As a testament to Kittansetts difficulty, not one player broke par in a 1996 U.S. 12 is a fantastic hole that is simplynotone that favors my game. 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. 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! Most critics point to the 16th as the best par 4 at Kittansett and I have to agree. 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. Molly was a planner, and while she could easily plan her wedding . You may use these HTML tags and attributes: document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2021. In addition, he constructed a new, L-shaped back tee on Nos. 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. At 16, for example. This integrated piece appeared as a course feature and Walker Cup sidebar in LINKS Magazine during the summer of 2006. 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. 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. It feels quaint, subdued, and local in a good way. 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. The setting of the clubhouse is top 10 among the courses Ive visited in my travels. 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 a great score here. Kittansett Club has great variety in its routing. The 12th is a fantastic strategic dogleg left playing at 380 yards. The parking lot is one of the most scenic in all of golf, occupying prime oceanfront property. 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. 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.. Even got a prom pic. 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. The opening hole at Kittansett is tied for the longest par 4 on the course at 415 yards. 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. Kittansett hosted U.S. This approach is a bit more challenging with large bunkers 60 yards short on the left and to the right of the green. The Walker Cup competition began in 1922 as matches between amateur golfers from Great Britain and the United States. The 5th has one of the more intimidating shots on the course. For instance, Ive always loved mountain golf and Wade Hampton is one course that is in my personal top 10 Id like to play. Given that the initially wide fairway progressively narrows with swampland on the right, these bunkers force the golfer to think twice about laying up off the tee. Marion Town Administrator Paul Dawson noted at the Selectmens May 7 meeting that Briggs had not submitted a letter of resignation, and he asked Selectmen how to proceed or if the board has an appetite for removal.. For the 2022 season they expanded their outdoor bar, which is a fantastic place to have a drink and enjoy the view of both the course and the water. 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. Thankfully, nobody had messed with the design or routings of the original holes. General Comments:Kittansetts clubhouse is understated, but gives off a classic New England summer charm. Amateur champion, making his third Walker Cup appearance, was the senior member of his team and proved the weekends leading light. But the fact is, we hate losing. Those who go left or long will find a bunker at 195 yards or worse be OB. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. The Americans were still three down after nine but they came home in 33, the best nine posted by any foursome pairing during the competition. Because of the ever-present winds perhaps, Hoods design rarely calls for forced carries into the greens themselves. The course was so well designed and there were so many well-executed strategic elements, that it seemed like there had to be additional help from someone who was more prominent during the era. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. 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]. 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). Theres a giant crossbunker about 50 yards short and three deep ones on both sides of the green. The 470 yard par 4 17th is one of my favorite holes at Cascata as a beautiful sweeping, downhill dogleg left. Yes, Mr. The Walker Cup, international golfs most prestigious amateur team competition, has been staged in New England on three separate occasions, twice (1932 and 1973) at The Country Club in Brookline, Mass., where so many prestigious events have been held, USGA championships and otherwise, theyve begun to bunch. The British non-playing captain, Lieut. On average, employees at Kittansett Club stay with the company for 6.5 years. The Kittansett Club - Detailed Maps and Yardage Charts - ProVisualizer.com The Kittansett Club Error: The browser supports WebGL, but initialization failed. As for Hood, he turned out to be more project manager than anything else, overseeing construction of the golf course while adding his own small touches. Congressman from its Second District went 2-0, winning his foursomes match with Ward, 9 and 8, and clinching the Cup with another landslide victory in singles, 7 and 5 over Roy MacGregor. The high scores tell you something else. And so Kittansett remains a bit of a mystery guest, even to Bay State golfers. It was here that Wilson and MacGregor proved they were very good sports indeed. Sign Up For Our Free Weekly Digital Magazine! Many of the bunkers had also shrunk in size over the years and lost what had initially been a rugged, almost windswept appearance. But these situations of local trades and business people serving and doing business with the municipalities they serve has confounded small town public government for years. The golfer needs to think his way around this hole, but birdies can certainly be had with good ballstriking. 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). This green generally slopes back-to-front. As I usually mention when writing about notable golden age courses, I can never do as good of a job recounting the history of the club, as they can. A giant sandy wasteland bisects the fairway at about 260 yards and is in play off the tee. The 5th is a strong straightaway 395 yard par 4 that prominently features two large bunkers in the middle of the fairway between 150 and 180 yards. Im of the opinion we should have further discussion, Marion Selectman Chairman Steve Cushing said. The wind had shifted, so while we thought wed be heading back towards the clubhouse with the wind at our back that wasnt the case. At a prodigious 220 yards, this is a semi-blind par 3 courtesy of tall fescue directly in front of the teebox. The "Caddyshack" actor was on the South Coast this weekend for the U.S. Senior Amateur golf championship at The Kittansett Club in Marion before heading up to Mattapoisett for a 7:30 p.m.. Framed by cedar shake