NORTHBRIDGE, Mass. -- If you're judged by the company you keep, then Shining Rock Golf Club, which only opened for play this past April, has achieved elite status as one of the very best public access golf courses in Massachusetts. GOLF Magazine in its 2010 rating of the 10 Best Public Golf Courses in the state, which is published in the September issue, ranked Shining Rock in Northbridge at No. 5. For a new club to make this prestigious list and in such a favorable position is astonishing.

Taconic in Williamstown, founded in 1896, holds the No. 1 position, and the list of architects who designed the other heralded Massachusetts courses includes some very famous names: Rees Jones, Robert Trent Jones, Sr., Brian Silva, Geoffrey Cornish, Wayne Stiles and Nicklaus Design. And then there is Shining Rock's Patrick Sullivan, the construction site superintendent, who is credited with the course's design and who nurtured the layout for four years until the April 2010 opening.

"To receive such an accolade from GOLF Magazine, especially since Shining Rock only has been open for play for four months, is fantastic," said club spokesman Tim Gordon. "We believe we have an excellent product, priced reasonably and accessible to golfers not only in the state but New England. Shining Rock is a special golf experience with a variety of memorable holes, including some that have sweeping vistas over the historic Blackstone Valley Corridor and into Rhode Island. Patrick Sullivan deserves a lot of credit for what he did here. We hope that this recognition will attract more golfers to enjoy the quality of our course."

The public can make tee times online at www.shiningrock.com or by telephone (508) 234-0400.

For more information about playing packages, call Tim Gordon at the club or contact him at www.shiningrock.com.

Contact: On Course Strategies
Pat Norton/Jane Dally
(203) 454-0232
info@oncoursegolf-pr.com