Farm Neck Golf Club on Martha’s Vineyard is positioning spring and autumn as the most accessible periods for visiting golfers, following a renovation completed in spring 2025.
For golfers considering Martha’s Vineyard beyond the height of summer, Farm Neck Golf Club says its public tee-time availability increases in May, June, September and October, when green fees are also lower than during July and August.
The 18-hole course at Oak Bluffs remains open to visitors throughout the year, although the club says its summer tee sheet is heavily occupied by members and seasonal visitors. General manager Tim Sweet said the club is deliberately using its shoulder-season pricing to encourage public play.
“There’s no mystery to what we’re trying to do here at Farm Neck: We price our golf in September and October to better attract public play — same for May and June, which are equally spectacular weather/golfing months out here,” Sweet said.
A renovated, unified course
The seasonal push follows a comprehensive renovation by architect Mark Mungeam, completed in spring 2025. The work sought to bring a more consistent character to a course assembled in stages: the original Farm Neck nine, designed by Geoffrey Cornish, opened in 1976, followed by nine holes designed by Patrick Milligan three years later.
Mungeam had previously refurbished all 18 greens in 2013. The latest programme included further tree removal and the use of native grasses taken from elsewhere on the property and replanted around fairway corridors and green complexes.
“That was the point of transplanting native grasses from elsewhere on the property — they’re native. We knew they’d thrive,” Mungeam said. “But we went to that trouble because they also unify the 18 holes and underline the seaside nature of this property.”
According to the architect, the fescues, sedges and bluestems take on purple, cinnamon and gold tones in September and October. He also highlighted firmer fairways and greens as the bentgrass hardens off in autumn.
Planning an island round
Farm Neck sits on the north shore of Martha’s Vineyard, with parts of the course adjoining Sengekontacket Pond. Visitors travelling in the quieter months should still plan transport carefully: Sweet recommends ride-shares from the ferry or airport and using bicycles during a stay, rather than bringing a car.
“It’s another world out here in the shoulder seasons,” Sweet said. “It’s another world still, come the winter. But I wouldn’t recommend that. Like many islanders, we here at Farm Neck take the winter off.”
This article is based on a press release from Farm Neck Golf Club.