Description

Rhode Island Country Clubs Known for Classic Golf.

Rhode Island may be the smallest state in area in the U.S., but it has 59 golf courses, almost one-third of them private country clubs, many with fantastic seaside views as well as classic layouts.

One prime example is the Rhode Island Country Club, a 1911 Donald Ross design in Barrington with a final four on Narragansett Bay. One of the nation’s finest courses, it has hosted four USGA championships.

During the late 1800s, East Coast bankers and business people made Newport, R.I., their playground. That area is still home to some of the most impressive real estate in the country – and the most impressive golf holes. John Jacob Astor IV and members of the Vanderbilt family founded the Newport Country Club in 1893, one of five clubs that co-founded the USGA that year.

Other outstanding Rhode Island country clubs are listed among Golf Digest’s top courses, including Wannamoisett in Rumford, designed by Donald Ross in 1914 and host to the 1931 PGA Championship.

Among the newest clubs is the Carnegie Abbey Club on Narragansett Bay with an enclave of waterfront homes called the “Royal Cottages,” just a short golf cart drive from the club’s award-winning course.