houses and the loveliest view of the Atlantic, Kittansett has a special place in the heart of all who visit. With a carry over fescue and bunker, this green is guarded on either side by deep bunkers and slopes extremely hard back-to-front. Par is a tremendous score here. Not even the members, who are used to the carries, the obstacles and the speed of the greens. My attorney says I dont have to resign, Briggs said recently of his Conservation Commission position in an interview earlier this week with The Sentinel. And on other occasions, Flynn made them more pronounced, as on the fourth, which doglegs sharply to the right. Change). That prompted us to restore them to their original sizes. Then, there were the angles with which Flynn endowed so many of the holes. Designed by William Flynn and Frederic Hood in 1922 (it was restored by architect Gil Hanse in 1998), Kittansett was not particularly well known prior to the 53 Walker Cup. The rest, to be believed, must be experienced first-hand. Theres another bunker 100 yards short and on either side of this small circular green. Kittansett is a pure golf club, and its centerpiece from the very beginning has been its course. 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 18th with the clubhouse and outdoor patio bar over on the left. The Club was originally built by founding member Frederic C. Hood who had significant knowledge of other American and British courses of the era. The par 4 2nd also plays 415 yards and is another very difficult hole. 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. The left side is fairly open until 280 yards when it too develops forest. But Kittansett is seldom what it appears to be, especially at first glance. . Nober signed the agreement May 2. This is a great closing match play par 5 where birdies will fly. Theres no real rough here and anything mildly offline will likely find marshland or fescue. A charming rock wall and fescue guard just right of the green as well. 6, 10 and 13 a bit further from the tees. So does the USGAs decision to stage the U.S. Senior Amateur here in autumn 2022, the year of the clubs centennial. Follow Boston.com on Instagram (Opens in a New Tab), Follow Boston.com on Twitter (Opens in a New Tab), Like Boston.com on Facebook (Opens in a New Tab), Bill Murray and Wynonna Judd spotted at Newport restaurant, Jill Biden visited a beloved Boston seafood restaurant, Complaint about Bill Murray leads Searchlight to halt filming of Being Mortal. In other cases, its much more prominent, as youll find on 10. There wasnt a ton of weather the day we played, but the wind shifted halfway through our round, forcing us to play into it pretty much all day. 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. 32% of Kittansett Club employees are women, while 68% are men. The Kittansett Club, a private golf club that fronts the ocean on Kittansett Point, off Point Road, is also located in a flood plain. I cant imagine what it would be like if the breeze was up even more. At Kittansett fescue grass can frame a lot of the features well, and this hole is an excellent example of it. 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 oldest public course in New Jersey, Weequahic Golf Course was originally 9 holes built by Baltusrol Pro George Low in 1913. Some of that credit goes to Hanse who recommended some serious tree clearing when he first refurbished the bunkers in 1995 (adding fescued eyelashes to each one, a perfect fit). 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? Before coming to Kittansett, I was expecting the course to be much more open than it is. Donald Cherry was a Cup newcomer but didnt look particularly green in winning his singles match 9 and 7 over Norman Drew. His troubles seemed to coincide with the controversy that arose when Tabor Academy, for the purposes of expediency, circumvented the towns building process for the construction of Duffy Field under the Dover Amendment, which allows schools and hospitals to bypass most town boards to perform construction. What exactly did the protest stem from? 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. More recently, concerted clearing efforts have rendered portions of the routing, especially those holes furthest out on Butler Point, darned links-like surely more open and scenic today than they were when the Hood finished his lifes work. It only took a minute, but from the moment I arrived, I knew I was going to like this place. During their annual 4-Ball Tournament I got my first hole-in-one on #3. Kittansett was founded as a way to reduce costs for the local Beverly Yacht Club. Then, they are left with an uphill approach to a slick green backed by the bay, again with bunkers right and left. Here and there these oversized Kisses (more like chocolate-covered cherries really) reside on a holes periphery, seemingly without purposes. Kittansett seems tailor-made for a national mid-amateur championship, and while Demmer hinted that the subject has been broached presumably with the folks who famously value par there are no plans. Sure enough, in the early 2000s plans for the course were found in William Flynns attic. That scheme called for culling significant numbers of trees and underbrush, largely to bring back panoramas of the bay from different parts of the course and to improve turf conditions by enhancing air flow. Indeed, his passing had the opposite effect. 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. 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. Teeing off on the first hole gives you vibes similar to other old-school seaside courses like Fishers Island or Maidstone. This hole features another tiny back-to-front sloped green lined by cavernous bunkers on either side. 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 Kittansett Club is a private course available only to its members and their guests. 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. This keeps the vibe more chill and low-key, and really allows you to soak in the wonderful setting on the Bay. Try and clear the bunker on the corner and take on the trees. Other times they come off quite strategically. We are sorry that this post was not useful for you! This September, I finally got that chance. 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. In an age when clubs pay architects millions of dollars to return their courses to some 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 stern than its ever been, but never something it has never been. 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 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. 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