10 scenic New England golf courses

Here are 10 of the most scenic New England golf courses that play beautifully tee to green. – By Ron Driscoll, Globe Correspondent

SHINING ROCK – The Blackstone River Valley is home to some of the region’s best public courses, and Shining Rock added to the luster when it opened in 2010. Golf magazine ranked it No. 4 overall and the “best value’’ among the 43 courses that debuted nationally that year, thanks to its rugged good looks and its reasonable green fees. Shining Rock was designed and constructed by Patrick Sullivan around the native rocky ledges. 91 Clubhouse Lane, Northbridge, 508-234-0400, www.shiningrock.com, $65 weekdays, $78 weekends and holidays (includes mandatory $15 cart fee)

RED TAIL – Named for the red-tailed hawks that soar overhead, this course has been chosen the No. 1 public-access course in Massachusetts three of the past four years by Golfweek magazine. It sits on land formerly occupied by Fort Devens, a US Army post. ’’We are on hallowed ground,’’ said Jim Pavlik, club general manager and golf pro. ’’Millions of soldiers trained here before Fort Devens was decommissioned in 1996.’’ Some of the holes have names that evoke its past use, such as Tanks Crossing, Shiloh, and Bunkers. 15 Bulge Road, Devens, 978-772-3273, www.redtailgolf.net, $85 weekdays, $99 weekends (includes cart, range balls)

OWL’S NEST – Located at the southern tip of New Hampshire’s White Mountains, Owl’s Nest Resort & Golf Club is about two hours from Boston. Designed by Mark Mungeam of Cornish, Silva and Mungeam Inc. in 1988, the course can be seen as having three distinct sections. The final six holes are set atop Sunset Hill. 40 Clubhouse Lane, Campton, N.H. 888-695-6378, 603-726-3076, owlsnestresort.com/nh. Through June 29, green fees are $50 weekdays and $60 on weekends, including cart with unlimited golf; starting June 30, $82 daily including cart

PORTSMOUTH – Portsmouth Country Club was founded in 1901, though its current course dates to 1957. The club brought in famed architect Robert Trent Jones to design its current layout, which is semiprivate and includes some outstanding secluded holes along Great Bay. The club is open for nonmember play seven days a week, and golfers can call three days in advance to reserve a tee time. 80 Country Club Lane, Greenland, N.H., 603-436-9791, www.portsmouthcc.net, $80-$85 through Sept. 30, cart not included

JAY PEAK RESORT – The course here, designed by Graham Cooke and opened in 2006, is not a typical mountain layout. “It’s not constant up and down, turning holes,’’ said golf pro David Jankowski. “You can see everything in front of you.’’ The course has been named top public course in Vermont the past two years by Golfweek. Watch the website for upcoming stay-and-play options available with resort lodging, with the 176-room Hotel Jay having opened in December. 830 Jay Peak Road, Jay, Vt., 802-988-4653, jaypeakresort.com, $65 weekdays, $85 weekends, not including cart

RICHTER PARK – This Connecticut course has been a staple on “best of’’ lists for decades since it opened in 1972 on the former site of a farm donated to the city of Danbury by Stanley Richter. Danbury residents pay reduced green fees, and nonresidents also get a break this year, with rates having been trimmed by $20 across the board. Four sets of tees make it a comfortable course for all; in fact, Richter Park Golf Course was named one of the top 50 courses nationally for women by Golf Digest in 2011. 100 Aunt Hack Road, Danbury, Conn., 203-792-2550, www.richterpark.com, $69 Mon-Thu, $79 Fri-Sun and holidays, cart included

BANGOR MUNICIPAL – In 1978 Bangor Municipal Golf Course hosted the US Amateur Public Links Championship, making it the only course in Maine to have held a USGA championship. The course, which is ranked among Golf Digest’s best public courses, has hosted players who have gone on to become some of the game’s best. “We also play the Greater Bangor Open here’’ said Rob Jarvis, the club’s assistant pro. 278 Webster Ave., Bangor, 207-941-0232, bangorgc.com, $32 every day, cart not included

KILLINGTON – This 6,186-yard Geoffrey Cornish design, with Roaring Brook running through eight holes, provides one of the best values in New England for 2012. It is offering an unlimited golf pass for $249, with unlimited use of cart for $149 through the close of the season in October. The course sits at a 2,000-foot elevation, with striking views of the Green Mountains and the Killington ski resort. 227 East Mountain Road, Killington, Vt., 802-422-6700, killington.com, $50 weekdays, $60 weekends and holidays, not including cart

ATLANTIC – This course is often overlooked among its upscale neighbors, Pinehills and Waverly Oaks. In fact, New England Journal of Golf has called Atlantic Country Club the most underappreciated course in Massachusetts. Atlantic has four sets of tees, and it can provide a good test as well. 450 Little Sandy Pond Road, Plymouth, 508-759-6644, atlanticcountryclub.com, $48 weekdays, $58 Fri-Sun and holidays, not including cart

POUND RIDGE – Pound Ridge Golf Club opened in 2008 as one of the few Pete Dye-designed courses in the region, and in its June issue, Golf magazine calls it the “most US Open-worthy public course in the US.’’ Though it is officially in New York, a few holes (Nos. 5-7) straddle the Connecticut border. It features wetlands, rock outcroppings, and boulders, including “Pete’s Rock,’’ a massive boulder that sits in the middle of the fairway on the par-5 13th hole. 18 High Ridge Road, Pound Ridge, N.Y., 914-764-5771, www.poundridgegolf.com, $160 Mon-Thu, $195 Fri-Sun and holidays, includes cart and range balls