Gannon is a full 18 in the middle of Lynn Woods, a 2,200-acre forest reservation, 24 minutes north of Boston. Wayne Stiles laid it out in 1931. It plays par 70 at 6,106 yards to a slope of 118, and a non-resident walks it for $49 on a weekday. The card says short and easy. The hills say otherwise.
It sits at 60 Great Woods Rd in Lynn, tucked into the woods with a few holes that open onto a view back toward the city. Golf Facilities Management runs it for the city of Lynn. This is a real municipal course with a real Stiles routing, not a flat town nine.
What it plays like
Short and tough. That combination throws people off. The yardage looks like a pushover, then the ground moves under you on almost every hole. Blind shots, sidehill lies, and greens that sit above or below you. The back nine adds water on three holes. Miss a fairway and the woods take your ball.
The greens are the defense. They roll well and they have real contour, so a good drive that leaks to the wrong side leaves you a two-putt at best. Reviewers who dislike Gannon call it unfair, because center-cut drives don't always get rewarded. Reviewers who like it call it one of the weirdest, most interesting munis they play. Both are right. It rewards knowing the course.
Conditions get consistent praise for a muni at this price. The turf holds up through the summer and the greens stay true. Play it a few times and the blind shots stop being a mystery. That is when the low slope starts to make sense and the score comes down.
What it costs
For 2026, a Lynn resident walks 18 for $45 on a weekday and $51 on the weekend. A non-resident pays $49 weekday and $57 weekend. Nine holes runs $25 to $29 depending on residency and day. A riding cart adds $22 per person for 18 or $11 for nine. A push cart is $12.
That puts Gannon among the better full-18 values north of Boston, in the same range as Sagamore Spring in Lynnfield at $54 to walk. For the cheapest rounds in the region, see the cheapest golf near Boston breakdown.
How to book
Book online at gannongolfclub.com or by phone at (781) 592-8238. This is where Gannon gets frustrating. The non-member booking window is short. Weekday tee times open 3 days in advance. Weekend tee times release online on Thursday at 5pm for the coming Saturday and Sunday.
Gannon is a heavy inner-club and league course. Members and leagues hold a large share of the prime weekend and weekday-evening times before the public window even opens. When the Thursday 5pm weekend release hits, the good morning slots go fast. The course is not walk-in friendly. Show up without a time on a weekend morning and you are probably waiting or getting paired into whatever is left.
Who it's for
Better players who like a course that makes them think, and locals who want a cheap full 18 they can learn. It is not the round for a nervous beginner or a big casual group. The hills, blind shots, and lost-ball penalty punish loose golf and slow everyone down. If you want forgiving and open on the North Shore, Far Corner in West Boxford has 27 holes and far more room. For the full regional picture, the North Shore guide covers every option and how each one books.
Gannon's weekend tee sheet is the whole problem. The public slots open Thursday at 5pm, leagues and inner-club play have already taken the best ones, and the course lists little to nothing on the third-party apps. Text Carl the morning you want. He watches the Thursday release, checks what the shop is holding back, and calls Gannon directly, so you get a real Saturday time instead of a paired-up leftover.