I think it was because the foreman for that job got fired for sleeping on the job and stealing, Briggs said. 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. Too long and youre in the bunkers across the fairway. For decades, the layout was regarded as the creation of one of the clubs charter members, a local rubber company magnate named Frederic C. Hood. The 12th is a fantastic strategic dogleg left playing at 380 yards. Selectmen seemed hesitant to act immediately. While I feel Kittansett finishes a close race as 4th best in the state, if you like courses along the lines of Garden City Golf Club, Maidstone, San Francisco Golf Club, and Minikahda then Kittansett should be right up your alley. So if the sand isnt scary enough, a sliced shot can certainly still find the water. 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. But the fact is, we hate losing. When golfs luminaries gathered in September on this lovely seaside ground just south of the Cape Cod Canal, the prize at stake had become The Walker Cup, forever and always. in the minutes leading up to your arrival, you can be forgiven for thinking you might be in the wrong place. Flynn demonstrated tremendous command of angles and strategic bunkering at Kittansett, and there really arent many teeshots you truly feel comfortable over. They are, in fact, enough to humble and beguile just about anyone in any sort of weather. (LogOut/ Now, thanks to a slow and thoughtful 20-year restoration by Gil Hanse, the course . Beyond his prom pic with McCarthy, Murray snapped a selfie blowing bubbles with a dozen diners and employees, and signed a golf ball for McCarthys fiance, Trevor Kellum. Those elements made Kittansett very much a placement course. They also reinforced the belief that it was indeed a creation of Flynns and a precursor to some of his most celebrated work, for in later years, he included very similar features in his collaboration at Pine Valley with George Crump (think of the fourth, seventh and 13th holes there) and Shinnecock. When asked what he thinks brought the matter to the. This cold and rainy weather has me reminiscing about my round last year at Cascata, a Rees Jones design built in the desert just outside Las Vegas. Outside of the 1953 Walker Cup, Kittansett has largely stayed out of the national spotlight. The course layout originated and concluded at the unprotected ocean end of the Point. One particularly devastating bunker is a crossbunker that juts onto the left fairway about 100 yards short of the green. 8 is a fantastic par 3 with an interesting green, nice mounding in the rear, and bunkers directly in front of and to the right of the green. The A.V. It was nice to have the extra time to wander around and soak in the setting. 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. Thats absolutely wild to think about, and it makes you glad the membership voted to take a chance and go ahead with the removal. Because of the ever-present winds perhaps, Hoods design rarely calls for forced carries into the greens themselves. One involved pulling stones from the ground, and the other determining what to do with them once they were unearthed. 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. We were hosting an Eighty Club event at Old Sandwich and Boston Golf Club, and I tacked on an extra day to the trip to make the journey out to Marion and experience a course Ive been excited about visiting for years. Its a forested residential road that makes for a lovely drive, but theres no water in sight. Framed by cedar shake houses and the loveliest view of the Atlantic, Kittansett has a special place in the heart of all who visit. 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. Tabor Academy representatives filed a Notice of Intent with the ConCom on June 3, 2011 regarding the project. Sorry. The green itself sits about 4-5 feet above the bunker, and the water from the cove comes in on the right-hand side. The improvements over the past few years have transformed play. 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. True All Day Pants Review: Damn Good (Golf) Pants. This is certainly one of the easier holes out there and one of several holes on the course that provides the golfer numerous options. Very accomodating to employees' needs. 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. The 6th plays out towards the water and has a sign off the green designating the high water level from previous hurricanes. Among the first groups to play the new track included 1913 U.S. Open champion Francis Ouimet, who joined Kittansett soon after as an honorary member. Visit https://get.webgl.org to verify that your browser and hardware support WebGL. 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. 