Golf Ranch: Where Jeans Are Welcome and Fun is Unlimited in Connecticut

Throughout the course of my life, I’ve had a fluctuating relationship with golf. Catch the pun? While I appreciate the game itself, I’ve often struggled with its over-the-top rules and its exclusive past. What is it about golf that seems determined to drain all the fun out of it?

Enter Happy Gilmore, a movie that tickled me right where I itch (does not make sense). Happy had unique values and individual swagger which “the man” tried to beat out of him. Eventually, it was Happy that triumphed over establishment and took the golf world by storm. It’s a great story but it does not workout like that in real life. Try going to your local, private golf course in a Bruins jersey with your pals, be a little loud and take a running start at your ball and you’ll probably end up doing 5-7 upstate.

My perception of golf as a fun pastime was fading into the night until I discovered Golf Ranch, nestled at 1 Sand Cut Road in Brookfield. You might recall it as Golf Quest, but under new ownership, it’s undergone a remarkable transformation.

I had the pleasure of being invited to their grand opening last week, and the turnout was impressive, people were everywhere. With 66 bays equipped with Top Tracer technology, the fun is practically limitless. I was amazed to learn that you can virtually play almost any PGA course in America using the kiosks in each bay. Plus, they welcome all and host parties, all at a fraction of the cost you’d expect elsewhere.

It’s a blast.

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