Reedy Meadow Golf Course

Few places in Massachusetts make a stronger case for the short-course format than the North Shore, where a handful of public tracks have served everyday golfers for generations. Reedy Meadow, a par 68 in Lynnfield, is exactly that kind of course — an accessible, walkable layout built around getting people on the grass rather than intimidating them off it. Par 68s lean heavily on par 3s and short par 4s, which rewards ball-strikers who can shape shots into small greens and punishes those who can't manage their irons.

Lynnfield sits just northwest of Lynn and Saugus, inside the commuter belt north of Boston, where the landscape flattens into a mix of wetlands, meadows, and second-growth forest. The name "Reedy Meadow" suggests exactly the kind of open, marshy terrain common to this part of Essex County — ground that likely shapes the course with water, native grass, and ground-level wind more than elevation change.

For the golfer who wants a quick round without the pretension or price of a full-length layout, this type of course earns its place in any local rotation.