All of the Tri-towns have people on their boards and commissions who serve double duty on other boards and whose businesses sometimes do business with the municipalities they serve. The conditions were surprisingly calm and beastly hot that Labor Day weekend 53 years ago. Kittansett was one of the first courses to be built with predetermined specifications. Those thinking of cutting the corner have to contend with tall trees lining the right. The actor, who has a home on Marthas Vineyard, has been spotted multiple times on the South Coast in recent years, grabbing takeout from restaurants in New Bedford and Fall River. A similar trio is reprised at the wonderful, short par-4 10th, where the hazards are reasonably cleared with a long-iron or fairway wood mind games notwithstanding. This fairway bends slightly to the left with marshes on either side. Tucked away in a sort of nether region between Cape Cod and the Rhode Island coast, it's widely acknowledged as the second best course in Massachusetts (after The Country Club), though few have actually played it and none passes up a chance. The Walker Cup was the beginning of its wider reputation and its significant to reiterate that no one not Gene Littler, Ken Venturi, Charlie Coe, Harvie Ward nor Joe Carr managed to better par that scorching Labor Day weekend 53 years ago when, reportedly, the wind never rose above the wafting level. And so Kittansett remains a bit of a mystery guest, even to Bay State golfers. 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. Featuring a dazzling set of seaside holes and equally interesting inland holes, an invite to Kittansett is to be cherished. This has led to significant changes in bunkering, and even more notably, the removal of hundreds of trees that have completely reshaped the look and feel of the course. Named after the Native American term for near the sea, Kittansett opened in 1922, and Hood tinkered with the design for the next several decades. Playing back towards the clubhouse with a busy road on your right, this hole features a generous fairway especially the further left you go. 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 saltwater tanks at its Marine Sciences Center building. This hole bends to the right around 175 yards with marshland lining the right and dense forest lining the left the entire way. Very accomodating to employees' needs. Its easy to see why the course is consistently rated among the best in the country. Several experts had been consulted regarding the course layout, including William Flynn, but it was founding member Frederic C. Hood who undertook the actual construction of the course based on his considerable knowledge of American and British golf courses of that day. The major defense is undoubtedly the wind, which usually whips off the Ocean, but the layout is also difficult, especially off the tee. American Jack Westland, the reigning U.S. in the minutes leading up to your arrival, you can be forgiven for thinking you might be in the wrong place. One involved pulling stones from the ground, and the other determining what to do with them once they were unearthed. The course needed a facelift, said Jim Osborne, who was green chairman at the time. But there are so many other holes of note. The layout, however, also evoked the Old Course in golfs ancestral home of St. Andrews, Scotland, thanks to an out-and-back routing and opening and closing holes that ran parallel to each other. He reported the matter to the referee, USGA Treasurer Charles Pierson, who in turn consulted with USGA Vice President Ike Grainger. The improvements over the past few years have transformed play. They are, in fact, enough to humble and beguile just about anyone in any sort of weather. On average, employees at Kittansett Club stay with the company for 6.5 years. (LogOut/ The fairways were laid out over uncut wooded territory through which paths were cut as the areas for the holes took shape. Because Kittansett is a golf club you're not going to find a pool, tennis, or all of the other amenities that you'll typically find at a country club. Add in a cross bunker about 200 yards out (that shouldnt come into play), and another bunker through the fairway on the same line (which also likely wont come into play), and you get a very challenging tee shot visually. American James Jackson was another type of newcomer in 1953, playing his first Walker Cup foursomes match on the Friday when he unwittingly instigated the events most poignant moment. Now there was a great player, he said. In the 1990s, the team of Gil Hanse and Jim Wagner restored the course to its original glory by removing trees and renovating bunkers. When I visited in late June, a wind-killing fog (thick enough to cancel the first day of the 2006 U.S. Womens Open down the coast at Newport) had settled over the place. But if a golfer decides instead on the less perilous route down the right, he must then clear a gnarly bunker complex and more grassy mounds to land his second shot onto the putting surface. The 7th is one of three par 5s on the course, and the bunkering on this hole I found to be notable and forces you to really place your 3 shots well. One thing I find most remarkable about the history of Kittansett is that as the decades wore on, the designer of the course was seemingly lost to time. In a recent letter to Selectmen, resident Annie Rockwell, of Parlow Mill Farm Road, asked Selectmen to stop the practice of dual and questionable appointments. 