Golf in Mashpee

Sculpted into 300 acres of glacial depressions that form kettles and kames, Pinehills Golf Club's pair of 18-hole, par 72 championship courses seamlessly incorporate the stunning landscape, earning acclaim from Golf Digest, Golfweek, and Golf Magazine as top public courses in the state. The Rees Jones Course is cleaved through a dramatic glacial imprint left from the Ice Age, showcasing 7,175 yards of wide fairways and very few water hazards for a layout that plays similarly to a links-style course. Hole 15 is a 509-yard par 5 behemoth that demands the toughest carry of the round, about 200 yards. The uphill hole reaches the highest point on the course, which offers views of the surrounding topography, as well as the five bunkers that await errant shots or displaced sunbathers on their way to the green.

The Nicklaus Course was built one year later and presents a serpentine layout of dramatic elevation changes and small, slick greens. Undulated fairways are characteristic of this young course as it winds through dense clusters of coniferous and deciduous tree lines that burst with color in autumn. The course places a premium on precise approach shots rather than gunpowder-filled golf balls in order to avoid the gauntlet of bunkers on nearly every hole. The course culminates at the 18th hole, a 476-yard par 4, as well as a cerulean pond that golfers must carry in order to reach the small, contoured green in regulation.

Pinehills' practice facilities and clubhouse are what set the club apart from other public and private courses. Complete with five large putting greens, a 60-stall driving range, and three chipping greens with bunkers, the practice area is an ideal host for Pinehills Golf Academy. Lessons and clinics pair apprentice golfers with expert PGA instructors, who hone swings with the help of V1 digital swing-analysis technology. After a day on the course or at the range, the East Bay Grille quiets rumbling stomachs with clam chowder, burgers, and steaks.

Jones Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole, par 72 course

• Length of 7,175 yards from the farthest set of tees

• Course rating of 73.8 from the farthest set of tees

• Slope rating of 135 from the farthest set of tees

• Four sets of tee boxes

• See the scorecard

Nicklaus Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole, par 72 course

• Length of 7,243 yards from the farthest set of tees

• Course rating of 74.3 from the farthest set of tees

• Slope rating of 135 from the farthest set of tees

• Four sets of tee boxes

• See the scorecard

The Cape Cod Country Club has been in operation under various names since 1928; today, it continues to offer challenging greens and formidable fairways to all levels of golfers. During their 18 holes of golf (up to a $57 value on summer weekends and holidays), iron-wielders will swing and slice their way down sprawling slopes and beguiling bends as they quest toward Horton Smith–esque levels of links luster. Golfers can get a dogleg up on the competition, including the ghosts of past putters whose spirits will not be at ease until they conquer the tricky eighth green, with the club's course strategy or try to outdrive their drive in an electric-golf-cart rental, included in this deal (a $17 value).

Who said golf was a rich man's game? We didn't. It was a filthy, lying cyber-bully.

A family-friendly atmosphere at the Airport Golf Fun Center lets guests of any age unwind with games of mini-golf or hone their skills with long shots on the driving range. Putt past obstacles, undulating turf, and ball-swiping seagulls on the 18-hole mini-golf course. Beautifully landscaped, the course winds past a plethora of ponds, water falls, and baffling water rises. Golfers can also refine regular-sized skills on a short game practice area outfitted with a putting green, sand trap, and purse-lipped fans. The 45-stall range lets clubsmen unsheathe drivers for full-fledged shots from tee-boxes dressed with real grass or artificial turf.

Staffed by experienced coaches and computers who’ve sworn allegiance to the three laws of golfing robotics, GolfTEC’s motion sensors and high-speed cameras monitor swings and break down each individual’s form on a high-definition video display to get results. Sensors chirp with approval whenever they detect the perfect stroke or an especially witty golfing joke. GolfTEC’s certified personal coaches will point out flaws and strengths while providing golfers with tips on how to permanently improve their game from tee to green through a detailed, diagnostic gameplan.

At Mulligan's Island Golf & Entertainment, 60 covered hitting stalls look out onto 11 acres of target areas, a sprawling configuration that helped earn the facility a spot on Golf Range Magazine's 2011 list of top 100 ranges. Golfers can use the driving range's 20 heated stalls to practice during off-season months without worrying about cooler temperatures stiffening their swings, or they can invest in lessons that use digital teaching methods such as computerized swing analysis to lower handicaps. A USGA-rated course tests participants with nine holes of regulation-size golf, while an 18-hole pitch-and-putt short course and two mini-golf courses help golfers calibrate aspects of their short game. The practice mecca also tests swings at 10 batting cages that feed baseballs and softballs at adjustable speeds to suit both little leaguers and professionals fishing for compliments.