It’s a brand new day at Connecticut National Golf Club in Putnam, with the emphasis on the word “new.”
The final touches on the extensive redesign and renovations on the course, first opened at Putnam Country Club in 1994, have turned what was a solid layout into a championship track.
About 800 yards of length was added to the original 6,169 yards, some 4,000 trees removed, new fairways seeded and sodded, bunkers added or altered, and new green complexes built.
“We have finalized work on the ninth and 15th holes,” said director of golf Jim West, “so that the entire course is now ready for play. We opened the backside for complete play in late May.”
The par-three ninth has been stretched from 112 yards to 162 yards, and the par-three 15th from 140 yards to a whopping 217 yards from the back markers.
“The course is growing in nicely and the reception from the public has been outstanding,” said West. “Play is up dramatically. We will be fine tuning the renovations during the coming weeks, and we will be building new tee boxes and adding a few bunkers down the road. We’re focusing on details right now, as all the major work has been completed.”
The reworking of Connecticut National Golf Club has turned the layout into a pleasant mix of links and parkland holes, with the open holes having a few trees on them, as well as the usual high fescue rough off the fairways.
“We have what I consider the best special in the state this summer,” said West. “Its 18 holes, a cart and lunch from 7 to 11:30 Monday through Thursday, all for only $38, $33 for seniors. For the quality of the course, it’s an amazing bargain.”
Nestled in what is known as “The Quiet Corner” of Connecticut, the northeast      quadrant, the club was purchased by Jim Dandeneau and Brad Rabitor in 2007. They brought in accomplished golf course architect Mark Mungeam to oversee the redesign. The club’s previous rating as a Top 100 New England course is sure to escalate as the renovations mature.
 There are 44 bunkers, a complete dual row irrigation     system, new drainage, five acres of additional fairway and rough and extensive earth movement, which created the entirely new look and feel. The driving range has been totally revamped with the addition of target greens, greatly enlarged tee areas of both grass and matt surfaces, as well as a new lesson tee on the far end of the range.