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. Nothing of the sort happened at Turks this weekend. Although my least favorite of the three, Weequahic offers strong value and a more than adequate layout for public golfers in the New York metro area. Back in 1922, when he got things rolling by donating the Cup, Walker had fully intended for the competition to be called by its official name, The United States Golf Association International Challenge Trophy. The 12th is a fantastic strategic dogleg left playing at 380 yards. The 1953 Walker Cup, on the other hand, is easily the biggest thing ever to hit The Kittansett Club, one of New Englands most revrered if serially under-exposed golf venues. Flynn placed two devilish bunkers on both corners of the dogleg that more-or-less force the golfer to hit a drive between 220 and 250 yards. Nober signed the agreement May 2. In addition, he constructed a new, L-shaped back tee on Nos. Most critics point to the 16th as the best par 4 at Kittansett and I have to agree. 10 shows off more interesting mounding which is a theme throughout the course. The Kittansett Club - Detailed Maps and Yardage Charts - ProVisualizer.com The Kittansett Club Error: The browser supports WebGL, but initialization failed. This hole reminds me a lot of the 5th atWannamoisettwith the ideal line playing over mounds at the right corner. The Kittansett Club is a private course available only to its members and their guests. You must have JavaScript enabled to fill out this form. The visitors would salvage a measure of self respect when Ronnie White, 3-down after 30 holes, stormed back to post a thrilling 1-up victory over Chapman on the Americans home course. A fine hole in its own right, this short one-shotter features a front-to-back sloped green with a giant bunker short and cliffs long. On this peninsula could be seen the possibilities of a different type of course than most in this country at that time, and one that might have the character of the famous sea-side courses of Great Britain. It is now a much more open course, the sea is visible from many more holes, and the wind has become a significant factor in course management. The most famous hole at Kittansett comes early in the round in the form of the 167-yard par 3, 3rd hole. The course demands both power and precision, and the mix of lengths and angles compels golfers to execute a variety of shots if they have any hope of scoring. The Conservation Commission, which Briggs has long presided over, was the only board the school had to go to for permitting. But fescue in the rough, some fairway mounding, and bunkers can still punish shots that arent well placed you especially notice this on the par 4, 2nd. I find it interesting how the parking lot and practice areas are found on some of the most beautiful parts of the property, but I think it speaks to the strength of the inland holes that this isnt more readily apparent. Its a very nice setting with the clubhouse off to the left, and is the shortest of the par 5s at Kittansett. MARION, MASSACHUSETTS | Competitors in last weeks Massachusetts Amateur had the pleasure of playing one of the Bay States best golf courses at the Kittansett Club. The senior amateurs are in for a treat in 2022. Visit https://get.webgl.org to verify that your browser and hardware support WebGL. The two Brits urged Pierson not to impose the penalty stipulated by the rules. Littler, then 23, was obliged to arrange leave from the Army to attend the Kittansett matches. The Kittansett Club, appropriately named from two Native American words meaning near the sea, is situated in the town of Marion at the end of Butler Point, which extends into Buzzards Bay. And with Hanse continuing to act as the clubs architectural consultant, one can be sure that the course at Kittansett will keep getting better. The latest version of the Master Plan was released in 2013, and it involved the moving of mounds on Nos. Looking back, the interest and intrigue are found in the details. The par threes at Kittansett are among the best sets Ive played and the 3rd is the best of the bunch. I hit my tee shot to 8 feet and drained the putt for my only birdie in 3 days. The course layout originated and concluded at the unprotected ocean end of the Point. Briggs worked well with the facilities personnel at both those private entities, he said. Its a severely sloped back-to-front green with a bit of a swale in the middle separating it into two sections. With the wind usually howling, this is an exhilarating teeshot and one you wont soon forget. Like the short 4-par at No. Outside of the 1953 Walker Cup, Kittansett has largely stayed out of the national spotlight. This hole marks a return to the Ocean, as the final three hole play on the tip of the archipelago. 