Like the short 4-par at No. It is one of the nicest courses I've ever played and that includes several that have hosted PGA events that folks rave about. Meanwhile, modern architects tend to reserve their wildest greens for short holes. The seaside location, history of hosting the 1953 Walker Cup, the walking caddies, and the quality links design combine for a cool old school feel and enjoyable experience. Flattish and easy to walk, the ground across which the course was routed nonetheless possessed character, with Flynn making terrific use of the subtle hills and hollows. Ranked inside the top 15, 2001, 2005-'07. can all be reasons for a court to judge a private club is not truly private. The Takeaway: Kittansett is a staple on every significant Top 100 list of Americas courses and with good reason. 39, 1999-2000. Be it large cross hazards (we ignore the definition change of 2018 to penalty area and continue to use the time-honored term hazard) that bisect fairways or small bunkers cut into mounds, Flynn employed hazards in every conceivable manner. Only recently, with the discovery of some original blueprints, has it been conclusively established that the ocean-side, links-like Kittansett, long thought to be the product of an amateur architect, Frederic Hood, was actually the work of well-known course architect William Flynn, who also designed Shinnecock and Cherry Hills. Increased sunshine across the main playing surfaces has enhanced the turf quality. Not sure where you live, but in the summer driving through Hyannis to get to Hyannisport can be tough. In some ways, the bunkers remind the author of those at Walton Heath in that the bunker walls are built up versus the bunker floors being built down. Note the sail boats; just five years ago they would have been hidden behind trees. America's best courses on the water, ranked, Little Harbor Country Club: Little Harbor. Kittansetts sub-400 yard two shotters (e.g. Flynns sandy waste areas arent too problematic from which to recovery and other times like the pit bunker on fourteen, the golfer isnt guaranteed a full swing. Located in this sleepy sailing village on Buzzards Bay just west of Cape Cod, it is a Golden Age classic, routed across an exposed, often windswept spit of land and through more sheltered swathes of New England woods. the sixth, seventh, tenth, twelfth, fifteenth, and sixteenth). Membership at the club is strictly invitation only, with initiation fees ranging from $250,000 to $500,000. It is a timeless question that the golfer never tires of solving and to do so, he must fit it between two front greenside bunkers. GolfWRX_Spotted posted a topic in Tour and Pre-Release Equipment, Yesterday at 04:47 PM, GolfWRX_Spotted posted a topic in Tour and Pre-Release Equipment, February 20, GolfWRX_Spotted posted a topic in Tour and Pre-Release Equipment, February 13, GolfWRX_Spotted posted a topic in Tour and Pre-Release Equipment, February 6, GolfWRX_Spotted posted a topic in Tour and Pre-Release Equipment, January 31. Three bunkers that had been lost were brought back: one to the left of first fairway in combination with the cross rough, another in the middle of the second fairway, and one to the rear of the fourteenth green. The twenty yard difference is obviously brought about by the never ending gain in technology and once again, the golfer has to contend with the grassed over rock formation in the fairway which pinches the fairway toward this pair of bunkers. Fourth hole, 375 yards; In a manner similar to St. Andrews, the first and last holes emanate and return to the clubhouse across a shared field, some 115 yards wide. 18 of the Best 27-Hole Golf Courses in the U.S. U.S. Open Preview: In-Depth on The Country Club at Brookline LINKS Golf Podcast Ep. 77. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account. Many golf clubs make people jump through hoops to even be considered for membership. Wait list: None. The Ridge course is Eagle Crest's premier layout and best challenge with several elevation changes, demanding approach shots, and attractive mountain views. We also link to copies of audits nonprofit organizations that spent $750,000 or more in Federal grant money in a single fiscal year since 2016. 