Sometimes You Get What You Pay For: The Ranch Golf Club

I had helped one of our friends with a few things, and they were generous enough to give me a gift certificate to The Ranch Golf Club.

It was unexpected, and yes, it was a VERY generous gift.

Originally, I had hoped that EJ, Ryan (my other son), Ryan’s father-in-law, and I could turn it into a family golf outing. Unfortunately, getting four people to commit to the same day apparently requires more coordination than organizing an entire BJG season.

So, after holding onto the gift certificate for almost a year, I finally asked Rey if he wanted to play The Ranch.

Of course, Rey said yes. and last Thursday we played it.

IT WAS AMAZING.

The tee boxes were immaculate.

The fairways were pristine.

The greens were perfect.

And the views were spectacular.

From the moment we arrived, you could tell this was simply a different level of golf course.

BACK TO THE RANCH

This actually wasn't my first time playing The Ranch.

I played there about 20 years ago. It was one of my first golf experiences in Massachusetts after I retired from the Marine Corps.

A lot has happened—and a LOT of golf has been played—since then.

I've had the opportunity to play some beautiful courses in Florida during the BJG International Championship, but even those trips were about 10 years ago.

So maybe my memory isn't perfect.

But I can say this:

I don't remember playing a golf course in recent years that impressed me as much as The Ranch did.

THE BJG BALANCING ACT

Every year, BJG plays roughly 16 different golf courses.

When I put together our schedule, I try to create a balance. We need easier courses, medium courses, and some courses that are going to kick our asses.

But difficulty isn't the only consideration.

Price matters.

I try to keep BJG affordable while still giving everyone an opportunity to experience different types of golf courses throughout Western Massachusetts and Northern Connecticut.

We have played a variety of golf courses on the BJG Tour.

Gillette Ridge is at least $88 if you're in their system.

Keney Park is around $79.

Ledges and Crestview are around $75.

Rolling Meadows and Cold Spring are around $70.

Franconia and Veterans are very nice courses for roughly $50.

East Mountain is around $53.

And then there is our old friend Airways at around $38.

That is quite a range, and that's intentional.

Not every BJG round needs to cost $75 or $100. In fact, I don't WANT every BJG round costing that much.

But after playing The Ranch, I started thinking about something differently.

IS $100 ACTUALLY A GOOD DEAL?

We played The Ranch on a weekday for $100.

Friday, Saturday, and Sunday during the peak golf season will cost you $150.

At first glance, $100 for a round of golf sounds expensive—especially compared with some of the courses BJG normally plays.

But here's the question:

Are you better off paying $50 for an average $50 golf course…or $100 for a golf course that feels like it's worth $150?

That's where The Ranch changed my thinking.

For what you get—the conditions, the layout, the scenery, the tee boxes, the fairways, the greens and the overall experience—$100 might actually be one of the better VALUES in golf.

I'm not saying it's cheap. It isn't.

I'm saying there is a difference between cheap and value.

And, in my opinion, The Ranch delivers value at $100.

DOES THE RANCH BELONG ON THE BJG TOUR?

Now comes the dangerous part.

Because once the Commissioner plays a course like this, he starts getting ideas.

BJG will absolutely continue playing different golf courses throughout the season. That's part of what makes our league different.

I don't want 16 rounds at expensive courses. I also don't want 16 rounds at Airways.

We need both. We need the $38 rounds. We need the $50 rounds. We need the courses that are fun. We need the courses that piss us off.

And maybe… once or twice a year, we need a course that reminds us just how good a golf course can be.

The Ranch did that for me.

So, while I'm not ready to start charging everyone $150 for a BJG Sunday—and I'm pretty sure there would be a mutiny if I did— but maybe there is way to find a way to get The Ranch into the rotation every once in a while.

At the very least, I'm going back.

And since I think every golfer should experience this course at least once, I'm going to try to get EJ out there near the end of September. Of course, it will be on a weekday.

After that? Who knows. Maybe someday we'll have ourselves a Broken Joe Golf event at The Ranch. Maybe the Winter Classic, when The Ranch is $100 for Sunday round of golf...

Because after more than 20 years away, I finally made it back.

And this time, I'm definitely not waiting another 20 years.

Anyway, I will also be looking at value that golf courses bring to the 2027 BJG tour.

Respectfully,

Broken Joe

Commissioner