16 brings you back out towards the water and into the open. Free shipping for many products! An 18-hole golf course became a possibility when in the early 1920's a group of residents bought the land on Butler's Point, which until that time had been occupied solely by the Beverly Yacht Club. At a prodigious 220 yards, this is a semi-blind par 3 courtesy of tall fescue directly in front of the teebox. (Credit to this SI article for additional details). The penalty for this infraction is disqualification, of course, and Grainger invoked it without hesitation. However, the course performed admirably, conceding not a single sub-par round during the weekends play, even though the wind a Kittansett trademark blew hardly at all. Kittansett Club Team Growth. The Kittansett Club layout elicited similar praise from competitors and spectators alike. This approach is a bit more challenging with large bunkers 60 yards short on the left and to the right of the green. The first thing I noticed was that the golf course had become overgrown and had suffered from what can best be described as benign neglect, said Hanse. Yes, Mr. Im of the opinion we should have further discussion, Marion Selectman Chairman Steve Cushing said. Indeed, his passing had the opposite effect. Col. Anthony Duncan, supported his players and informed Totton Heffelfinger perhaps the most fittingly named USGA President in history that his team could not accept victory if it should depend on disqualification.. The course is located in South Newark and is operated by Essex County along with classics Francis Byrne and Hendricks Field. Those who go left or long will find a bunker at 195 yards or worse be OB. The Kittansett Club, a private golf club that fronts the ocean on Kittansett Point, off Point Road, is also located in a flood plain. The setting of Kittansett is phenomenal. The 126 yard 9th hole is Cabot Cliffs shortest hole. . The most prestigious event hosted by Kittansett was the 1953 Walker Cup when the United States defeated Great Britain & Ireland 9 to 3. The approach here is fairly straightforward with bunkers on either side about 60 yards short of this green and three guarding both sides of the green. Oh, and while he's traveling around doing that, he also golfs as much as humanly possible in his quest to break eighty for the first time ever. . Bushnell Ion Elite Review: A Solid $200 GPS Golf Watch, Sun Mountain Mid Stripe Golf Bag: A New Player in Luxury Bag Market. This teebox is directly adjacent to the pro shop and youll almost certainly have a gallery. Somewhat reminiscent of a place like Humewood in South Africa, the course isn't quite in the same league as the best from Britain, but it does rest comfortably among the premier seaside layouts in this part of the world." Its a forested residential road that makes for a lovely drive, but theres no water in sight. The rest, to be believed, must be experienced first-hand. And in 2016, Murray threw fans cell phones off the roof of a second-story restaurant in Carmel, Calif., after they snapped photos of the actor, according to TMZ. Kittansett has hosted the state amateur four times; each time it set a record for the number of entries. And theres a good chance driver will be too much and take you through the fairway. Fun work place with very supportative management. Most publications focus on the world-class seaside holes, but I thought the inland holes were almost equally as good, resembling the great heathland courses in England with their sandy soil, whispy fescue, and tall trees. Darius Oliver, in this short extract from the book Planet Golf USA, writes: "Enjoying scenic outlooks across the water to Cape Cod, Kittansett is a lovely setting for golf and the ever-changing nature of its holes ensure that a round here is constantly engaging. Venturi, 22, was the baby in the group but his form was perhaps the best of all. When the rough and wind are up [and they usually are], this is a lot of golf course.. Because of the ever-present winds perhaps, Hoods design rarely calls for forced carries into the greens themselves. At just over 5700 yards, this par 70 plays more difficult than youd expect with small greens, tight fairways, and a hilly terrain. The opening holes provide wide fairways with generous landing areas. Events like these culled a few tupelos, to be sure. So my good friend joined The Kittansett Club this year and Ive been lucky enough to play about a dozen rounds there. The first tee time isnt until 1 on Mondays, so the course and club was pretty quiet. The prudent play is left of center, directly over the bunkers highest point; this allows the contour to shape the ball onto the green. Its a special place, and one its members are extremely lucky to be a part of. Featuring a crossbunker on the left at 170 yards and dense forest down the left, this difficult teeshot causes many golfers to bailout right, leaving a more difficult approach possibly blocked out by trees. Accolades for Kittansett include: Conditions:8/10, Similarly to nearby Newport Country Club, Kittansett has a decidedly linksy feel to it with firm, fast fairways and greens that never run faster than an 11 on the stimp. All of a sudden the courses you want to play tend to have less to do with prestige, and more to do with your personal preferences, geographic history, and the style of golf you enjoy most. Teeing off on the first hole gives you vibes similar to other old-school seaside courses like Fishers Island or Maidstone. Im not sure people realize just how difficult this golf course really is, says Steve Demmer, the head pro here since 1994 [departed in 2014]. There were some 2,500 others in the gallery and Golf World reported that a large majority besieged Jones for autographs.