Best of Boston

This Donald Ross-designed course in Hyde Park is the perfect diamond in the rough. The imposing clubhouse recalls a staid Victorian manor, but the staff is downright friendly, whether organizing weekday tee times (reservations are accepted only for weekends and holidays) or teaching chip-shot fundamentals. The par-70 course—5,131 yards from the red tees, 6,096 from the whites—covers a beautiful, hilly terrain, and includes the breathtaking 10th hole, whose green lies in a serene, tree-ringed dale. Greens fees are also breathtaking: just $22 for Boston residents on weekdays ($25 for nonresidents), and $25 on weekends ($28 for nonresidents). Of course, that doesn’t include the balls—or bets—you lose.