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 Kittansett Club is a Please contact the clubhouse For membership rates & information Course Info Location and Contact 11 Point Road, Marion, MA, 02738 kittansett.org update website (508) 748-0148 update phone Have you golfed here? Since the 1990s the course has gone through a series of redesigns by Gil Hanse, who has been a longstanding consultant with respect to restoration, improvements, and renovations of Kittansett. 12 and 13. The high scores tell you something else. The most prestigious event hosted by Kittansett was the 1953 Walker Cup when the United States defeated Great Britain & Ireland 9 to 3. The bunkers on the right are among the deepest on the course. During its memorable history Kittansett has hosted several Massachusetts Golf Association championships over the years. This green is relatively flat, but plays elevated with slopes on all sides. Playing from the whites, most golfers should have no trouble clearing the center-line bunkers, but they certainly make you second-guess your line. He said the irony of this situation is that his association with Tabor was part of the reason he was appointed to the ConCom in 1997 by then-Selectmen Al Winters, Lori Schaefer and Jody Dickerson because the town wanted a better working relationship with Tabor Academy and the Kittansett Club. So does the USGAs decision to stage the U.S. Senior Amateur here in autumn 2022, the year of the clubs centennial. This drive requires a carry of 145 yards and avoidance of dense marshes on the right. The keen golfer was said to be very knowledgeable about course architecture, thanks largely to trips he had taken with his sticks to the British Isles. That served to reinforce the wisdom of the work Hanse had already completed with help first from Kittansett golf course superintendent, Lenny Blodgett, and then his successor, John Kelly as it also acted as a guide for future work. 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. Known for being an exclusively male club, Augusta recently opened its doors to three. Having hosted the Walker Cup in 1953, this club has long enjoyed an enviable reputation. Indeed, on a largely tree-lined golf course, its hard to imagine a seasoned architect would have placed such a proliferation of fairway-impeding obstacles. Par is 71, measuring some 6,800 yards from the tips but a little more than 6,400 yards from the markers used by most male members. In addition, he constructed a new, L-shaped back tee on Nos. But work still needed to be done. But Kittansett is seldom what it appears to be, especially at first glance. Kittansett differs from vintage fare in this respect as well. Apparently overgrown trees behind this green obscured the view, but Gil Hanse removed them in the 1990s. Playing back towards the clubhouse with a busy road on your right, this hole features a generous fairway especially the further left you go. And on other occasions, Flynn made them more pronounced, as on the fourth, which doglegs sharply to the right. History:Long thought to be the work of amateur architect Frederic C. Hood, recent discoveries indicate that William Flynn deserves credit for the layout. 4 through No. The approach to this small undulating green is guarded by a deep bunker on the left. From this vantage, at this introductory stage, its perhaps too easy to lump Kittansett in with the dozens of quirky, antique but ultimately docile, wind-dependent tracks that dot the Northeastern coastline. Matt. Designed by myThem.es. Yes, Mr. Rolling down Point Road toward The Kittansett Club, past Sippican Harbor and passing before an ever more stately line of summer cottages (all in gray shingle), the ancient course comes into view through the drivers side window initially a hole or two bounded by Cape-style miniature pine, but then a striking, open expanse punctuated by golden fescues, lines of bracken hedgerows and chocolate-drop mounding. Tabor paid Briggs Excavation $8,030 for the work. This approach plays slightly uphill to a small, undulating green surrounded by deep bunkers. 