16 that was fashioned in the thickly forested land that made up the interior part of the track. Yet, there arent too many instances where a hole goes from being in the bottom third pre-restoration to rising into the top third post-restoration. They are looking for $35K initiation. - Update profile picture. Rather than allocating more time and money to removing the rocks from the property, they used them to create mounds that in time were grassed over and employed as strategic hazards, much like the famed chocolate drops at Myopia Hunt Club north of Boston. Sixteenth hole, 410 yards; A panoramic view of great beauty unfolds from the tee and stands in stark contrast to the wall of evergreens to the left and behind the green that masked the coastal setting when Hanse arrived in 1998. It begins here with the monumentally improved seventh, previously claustrophobic with trees pinching in from both sides. In an age in which clubs pay millions to return their courses to an original, classic ideal (real or imagined), Kittansett has charted a more honest, practical course, ever capitalizing on its superb routing, features and location to make the course incrementally better, more classic and sterner than ever. Amateur qualifying. Hyannisport Club is better course than Cummaquid. may be at work, there is also a legal issue. Here and there these Kisses (more like chocolate-covered cherries, really) sit, often without apparent purpose on the periphery, but other times quite strategically. Joining the Club requires payment of a $20,000 Bond and $5,000 initiation fee - the Bond is 80% refundable upon leaving the Club when a replacement member joins. At 6,460 square feet, it is the largest green at Kittansett. But the admissions process at the . 12th hole, 395 yards; One of our favorite two shotters in New England, the 12th features an impressive fairway bunker that pushes the golfer to the right, from where he has to carry a right hand greenside bunker. Exclusively for the members of Kittansett Club. The rest, to be believed, must be experienced first-hand. The holes playing merits have become starkly evident and only a fool would fail to recognize it for what it is: one of New Englands best holes. Golf has become very popular on the Cape in the past year plus. While notions of discretion, etc. Are you a member at Kittansett? It looks like The Kittansett Club is a private course. THE CLUB Baltimore Country Club was founded on January 12, 1898 at its Roland Park Location. From 05 Jan To 07 Jan Time 5am - 9pm Price $0 - $500 Golfers Any1234 Holes Any918 36 Search tee times Fore! Copyright 2020 Links Magazine, All rights Reserved. Not a member at Kittansett? Generous benefits and bonuses. 2021-'22 ranking:No. That leaves Ocean Edge, (what is the cost to join?, but the course seems nice), Hyannisport, (looks great but too crowded down there) and I am very interested in Sacconnesset. Yet, when the author first played the course in the fall of 1985, such recognition seemed more attributable to its romantic location than holes of character replete with interesting features. The most famous hole at Kittansett comes early in the round in the form of the 167-yard par 3, 3rd hole. The second shot on too many Golden Age par 5s is fairly commonplace, with the need merely to advance the ball. Briggs admitted to violating the conflict-of-interest law by voting as a town Conservation Commission member to issue an Order of Conditions authorizing Tabor Academy to install two 2,000-gallon . I have played all the privates on the Cape. 13. Off the tee, to be sure, and on approach shots. For those interested in acquiring the original data from the source, heres where our data comes from: Enter a nonprofit's name, a keyword, or city, https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits, Income from public use of club facilities. If you don't know a half-dozen or more members, forget about Hyannisport or Eastward Ho. User Sign Up . By pulling the tree line well back from these mounds at the 6th, and restoring the fairway beyond, the golfer now seeks an advantage by carrying them from the tee. And now the sweeping views of Buzzards Bay is often praised by those same members as the most dramatic improvement. The Kittansett Club opens with the two longest par fours on the course. Fine fescue sod was largely used for the bunker faces and wherever possible they kept patches of native grass, moss, and even rocks to add instant maturity. He did so not only with the grassed-over rock formations but also with an elaborate bunkering scheme. Play golf at The Kittansett Club, located at 11 Point Rd Marion, MA 02738-1906. The culmination of Hanse Designs work and Kellys greenkeeping has reignited an appreciation for Flynns distinctive design. - Created a program and communicated with . That was a very apt appellation for an association whose William Flynn golf course was routed on a spit of land jutting into Buzzards . So, we cut them back and planted native grasses on and around the mounds instead. Salaries, reviews, and more - all posted by employees working at The Kittansett Club. Kittansetts smallish, steeply pitched greens and overall strategic mettle are enough to test and humble in any sort of weather. Credit Gil Hanse with restoring the bunkers without the aid of those Flynn plans. Pressure is applied on the tee, as the golfer is keenly aware that a missed fairway diminishes the prospects for hitting the intermediate size green. The course needed a facelift, said