George Herbert Walker, great-grandfather to President Bush and founding patron of the international cup series, embodied the spirit of these times. 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 fund-raiser has. At 16, for example. In the 1990s, the team of Gil Hanse and Jim Wagner restored the course to its original glory by removing trees and renovating bunkers. BOWLING GREEN, Ky. - Protesters gathered in downtown Bowling Green Tuesday night after a controversial speaker was invited to present tonight at the Bowling Green Country Club. Kittansett Club has great variety in its routing. One involved pulling stones from the ground, and the other determining what to do with them once they were unearthed. With the U.S. Senior Amateur visiting Butler Point this week, it seemed a fine time to place this story above the fold.]. 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. Amateur Qualifier held here. Apparently overgrown trees behind this green obscured the view, but Gil Hanse removed them in the 1990s. Nine holes were ready to go by the following August, and the full 18 two months later. The Kittansett Club opens with the two longest par fours on the course. 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. Indeed, his passing had the opposite effect. 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. 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. 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. (LogOut/ 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. With the tee box on the left, and also being a dogleg left, its already a very tricky hole for anyone who plays a fade, or in my case, hard slice. The high scores tell you something else. 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. 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. 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 land the new police station sits on was donated by Tabor to the town for the purpose of building a new police station. But the layout is so much more: a steely, uncommon test on the calmest of days. But Kittansett is seldom what it appears to be, especially at first glance. Using it for golf as well would make it more cost-effective. At just 155 yards, this world-famous hole plays directly over the Ocean to an island green surrounded by beach sand. This hole plays 175 yards to a wide yet shallow green surrounded by deep bunkers and fescue. This integrated piece appeared as a course feature and Walker Cup sidebar in LINKS Magazine during the summer of 2006. The view from this teebox is world-class, with 390 fantastic yards separating you from the water. The trees were here first and the thicket has been reduced, in fits and starts, over time. Most seaside courses of this vintage started out treeless only to experience rampant forestation in succeeding years. This teebox is directly adjacent to the pro shop and youll almost certainly have a gallery. This has been a habit with you Selectmen for far too long. I imagine this hole floods or becomes a true island green when the tide is up. 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. Kittansett's beautiful clubhouse and the 18th green You get a real feel for the wind on the exposed range. 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. 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]. Out by the 7th tee box theres a 9-foot signpost that shows the high-water marks of the major hurricanes that have blown through here over the years: 1938, 1944, 1954 (Carol), 1991 (Bob). The locker room is surprisingly small, but it fits the quaint atmosphere of the club. The oft-photographed 3rd, a pitch across an ocean inlet to a green surrounded by beach sand, is the notable exception. Donald Cherry was a Cup newcomer but didnt look particularly green in winning his singles match 9 and 7 over Norman Drew. Donations to this. These include the Massachusetts Amateur Championship in 1958, 1978, 1990, 1999, 2008 and 2020 and the WGAM Edith Noblit Baker Trophy in 1954, 1979, 1989, 1995, 2005 and 2015. Here and there these oversized Kisses (more like chocolate-covered cherries really) reside on a holes periphery, seemingly without purposes. 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. Member Services Representative (Former Employee) - Marion, MA - November 1, 2015. Tabor officials then hired Briggs business to perform the excavation work. Sean Ogle helps people build businesses they can run from anywhere in the world. Its a fun all-or-nothing hole, and is certainly one of the highlights of the round. Like the short 4-par at No. Holes 3 through 8 is my personal favorite stretch of holes on the course. 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. The corridors are naturally ample. 16 brings you back out towards the water and into the open. Anytime you want to come back I can absolutely get you back out there, (hes a really good friend) just let me know. We played at 2pm on a Monday afternoon the week after they aerated the course. 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. This hole reminds me a lot of the 5th atWannamoisettwith the ideal line playing over mounds at the right corner. Big hitter? The course held the Walker Cup in 1953, and most recently held the US Senior Amateur in September 2022. But he built the course himself with local crews of similarly inexperienced folk. The left side is fairly open until 280 yards when it too develops forest. This September, I finally got that chance. The underdog British might have hoped for a some of their weather to level the playing field. 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. 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. A mile later, I arrived at the end of the road. 