6, 10 and 13 a bit further from the tees. Events like these culled a few tupelos, to be sure. Walker died just prior to the Kittansett Matches, in June of 1953, and his death did little to buttress his longstanding efforts to keep a low profile. Had the absolute pleasure of waiting on the comedic ICON himself, Bill Murray, McCarthy wrote on Facebook. So, we formulated a master plan with a slow implementation of five or six years, so we could open up the course again and restore many of its original features and feels.. Looking back, the interest and intrigue are found in the details. As for the Conservation Commissions need for a better relationship with Tabor: Much of the academys waterfront property is located in a flood plain and wetlands, and therefore subject to Conservation Commission overview for building projects. Big hitter? Designer:William Flynn/Frederic C. Hood (1922), Gil Hanse/Jim Wagner (1998, tree removal and bunker renovation). We didnt play on a particularly windy day, but I imagine these two holes rarely play the scorecard yardage. Briggs worked well with the facilities personnel at both those private entities, he said. (Credit to this SI article for additional details). The 375 yard 17th is another dogleg left running in the opposite direction of 16. Before coming to Kittansett, I was expecting the course to be much more open than it is. The land provided well-drained and unusually fine fairways and greens. Stay up to date on all the latest news from Boston.com. At 385 yards, the 6th is another difficult sub-400 yard par 4 that features another awkward teeshot. American Jack Westland, the reigning U.S. With its spectacular views and challenging golf, a round at Kittansett is a truly memorable experience. 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. Then, there were the angles with which Flynn endowed so many of the holes. He and Urzetta easily won their foursomes match and the San Franciscan breezed past a beleaguered James Wilson in singles, 9 and 8; Venturis outward round of level-par 70 was the competitions lowest. Par is a great score here. Another one thats been on my personal list? Donations to this. Yet Kittansetts length (6,814 yards, par 70), its smallish, steeply pitched greens, its overall strategic mettle were undiminished. The setting of Kittansett is phenomenal. This approach runs uphill towards a back-to-front sloped green guarded by bunkers on either side. All it takes is one look at a Google map of the course to see why. There are a number of very good golf holes with interesting routing, and a beautiful setting. On average, employees at Kittansett Club stay with the company for 6.5 years. 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. Once again, golfers must determine just how far they want to hit their tee shots and whether they lay up before that obstacle or try to fly it. 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. The 47 year old from Washington state the sitting U.S. On the 424-yard 6th, three staggered lines of cross-mounding jut in from the left (the last sits 220 yards from the back tee). KITTANSETT CLUB MARION, MA 02738-1906 | Tax-exempt since May 1947 EIN: 04-2035017 Nonprofit Tax Code Designation: 501 (c) (7) Defined as: Social and recreational clubs. Throw in the fact that Gil Hanse has done extensive remodeling over the last 10 years, and that it has one of the most noteworthy par 3s in golf? The Kittansett Club Originally, it was the Native Americans who led the Plymouth settlers and their cattle to the warmer winter pastures on these shores. When we got to the par 3 11th, all we could say was what??. But its a leap of faith even for members familiar with the gambit, and a thrilling leap at that. Sure enough, in the early 2000s plans for the course were found in William Flynns attic. Hole Descriptions:Situated at the end of an archipelago jutting into Buzzards Bay, The Kittansett Club occupies an incredibly scenic seaside property. Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window). To prepare that area for shaping and seeding, workers felled vast numbers of trees and dug up their stumps. I hit my tee shot to 8 feet and drained the putt for my only birdie in 3 days. Nober signed the agreement May 2. In some areas its more subtle (like on the 2nd fairway for instance.) 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. Kittansett was built in the 1920s and juts out on a peninsula directly into Buzzards Bay in Marion, Massachusetts outside of Boston. With his plans and knowledge, the club brought in famed architect Gil Hanse to restore the course to fit Mr. Flynns original designs. By all geographical rights the course should be links-like, but trees line two thirds of the routing and the soil isnt sandy at all, meaning it seldom plays hard and fast outside the dog days of summer. Its a severely sloped back-to-front green with a bit of a swale in the middle separating it into two sections. I love your content (just found you on YouTube) and wish you the best. The building of the course is a bit of an anomaly. The Cup was named for the then President of the USGA George Herbert Walker, a banker and businessman. The soil was quite rocky, and that presented Hood and his construction crew with a couple of problems. 