Crestbrook Park Golf Course

Crestbrook Park Golf Course is located in Watertown, Connecticut. It is designed for public use and includes four tennis courts, a volleyball court, a horseshoe pit, pool, pavilion and restaurant. In addition to its eighteen holes, Crestbrook has a five acre practice facility including driving range and three practice greens.

Operations

Crestbrook is governed under the Connecticut section of the PGA (Professional Golfers' Association of America) and the USGA (United States Golf Association). It has a seasonal staff of starters and rangers who work under the control of the Head Professional, Ken Gemmel. Mr. Gemmel also oversees the surplus of leagues that operate out of Crestbrook everyday including Men, Women and Junior golf programs.

Maintenance of the golf course is run by the Superintendent of Parks Harry Ward. Maintained with a combined staff of both full-time and part-time employees, the golf course was voted as Connecticut's third highest municipal course in 1998 by Golf Digest. Park maintenance and care is also run through Mr. Ward with help from Assistant Superintendent Steve Sklanka.

The Course

Crestbrook is located on a 236 acre plot that was originally purchased from the town in 1975. The course started out as a private, nine hole course until 1980 when it added a second nine and became public. The course plays at a par 71 and offers play from four separate tee boxes (see table below). It offers many challenges to every level of golfer with many trees lining each fairway, many bunkers and several water hazards throughout the course. The course plays host to one of the five CAS (Connecticut Association of Schools) tournaments held each year for Connecticut high schools and is the home course for the Watertown High School men's golf team.

The Park

Crestbrook Park serves many needs with its multiple sources of leisure. It has four tennis courts which in addition to recreation for the town service the high school and its men's and women's tennis programs. It has a grass volleyball court which lies adjacent to a horseshoe pit and a pavilion. Included in the pavilion are plenty of benches and accommodations for up to seventy-five people.

Two of the parks more prominent aspects are its recreational pool and Cavallo's Inn Restaurant. The pool, which can accommodate up to 175 persons, is open throughout the summer and always has lifeguards on-duty during open hours. Cavallo's Inn Restaurant is located next to the pool and can service all of Crestbrook Park patrons. The restaurant is open for banquets and weddings while the bar is open for golfers as a nineteenth hole. A small alcove in the basement can service the pool patrons with a snack or drink while the Snack Shack, which sits at the turn between holes nine and ten, services all golfers. In addition to the Snack Shack, the restaurant offers an on-course refreshment golf cart which caters to golfers during their round.

Merriman Pond is a 34 acre lake that sits on the grounds of the park and is open to seasonal fishing, skating and boating. Sitting on the edge of the lawn of Cavallo's, the lake certainly adds to the beauty that the park has to offer.

External links

• Watertown, Connecticut Website
• http://www.pga.com/home/
• http://www.usga.org/
• http://www.casciac.org/
• http://www.watertownhigh.org/