Jim Osborne, who was green chairman at the time. Put another way, the golfer now sees the water from a majority of the course, eleven holes to be precise. Memberships South of Boston By bonagolf, August 2, 2016 in New England Share Followers 0 Reply to this topic Start new topic ", recent gil hanse renovations pushing it from 'low top 100 to top quarter top 100'- big tree removal program greatly improving an already great top 100 club.". Combined with their work here at the tenth, it is a sterling example of Kittansetts design being as relevant and challenging this century as it was last century. Out by the 7th tee, a signpost shows the high-water marks of the major hurricanes that have blown through over the years: 1938, 1944, 1954 (Carol), 1991 (Bob). MARION, MASSACHUSETTS | Founded a century ago, the Kittansett Club took its name from two Native American words: "kittan" meaning sea and "sett" for near. is such a unique spot, a ton of fun, but you'd be very happy to play HP every day, I've not played Cummaquid, but have a couple of friends who are there. Simply put, the golfer needs to find fairways to hit the intermediate size greens. The Myopia Hunt Club traces its origins all the way back to 1870 in Winchester, Massachusetts, a town about eight miles from downtown Boston. As is repeated throughout the round, hitting the fairway off the tee provides the foundation for clearing a cross hazard with ones second. The 18-hole Cummaquid course at the Cummaquid Golf Club facility in Yarmouth Port, features 6,300 yards of golf from the longest tees for a par of 71. As false fronts have been restored such as on holes seven, eight, ten and seventeen, an appreciation of the ground game has only mounted. The massive cross bunker gaping in from the left on the 11th is perhaps the most brutish on the course. Over 36 holes on an 80-degree day with no wind and accessible hole locations, the low round in the 101-player field was 71. Practice Facilities. Best Par 3: 3rd Hole 167 Yards Already featured as the signature hole, the first par three at Kittansett is the hole everyone will remember after playing there. Instead, he used old aerial photographs. Looking for opinions on what folks think of these 3 courses. That gave him a one-stroke lead over 2019 champion Bob Royak, of Alpharetta, Ga., and Kevin VandenBerg, of Pulaski, N.Y. The Club was a success from the start, with 600 members enjoying its 150-acre facility less than five miles from downtown Baltimore. The strategic use of such mounds was brilliant, as it was both economical and strategic. In short, no one playing style is favored at Kittansett. In conjunction with this year's Masters tournament,we decided to look at just how difficult it is to get into some of the most premier golf clubs in the US. EXPLORE THE COURSE MAP. Learn more about our use of cookies:Cookie Policy, 7 Superior Caribbean Resorts with Equally Great Golf. As at St. Andrews, the penultimate hole is perhaps the courses sternest test while the Home hole offers consolation. The tee shot plays over fescue grass to a green that is protected by a pair of bunkers. 5 Testers Needed! Directions: Get here! We cut back the trees and restored native grasses to the mounds for what is perhaps the most unique feature at Kittansett. Yet, when the author first played the course in the fall of 1985, such recognition seemed more attributable to its . In the mid-1990s the sixteenth (seen left in the photograph above) was enclosed by a wall of trees down the left that also formed a solid backdrop behind the green. Classically, the central hazard is a quandary, carried in certain winds, layed up to or skirted to the left or right under other conditions. What to Expect: Located on a point jetting out into Buzzards Bay opposite of Cape Cod, Kittansett enjoys one of the most charming locations on the eastern seaboard. After making double bogey on the first hole and finishing 2-over . Club records indicate that construction on the course commenced in summer 1922. Credit that revelation to authors Wayne S. Morrison and Thomas E. Paul, who reveal that and much more in their massive 2,260-page biography of Flynn entitled. Some of that credit goes to Gil Hanse, who recommended some serious tree clearing when he refurbished the bunkers in 1995 (adding fescued eyelashes to each). The Club House. Social Memberships entitle you and your guests to participate in all non-golf related activities. The general questions posed at Kittansett are how can the golfer best a) hold the small greens and b) use the wind to work the ball toward the hole locations. Kittansett can be a brute, but those who can control their distances and work their golf balls in the wind can certainly score. In terms of their actual physical creation, it was Fred Hood (who owned the property and hired Flynn) who was on site and drove the construction