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. The American team was, in a word, loaded. You have a recipe for a special place, and one Ive always personally been excited to see. Kittansett hosted U.S. From the back tee, 241 yards away, the tiny exposed portion of the putting surface appears to sit precariously (and inaccessibly) at the edge of the world, 15 feet above a bunker bounded by ball-sucking bogs. This undulating green is guarded by tall trees on the left and bunkers on either side. Featuring perhaps the tightest fairway at Kittansett, this dogleg doesnt occur until 240 yards, forcing the golfer to hit something longer than theyd prefer off the tee. Beverly's clubhouse was only open for a short portion of the year in general but was actually used only on two weeks of official race days. No reviews at this time. 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. At about 280 yards, rough and a bunker on the left bisect this fairway. Briggs said he had to do that after Marion Conservation Commission member Norm Hills had to recuse himself from the decision because his wife works for Tabor. 16 brings you back out towards the water and into the open. Many of the games greats were indeed on hand for the event. 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. Club records indicate that construction on the course commenced in summer 1922. 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 opening holes provide wide fairways with generous landing areas. But the discovery of a trove of documents in a Pennsylvania barn in the early 2000s revealed that the actual designer was William Flynn, one of the masters of the so-called Philadelphia school of architecture and a man whose credits include Pine Valley and Shinnecock Hills. 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 two that stand sentinel on either side of the somewhat lunar 16th fairway appear to frame the target but are actually 50 yards short of the green, seriously messing with a visitings depth perception. This hole plays 175 yards to a wide yet shallow green surrounded by deep bunkers and fescue. The fairways, teeboxes, and greens are meticulously kept and the course has very little rough, instead featuring both swampy marshland and dry hardpan for those who venture offline. Amateur qualifying in 1996: 36 holes, 101 players playing off 1.4 or better, pins set near the middle, 80 degrees and not a scrape of wind. 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. Although the land is flat, Hood and Flynn sculpted numerous mounds and subtle elevations throughout that add to the courses tremendous character. With the wind usually howling, this is an exhilarating teeshot and one you wont soon forget. Four times the State Amateur has been held here; each time it set a record for the number of entries. The Republican Women's Club of South Central Kentucky's Tuesday night dinner buffet planned to feature one of the officers involved in the death of Breonna Taylor. This has been a habit with you Selectmen for far too long. But that has to end, say some. The course is located in South Newark and is operated by Essex County along with classics Francis Byrne and Hendricks Field. 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. Most days, the approach plays dead into a southwest wind, making the most sensible play a punch shot that bores its way to the putting surface. Thankfully, nobody had messed with the design or routings of the original holes. Kittansett was founded as a way to reduce costs for the local Beverly Yacht Club. 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. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); The 337 yard 10th hole at We-Ko-Pa Saguaro is a really fun risk/rewark hole that features two templates: a Reverse Cape on the teeshot and Lions Mouth by the green. I believe the individual is entitled to due process, Dickerson said. When asked what he thinks brought the matter to the attention of the state Ethics Commission, Briggs offered a few theories. And we restored a handful of bunkers that had been filled in as we reclaimed parts of several greens that had become smaller as well.. In 2018, Marthas Vineyard Times photographer Peter Simon (brother of singer Carly Simon) filed a police report accusing Murray of slamming him against a door for taking photos of him at Lolas, an Oak Bluffs restaurant. Originally, it was the Native Americans who led the Plymouth settlers and their cattle to the warmer winter pastures on these shores. (Murray later offered to pay for the damaged phones, so no charges were filed.). The conditions were surprisingly calm and beastly hot that Labor Day weekend 53 years ago. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for B Draddy THE KITTANSETT CLUB Blair Half Zip Golf Pullover Logo Blue Large New at the best online prices at eBay! 