Two municipal layouts now operated by American Golf Corp. provide an enjoyable round for someone with half a day clear. Keney Park in the city's North End is a rolling Devereux Emmet layout that dates back to 1927. It's only a tad above 6,100 yards, but par-70 is still an elusive number owing to plateau greens and tight landing areas. It wouldn't take much to turn this into a real gem. Aggressive tree trimming and a whole lot more drainage are all that's needed, but it still makes for an enticing glimpse into the past.
Several holes play off a steep rise that affords glimpses of downtown proper.
As for the east side of the Connecticut River, a half hour south of Hartford are two adjacent privately owned daily-fee layouts that are heavily frequented by locals. The 27 holes at Blackledge CC in Hebron were designed by Geoffrey Cornish. Actually, the holds are interesting, and the land is rolling and wooded enough to make a round worthwhile. This neck of the woods doesn't have any high-quality daily fees. Folks are still trying to figure out how to play it.