process. To prepare that area for shaping and seeding, workers felled vast numbers of trees and dug up their stumps. EH is out (10 years in total for full membership). Additionally, ground game options dominate throughout. "The Will to Win Means Nothing Without the Will to Prepare", Callaway Epic Flash Sub Zero Driver w/ Tensei Pro Orange Tour X, Callaway Mavrik Sub Zero 15deg w/ Tour AD IZ-8 X, Mizuno JPX Tour 900 3-PW w/ DG Tour Issue X100, Callaway MD5 52 S-Grind w/ DG Tour Issue X100, Callaway MD5 56 S-Grind w/ DG Tour Issue S400, Callaway MD5 60 S-Grind w/ DG Tour Issue S400, TaylorMade Spider Tour Platinum w/ SuperStroke Claw Grip, Vessel Player 2.0 Stand Bag & Ping 2020 Moonlite, I love HP, great course, great club. The fifths central bunker presents those very appealing and perplexing options. inland ones like the 12th with its intriguing old school bunkering, Kittansett epitomizes the bountiful charms of New England golf. Previously, Steven was a Board of Advisors Member at Affin ity Management and also held positions at Parsons Xtreme Golf, Wollaston Golf Club, Olde Kinderhook Golf Club, Pine Valley Golf Club, Wannamoisett Country Club. If the rules changed from allowing 14 to 10 clubs, how much of an impact would it have on scores? The summary data contains information processed by the IRS during the 2012-2019 calendar years; this generally consists of filings for the 2011-2018 fiscal years, but may include older records. This is but one example of how playing angles have been reintroduced. Yet, such is the one-off, compelling nature of the 3rd that it is no wonder why it leaps to mind when thinking of Kittansett. Copyright 2021 Pro Publica Inc. The right bunker in particular was expanded to its original size and once again now grabs the eye of the golfer on the tee and forces him to make a decision. Yelp is a fun and easy way to find, recommend and talk about what's great and not so great in Marion and beyond. At The Kittansett Club, golfers tee off from the Blue, White, Green, Green (L), Green (L), Red Or Red tees at a maximum distance of 6,811 yards from the Blue tees. While holes like the par 3 3rd that play on the Ocean draw most of the attention, about half the holes at Kittansett are flat and inland and wonderful in their own right. Course is not the equal of HP or Eastward Ho! Flynn also broke up several fairways into sections, with cross bunkers protruding into landing areas from different sides of holes and gnarly stretches of rough and sandy waste areas stretching across some of them entirely. GolfClubAtlas.com very much thanks Todd Richins for the use of his photographs throughout this profile. The typical summer wind is left to right and many a golfer misjudges its effect, especially early in the round. In the members eyes, this has been the most dramatic improvement but like so many clubs, tree removal was the most contentious issue and the slowest to be embraced. Can youexplain why prices should be kept secret? Morrison shares this original plan of the course that, among other things, shows the number of interrupted fairways and Flynns elaborate bunkering schemes. You must have JavaScript enabled to fill out this form. Because Kittansett is a golf club youre not going to find a pool, tennis, or all of the other amenities that youll typically find at a country club. It doesnt get any more coastal than a green pad built on the coast! For details on tee time availability, contact the course directly, or explore availability at nearby courses. As far as getting in - I'd bet at Hyannisport you need 6-10 letter writers and one or two main sponsors who really know you well. William Flynns routing keeps the golfer off-guard at this windy site as he set each of the five holes above at a right angle to the prior one. Whether you play well or not at Kittansett, a heroic shot near the flag here will have you walking on cloud nine the rest of the day. The course rating is 70.5 and it has a slope rating of 126 on Blue grass. Perennially ranked as one of "America's 100 Greatest Golf Courses" by Golf Digest magazine, Kittansett offers both a scenic and demanding test of golf and a sophisticated yet casual complement of . NES - Kittansett #2 New England Series - The Kittansett Club #2. The fairway is more generous than many of the holes on the property but the wind coming off the bay can effectively make the hole much longer and more challenging than the scorecard indicates. My guess is that it's a matter of respecting privacy. No surprise to find the farthest and tallest mound must be carried to achieve the optimal angle into the green. Errant approaches dont miraculously find such targets but rather leave a variety of interesting recovery shots. Hanse Design did the same at the sixth, pushing that diagonal formation back as well. 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