Far Corner is 27 holes on 250 acres and runs $56 to walk 18. It won the Boston North Shore 2025 Editor's Choice for public golf. Most Boston golfers have never driven north of the city to play it. The North Shore is the most overlooked golf region in eastern Massachusetts, and the rounds are cheaper and easier to get than anything inside Route 128.
The private clubs up here get the attention. Myopia Hunt, Essex, Salem. But the public and semi-private courses are the story for anyone actually looking to book. Here is where to play, what it costs, and how each one handles tee times.
Sagamore Spring Golf Club, Lynnfield
The one to play first. Sagamore Spring opened in 1929 and has been a daily fee favorite north of Boston ever since. It is a par 72 and runs $54 to walk 18 on a weekday, $67 Friday through Sunday. Riding pushes that to $78 and $91. The drive is about 35 minutes from the city. The course is walkable, well kept, and busy with leagues, so weekend mornings book up. It is the North Shore equivalent of the courses Boston golfers already fight over, with less of the fight.
Far Corner Golf, West Boxford
The best value on this list. Far Corner is a 27-hole layout across three nines: the Fox, the Heron, and the Hawk. Any 18-hole combination stretches past 6,700 yards from the blue tees. It sits on 250 acres of West Boxford countryside. Walking 18 is $56 on a weekday and $68 on a weekend; a cart adds $24 per person on top. Nine holes runs $30 to $37, and there is a 6–7am early bird rate. Seniors 62 and over play Mondays and Thursdays for $52 walking, which is the number that often gets quoted as the general rate — it isn't. It took the BONS 2025 Editor's Choice for public courses. Call (978) 352-8300. With three nines, you can almost always find an open slot.
Gannon Municipal Golf Course, Lynn
A real 18-hole muni about 24 minutes north of Boston. Gannon opened in 1931 and non-resident green fees run $49 for 18 on a weekday, $57 on a weekend. Lynn residents pay $45 and $51, and a cart adds $22 per person. The layout is hilly with blind shots. It is a genuine test, not a beginner field. Because it does not crack the major Boston golf roundups, tee times are easy to get. We put it in the hidden gems post for exactly that reason.
Beverly Golf & Tennis Club, Beverly
The cheapest 18 on the list. Beverly Golf & Tennis dates to 1910 and plays as a par 70 at 6,237 yards. Eighteen holes is $45 for a non-resident on a weekday. Weekends are $60 before 10am and $50 after; Beverly residents pay $42, $57 and $47. The $28-to-$31 figure that circulates for this course is the nine-hole rate, not the 18. It is a semi-private club with public access and short enough to walk easily. Booking runs through the CPS Golf system at beverlygolf.cps.golf, the same platform family the Boston city courses use, so the interface will feel familiar if you have booked George Wright or Devine.
How North Shore booking actually works
This is the friction. There is no single system up here. Sagamore Spring runs its own tee sheet. Far Corner uses its own and the phone. Beverly is on CPS Golf. Gannon takes daily fee and league play through its own shop. Some list partial inventory on GolfNow, some list none. If you only check GolfNow, the North Shore looks half empty even when the tee sheets are wide open.
| Course | Town | 18-hole rate | Drive from Boston |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sagamore Spring | Lynnfield | $54 walk / $78 cart | ~35 min |
| Far Corner | West Boxford | $56 walk / $80 cart | ~40 min |
| Gannon Municipal | Lynn | $49 non-resident | ~24 min |
| Beverly Golf & Tennis | Beverly | $45 non-resident | ~30 min |
Rates shift by season and day. Confirm at the pro shop before you drive up. For how these stack against the rest of the metro, see the best public courses breakdown and the closest courses to downtown.
North Shore courses use a mix of direct systems and marketplace listings, so there is no single complete regional tee sheet. Text Carl the day you want to play and how far you will drive; when you ask, he checks relevant direct and marketplace channels, then sends the current options and booking links.
