Connecticut National Golf Club

Connecticut National traces its roots to Putnam Country Club, an 18-hole course of roughly 6,170 yards that opened in 1994 in Putnam, in Connecticut's quiet northeast corner. In 2007 new owners purchased the club and hired architect Mark Mungeam to oversee a complete redesign in which every hole was modified to raise both its playability and its challenge. The rebuilt par-71 layout re-emerged as Connecticut National, a championship-caliber test that welcomes public play. Alongside the course, the owners added a 9,000-square-foot clubhouse with a pro shop, restaurant, bar and a function hall seating about 200 guests, turning the club into a hub for weddings, charity tournaments and corporate outings. Over the years the course has also hosted PGA qualifying events, and its transformation from a local favorite into a regional destination has made it one of the more ambitious public-access courses in eastern Connecticut.