $475. Both courses serve the Greater Boston area and accept walk-in and advance tee times. Towns like Boston have their own local options.
Massachusetts has a cost-of-living index near 106 (U.S. = 100), about a 5.0% state income-tax planning rate, and does not tax Social Security. The full state guide breaks down property tax, sales tax, and long-term-care costs, each sourced.
Sources
The life your money is for