Shawnee Hills Golf Course

Shawnee Hills Golf Course is a public golf complex in Bedford Reservation: an 18-hole regulation course plus a separate 9-hole par-3 course, with a lighted driving range. The par 3 is a shorter, beginner-friendly way to play; for the full experience, take on all 18. Plan on about 2¼ hours for nine holes or 4½ for eighteen at the course's pace targets. Club rentals and lessons are available, and a Solorider single-rider cart can help golfers who need mobility assistance; the operator recommends reserving one ahead.

The front nine rolls gently and brings water hazards into play. The back nine gets hillier beneath pines, maples and oaks, following Deer Lick Creek. That shift gives an 18-hole round a natural second act. Hole 4 is the standout challenge: a 469-yard, uphill, tree-lined dogleg left that plays as a par 4.

Local architect Ben Zink designed the original 18 holes in 1957. In 1989 the course expanded to 27 holes; only four holes of the original nine-hole regulation layout remain intact. The descent from the 10th green to the 11th tee crosses land that belonged to the Egbert family homestead. Their farmhouse stood here in the 1840s, and the tombstone of their three-year-old daughter Hannah, who died in 1843, is still visible nearby.

The illuminated range has mats and target mounds for a practice stop beyond the round itself. In the clubhouse, the Double Bogey Grille serves casual concession-style food—burgers, hot dogs, chicken tenders and fries—with indoor seating. It's a convenient meal around a day of golf rather than a reason to make a separate food stop.