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. Change). The fact that Kittansett was the site of the Mass Am last week for the sixth time in its history speaks to the high regard in which the course is held. Kittansett plays short (not even 7000 yards from the Tips) and even shorter given the firm and fast conditions, but I played horribly here and found the course to be extremely tricky. The Country Club is definitely Massachusetts' best course and then it is a battle among Kittansett, Boston Golf Club, and Old Sandwich as the state's next best track. Donald Cherry was a Cup newcomer but didnt look particularly green in winning his singles match 9 and 7 over Norman Drew. Even got a prom pic. At just over 5700 yards, this par 70 plays more difficult than youd expect with small greens, tight fairways, and a hilly terrain. MARION, MASSACHUSETTS | Competitors in last week's Massachusetts Amateur had the pleasure of playing one of the Bay State's best golf courses at the Kittansett Club. That should tell you something about its allure. Littler and Jackson were eventually penalized two holes, placing them three down on the fourth tee. The New England ground produced glacial stone and Hood built mounds to cover these huge boulders. Its a very nice setting with the clubhouse off to the left, and is the shortest of the par 5s at Kittansett. Review: The William J. Devine Golf Course at FranklinPark, Review: Marion Golf Club Worldgolfer's Golf Course Reviews, Follow Worldgolfer's Golf Course Reviews on WordPress.com, #134 Best Course in the World Golf Digest (2018), #84 Best Course in North America Top100golfcourse.com (2018), #77 Best Course in America Golf Digest (2021), #65 Best Course in America Golf Magazine (2022), #73 Best Course in America Top100golfcourse.com (2019), #49 Best Classic Course in America Golfweek (2022), #4 Best Course in Massachusetts Golf Digest (2021), #6 Best Course in Massachusetts Golf Magazine (2023), #7 Best Course in Massachusetts Top100golfcourse.com (2020), #7 Best Private Course in Massachusetts Golfweek (2022). 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. But there are so many other holes of note. Holes 3 through 8 is my personal favorite stretch of holes on the course. Using it for golf as well would make it more cost-effective. This hole features another demanding teeshot with a narrow fairway lined by marshland and trees on either side. You should have done this a long time ago. The 8th marks the start of the interior holes, which have a decidedly different feel than their seaside companions. 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. When you get your first glimpse of the club on the left-hand side my GPS was telling me Id arrived. This keeps the vibe more chill and low-key, and really allows you to soak in the wonderful setting on the Bay. Keep it up! Its not just the length, the lack of elevation on the 11th teebox makes judging the distance even more difficult. The view from this teebox is world-class, with 390 fantastic yards separating you from the water. 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. But that hasnt always been the case with the actor in the past when it comes to photos taken of him. It was here that Wilson and MacGregor proved they were very good sports indeed. Generation Zero Now Available for Purchase, Late-Nineties Flashback: The Great Maine Golf Course Binge, In Iceland, It Truly Is a Matter of Degree, Generation Zero:The modern Creation epic U.S. soccer didnt know it had, available July 19, Forty-Eight Years Late: Celts, Dubs Redeem an NBA Final That Never Was. The average employee at Kittansett Club makes $0 per year. The club was established in 1922, and officially opened for play in 1923. Briggs lawyer, Robert Troy of Troy Wall Associates in Sandwich, used the Rule of Necessity in arguing Briggs case before the state Ethics Commission. The par 4 2nd also plays 415 yards and is another very difficult hole. 10 shows off more interesting mounding which is a theme throughout the course. Verdict: The charming and exclusive Kittansett Club is one of the most underrated courses in America and might be my dark horse candidate for best course in New England. 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. Sometimes, the slants were quite subtle, like those on the par-5 seventh, and No. The build-in at Kittansett was an arduous process, especially for the 13-hole stretch from No. With a teebox in the middle of a marsh, this is a difficult teeshot with a forced carry of 160 yards and dogleg not coming until 225 yards. Membership at the club is strictly invitation only, with initiation fees ranging from $250,000 to $500,000. 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. Already ailing and confined to an electric golfmobile, Jones accommodated everyone with that gracious smile of his, turning aside compliments with praise for Mrs. Vare.