When it comes to golf courses, Jim Goff doesn’t like vanilla. So, when he and his wife Judy purchased Waubeeka Golf Links in 2008, he wanted to eliminate the bland, meekly characterized holes. Essentially, he wanted to spice things up.
Mission accomplished. Consider Goff’s Waubeeka, presently in the second phase of an extensive layout facelift, to be on its way to being the spiciest entrée on the Western Massachusetts golf course menu. Located in Williamstown, the Par-71 track will likely stretch 6,500 yards and feature twists and turns aplenty when the construction is complete.
Goff’s story fits snugly into the classic “local son done good,” mold. To say that Goff, now a Denver, Colorado resident who works in the finance industry, has strong bonds to the course would be an understatement. He grew up in Williamstown, a hamlet nestled in the northwest corner of the state, not far from the Vermont and New York state borders. His childhood home was three miles from the course. He played the course more than 100 times during his formative years and can still detail his 1982 Western Massachusetts High School Championship victory at Waubeeka on a blustery and soggy New England day. Twenty six years later, after reading a newspaper article highlighting the course’s availability, he and his wife became the third owners of the course, which was originally built in the mid-1960s.
After a successful high school career, Goff went on to play on the Yale University golf team. The Ivy League school’s home course left an indelible impression upon him, and he is now bringing many facets of the Bulldogs’ links nearly three hours north to Williamstown. The course will be characterized by deep, distinctive black hole-like bunkers, slope changes and green design akin to the layout you would find on the Yale golf course. Waubeeka teems with the kind of risk/reward situations that Goff relishes. The improvements are ongoing, the back nine holes are presently closed and expected to open at the beginning of July, and Goff’s intricate plan for those holes promises to make that stretch well worth the wait.
Goff had a solid foundation to work with. The routing of the original golf course was strong, gently sending golfers over the valley terrain. One simply cannot find a backdrop more pristine than the Berkshire Mountains. While there are changes in elevation, there are no laborious walks, just beautiful views of the too-numerous-to-count pine-swept mountain peaks. Tall stands of birch, oak and pine perfectly frame the hulking Mount Greylock on some holes. Such vistas have become more bountiful in recent years as Goff and golf architect Mark Mungeam made a concerted effort to open up the course, clearing more than 1,000 trees. That has resulted in more sunlight, more valley breeze, wider fairways and better views. In short, they let the Berkshires breathe.
The revamping began with the 1st hole. It used to be considered one of the lesser golf holes on the course. A tight driving zone was flanked by swaths of pine to the left that had many people playing down onto the 9th fairway, an uncomfortable, and in some cases, dangerous situation. But thanks to the vision of Goff and Mungeam, 30 trees were cleared on the left side, which opened up the hole to sunlight and air circulation. The slope was significantly curbed and the widening of this Par-4 made the round opener more playable, moved players along quicker, and, perhaps most importantly, kept people playing the hole off the 9th fairway. The Par-5 No. 8, another recently updated hole, has been bolstered by the addition of new bunkers, and now flows effortlessly down through the valley and back up to a steeply sloped green.
The practice range has been expanded as part of the course overhaul. When Goff bought the property, the range spanned about a half-dozen stations. Now, the 300-foot-wide teeing area can accommodate more than 20 people.
The practice range renovations, although essential and very well done, meant that the 10th hole had to be completely rebuilt and reduced to a Par-3. An uphill hole, the 10th now stretches 215 yards from the back tees culminating in a raised green, a tough par to be sure. Tee shots on No. 11 will carry from the elevated tee box down into the valley. Players must then hit uphill onto the green. And beware of the gaping abyss of one of the Yale-like bunkers on this hole. This bunker, bordering the right side of the green, is about 12 feet deep, 25 feet across and 60 feet long.
The green on No. 13 is modeled after Yale’s No. 10, a hole that Goff calls one of the toughest and most exciting Par-4s he has ever played. On No. 14, which features the course’s highest point, be sure to soak in the pastoral panoramas of the numerous timber-ridden mountains, which turn orange and red during the crisp New England autumn. Excavation will provide Waubeeka’s Par-3 14th with some vertical relief, while more bunkers promise to spice things up even further. The course stewards have also decided to add some tee boxes to 17, elongating a Par-5 that had previously never been considered a strong closing hole. But, thanks to Goff’s tinkering, 17 now has a revised boomerang-shaped green undulating with nuanced contours. Chief among the obstacles that will complicate your approach shot on 17 is the bunker that snugly fits into the boomerang on the front end of the green. The green is also backed up by another bunker. If you wish to walk away with a smile on this hole, a precise approach shot is a must. 
After the round, be sure to swing by the course’s pub and grill, which serves traditional American pub fare. Located on Rte. 7 in Williamston, Waubeeka is just under three hours from Boston, a 90-minute drive north of Springfield, and an hour’s drive east of Albany, New York. Course rates vary depending on time of week and season. Check the course’s website, www.waubeeka.com for more information.