COURSE INFORMATION
Donald Ross described the ideal golf courses as, “one that presents a test of golf for the everyday golfer and the first-class player. A properly designed course can take care of every class of golfer. My aim is to bring out of the player the best golf that is in him. It will be difficult to negotiate some holes, but that is what golf is for. It is a mental test and an eye test. The hazards and bunkers are placed so as to force a man to use judgment and to exercise mental control in making the correct shot.”
We feel our golf course at Wannamoisett Country Club fits this template perfectly.
Hole #1
Par 4 | 430 yards
An uphill straight away par four with an ample sized fairway to help get you started. A bunker on the left is positioned to catch the longer hitter. The green is tough to hit because of the front to back slope making par a great score.
Hole #2
Par 4 | 505 yards
A straight away par four that will quickly catch your attention. After a good tee shot that requires hitting a narrowing fairway, be prepared for a well struck iron to hit this green in regulation. The putting surface has plenty of slope to test the nerves of any golfer.
Hole #3
Par 3 | 137 yards
The challenging par 3 has been recognized as one of the best holes in the world and was selected as the logo for the Donald Ross Society. What makes this hole so tough is that you are supposed to make a good score. Bunkers surround the front and left making a precise short iron a requirement to make par.
Hole #4
Par 4 | 438 yards
A dogleg left par four that requires two precise golf shots. You must shape your tee shot around the corner and then hit a middle iron to an uphill green, which has plenty of slope to make par a challenge.
Hole #5
Par 4 | 372 yards
Take your first breath. A short par four where a short iron into the green after a well struck tee shot. Oh, but then there’s that green. Only the most precise iron shot will hold this green, and a big number can bite you quickly here if you are not careful.
Hole #6
Par 4 | 437 yards
This slight dogleg left provides its toughest test on the putting surface. The ridges and slopes on this green make two putting a chore.
Hole #7
Par 4 | 345 yards
Don’t let the scorecard fool you, this par four provides a tough test. The tee shot must carry a ridge in the fairway to allow an unobstructed view of the putting surface for the second shot. Anything short of the green, which has a large false front, will roll down the slope 20 yards away from the green. It’s not over once you are on the green either.
Hole #8
Par 3 | 190 yards
A very well designed downhill par three with bunkers short and right of the green provides a good test to all golfers. A quality mid to long iron is needed to ensure a par.
Hole #9
Par 4 | 453 yards
One of the toughest holes on the course requires a long and accurate tee shot. Bunkers on the left side of the fairway catch wayward tee shots. If you miss the fairway to the right, a large tree and long rough will make second shots a feat. An uphill second shot needs to carry a pond in front of the green, with a large false front.
Hole #10
Par 4 | 421 yards
This is an excellent golf hole to start your back nine. Donald Ross gives you ample space to find the fairway. The biggest challenge on this hole is the blind second shot to a punch bowl style green. Distance control with your irons is a must to score well on this hole.
Hole #11
Par 4 | 391 yards
This hole runs parallel to the 10th hole and is troublesome to golfers that hit their tee shots to the right. Two fairway bunkers swallow poorly struck tee shots. Should you find the fairway, try to avoid the large bunker that fronts the green. A well-contoured green provides a challenge to all golfers seeking a par.
Hole #12
Par 3 | 211 yards
This uphill par three requires a solidly struck golf shot off the tee. A massive bunker fronts the large bowl shaped green. The tee shot always plays longer than the yardage on the card, and the majority of shots that hit the green tend to filter towards the center.
Hole #13
Par 4 | 383 yards
This downhill par four requires an accurate tee shot. Mounds on the left side and bunkers on the right protect the fairway. The second shot must carry a series of bunkers that surround the green. The putting surface has plenty of slope to make two putting a challenge.
Hole #14
Par 4 | 365 yards
This par four dogleg right around a small pond provides ample options off the tee, but be sure to only bite off as much as you can chew. The green has several difficult pin positions to test you short irons.
Hole #15
Par 3 | 196 yards
The last of the demanding par threes, this hole requires a well struck long iron to an elevated green. Be sure to stay below the hole, as the green slopes severely back-to-front.
Hole #16
Par 4 | 444 yards
A slight dogleg left par four that might provide the most scenic tee shot on the course. The tree lined fairway swallows wayward shots both left and right. The second shot must carry a large bunker that is about 20 yards short of the green. As is true of the first 15 greens you have seen to this point, this green may leave you scratching your head.
Hole #17
Par 5 | 558 yards
The lone par five on the golf course has a wide fairway to allow the player to hit a big tee shot. The entire left side of the fairway has a fence that is out of bounds. The hole is pretty straightforward with well positioned fairway bunkers and a green defended by sand.
Hole #18
Par 4 | 456 yards
The closing hole is a tough dogleg left with trees and bunkers on the left side providing a challenge off the tee. The green is protected by bunkers short of the green to the left and right, and the putting surface has a large mound in the back portion. A four is a good score on this hole.