On Saturday and Sunday mornings, Furnace Brook Golf Club is members-only. The public gets on after 3pm. That one fact keeps most golfers from ever showing up, and it keeps the course quiet for the ones who know it.
Furnace Brook is a City of Quincy 9-hole muni at 74 Summit Ave in the Wollaston neighborhood. Par 35. 2,873 yards from the back tees. Google rating of 4.1 across roughly 60 reviews. Green fees run in the $20–35 range, which is what city muni pricing looks like in Quincy. Granite Links is four miles away and costs $165–180. These two courses are not the same product.
The course
Furnace Brook plays harder than the yardage suggests. It's not an executive layout. Most holes require a carry over hazards or difficult terrain. The rough is thick. The greens run fast, and they get called out consistently in reviews as the best feature of the course. Fast greens on a muni are not standard. At Furnace Brook they're a genuine challenge.
The longest par-3 plays 210 yards from the tips. The rest of the holes are par 4s. For a nine-hole track at under 3,000 yards, that's a meaningful ask. Elevation changes add to it. You're not walking flat ground the whole way. Beginners will find it challenging. Mid-handicappers will find it interesting. It's not a pushover just because it's a 9-hole muni.
Who can play, and when
Here is the access schedule:
| Day | Public access |
|---|---|
| Monday–Thursday | All day |
| Friday | Before 10 AM only |
| Saturday, Sunday, holidays | After 3 PM only |
Members and permit holders get Friday morning after 10 AM and weekend mornings. That's the tradeoff for a city permit at a muni.
The 3pm weekend cutoff is worth reframing. A quick 9 at Furnace Brook after 3pm on a Saturday is a fast round in cooler afternoon air. You're done in under two hours and out before dinner. That's not a bad way to spend a weekend afternoon. It's also a fraction of what you'd pay for a round at a bigger course. For golfers who just want 9 holes and don't need a 7am tee time, the restriction is not a problem.
Weekday play is straightforward. Monday through Thursday, public players get the full day. Friday before 10 AM works if you can get there early. This makes Furnace Brook a natural fit for anyone sneaking in 9 holes after work on a Tuesday, or anyone with a flexible weekday schedule.
Rates and booking
Green fees are not listed publicly online. Call the pro shop at (617) 472-8466 or check furnacebrookgolf.com for current rates. As a City of Quincy municipal course, the pricing runs in the $20–35 range. Tee times can be booked online 3 days in advance at the same site.
How it compares to Granite Links
Granite Links is a few miles away in the same part of Quincy. It costs $165–180 at peak rates for 18 holes on a 27-hole championship layout with Boston skyline views and cart included. Furnace Brook is a 9-hole city muni where you call for rates and walk your way around in under two hours.
They are not competing with each other. Granite Links is the premium full-round experience. Furnace Brook is the quick, affordable option that nobody in Quincy wants to talk about because Granite Links takes up all the oxygen in the conversation. If you want 9 holes at muni prices with real greens and actual challenge, Furnace Brook is what you book.
For the full Granite Links picture, including when the twilight rate makes it worth it, see the Granite Links review. For a broader look at cheap golf in the area, the cheapest golf near Boston guide covers your options across the whole metro. Furnace Brook also holds up well for anyone looking for walking-friendly courses near Boston.
The honest take
Furnace Brook makes sense for a specific set of golfers. Weekday regulars who want a quick 9 without driving far. Quincy and South Shore residents who already know about it. Beginners who want real course conditions at muni prices instead of a flat executive track. Anyone who wants a 3pm Saturday round and doesn't mind the access window.
It does not work for groups wanting 18 holes, or anyone who needs a Saturday 9am tee time. Members get those. The course is also not the right call if you want ocean views or the full premium experience. There is no driving range on site. It's a plain muni with good greens and a surprisingly demanding layout.
That's actually the selling point. Not every round needs to be an event.
The 3pm weekend window catches people off guard. Showing up Saturday morning expecting public access at Furnace Brook means turning around empty-handed. Carl knows the access windows at every Boston-area muni and checks which public slots are actually open right now. Text him your timeframe and he tells you what's available, including city muni slots that just opened up across Quincy and the South Shore.