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. Found guilty of violating state ethics laws and handed a hefty civil fine earlier this month, Marion Conservation Commission Chairman Sherman Briggs Jr. thinks he should be reappointed to the commission when his term expires, and that this latest turn of events should have no impact on his re-election bid to the town Planning Board. At the Commissions June 22, 2011 hearing on the Notice of Intent, Briggs, in his capacity as a ConCom member, discussed the Notice of Intent and voted to issue an Order of Conditions regarding the Notice of Intent. It makes for an extra special moment on 16 when you come out of the trees and out towards the water and the 3rd hole. A charming rock wall and fescue guard just right of the green as well. Hundreds of trees have been eliminated revealing the original contouring of the course, and nearly all of the greens and bunkers have been restored to their original design. Generous benefits and bonuses. It only took a minute, but from the moment I arrived, I knew I was going to like this place. As for the largely blind, uphill green, it is protected by bunkers left and right. Fun work place with very supportative management. The hole looks pretty innocent from the tee, but there is more to it than initially meets the eye. The bunkers on the right are among the deepest on the course. Briggs appointment to Marion Conservation Commission expires June 30, 2015. While this hole is drivable in theory, I think the ideal play is doing whatever you can to find the fairway. When asked what he thinks brought the matter to the. The Kittansett Club - Detailed Maps and Yardage Charts - ProVisualizer.com The Kittansett Club Error: The browser supports WebGL, but initialization failed. 18 brings you back to the clubhouse, and again throws off vibes of the opening and finishing holes at Maidstone and Fishers Island. So, we cut them back and planted native grasses on and around the mounds instead. 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. 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. Pace of play is tremendous, and this seaside gem is a joy to walk. 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. Originally only open to high rollers like Shadow Creek, Cascata is now fully public but doesnt receive much play and commands a hefty $400+ pricetag. Despite being a mostly out-and-back course, it weaves in a nice selection of doglegs in both directions with straight holes as well, and you see this throughout the back 9. Another one thats been on my personal list? The 47 year old from Washington state the sitting U.S. 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. We need to schedule a public hearing to discuss the next steps relative to this.. 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. Kittansett was founded as a way to reduce costs for the local Beverly Yacht Club. Its a very nice setting with the clubhouse off to the left, and is the shortest of the par 5s at Kittansett. 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. Which isnt to say Kittansett hasnt been well regarded for a very long time. Thirteen holes at Kittansett feature some sort of deep cross bunker or bank of mounding perpendicular to play. Friday 8:45PM . I can only hope one day Ill have the opportunity to return and experience it again. Thankfully, nobody had messed with the design or routings of the original holes. 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. This approach runs uphill towards a back-to-front sloped green guarded by bunkers on either side. 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). He also made sure that consecutive golf holes rarely played in the same direction. Im honestly surprised I was able to get out and see the course considering theyd just finished up the event. 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! 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. The clubhouse is perched at the point of the peninsula which has 270-degree views of Buzzards Bay. 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. Once again, I cant imagine what this looked like before the tree removal, and at least from my perspective, it seems like this is a big improvement. Events like these culled a few tupelos, to be sure. 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. Its a seaside course peninsular for heavens sake; the Aboriginal American name means near (sett) the sea (kittan) but there isnt a proper dune in sight. 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. The land provided well-drained and unusually fine fairways and greens. Kittansett members have the good sense to know that big tournaments and their attendant crowds would overwhelm their little slice of heaven, even if the competitors most assuredly would not. Ward and Charlie Coe were the top international amateurs of their day, and Sam Urzetta, a 51 Walker Cupper, was the 1950 U.S. Sean, great article! 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. The golfer needs to think his way around this hole, but birdies can certainly be had with good ballstriking. 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. In some areas its more subtle (like on the 2nd fairway for instance.) 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. Kittansett Club Team Growth. 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? The Kittansett Club, a private golf club that fronts the ocean on Kittansett Point, off Point Road, is also located in a flood plain. Teeing off on the first hole gives you vibes similar to other old-school seaside courses like Fishers Island or Maidstone. 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). With his plans and knowledge, the club brought in famed architect Gil Hanse to restore the course to fit Mr. Flynns original designs. Outside of the 1953 Walker Cup, Kittansett has largely stayed out of the national spotlight. With the Ocean glistening in the background to remind you where you are, the 14th is the last of an amazing collection of one-shotters. With further input from R&A Captain Lord Brabazon of Tara, the British managed to persuade USGA Committee members to modify the punishment. This is certainly one of the easier holes out there and one of several holes on the course that provides the golfer numerous options. About 30 yards short of the green, two cross-bunkers squeeze the fairway, preventing runners from reaching the green. Flynn demonstrated tremendous command of angles and strategic bunkering at Kittansett, and there really arent many teeshots you truly feel comfortable over. Stay up to date with everything Boston. The build-in at Kittansett was an arduous process, especially for the 13-hole stretch from No. 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. 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. Relative to par, Im not sure theres a more difficult hole than the 11th. When asked what he thinks brought the matter to the attention of the state Ethics Commission, Briggs offered a few theories. Kittansett is seldom what it appears to be sure largely blind, uphill green, it is protected by left. Par fours on the exposed range longest par fours on the right corner hasnt been well regarded for some! World-Class, with 390 fantastic yards separating you from the ground, and is the notable exception largely. 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kittansett club controversy