Southern New England Resorts & Regions

Many Golfers In The Northeast

have never discovered the golfing treasures in their own back yard, but those who have are well aware of the great golf facilities in our region. The Southern New England states of Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut are blessed with some of the best golf courses in the world. Some say the true home of the game of golf in America is right here in the Northeast, where the first courses were built in the late 1800s. These three relatively small states have over 600 golf facilities of which 75% are open to public play. The region is blessed with some of the most prestigious private country clubs, resort courses and public courses designed by the very best golf course architects in the game’s history including Donald Ross, Geoffrey Cornish, Jack Nicklaus, A.W. Tillinghast and a host of others. From seaside to parkland designs there is an endless list of golf facilities that are each unique in a relatively small geographical region.

Southern New England Golf has an amazing variety of golf courses in Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Connecticut. Over 20,000 years ago the Laurentide Glacier reseeded carving the shorelines here creating dramatic landscapes that make the region a perfect pallet for amazing golf course designs. The sea-level shorelines are perfect for links-style courses and moving from the coast, the changes in elevations with glacial outcroppings create completely different design elements. Even at the prestigious Country Club in Brookline Massachusetts where the 2022 U. S. Open was held, there are outcroppings throughout the golf course that designer Willie Campbell had to work around in 1895. Golf in the Northeast offers some of the most dramatic course designs found anywhere in the world.

Golfers in the Northeast are passionate and understand the roots of the game and its beginnings and traditions. The historical debate about whether the Scottish or the Dutch invented golf may go on forever, but one simple truth about the game’s history is that golf in this country started right here. And in New England, golf seems to be as popular as it is in the British Isles and the “Home of Golf.”

Our Southern New England feature encompasses three relatively small states only about 13,000 square miles in size with over 600 golf courses. Florida, which is almost 55,000 square miles, 4-5 times larger, has just over 1000 courses. You cannot drive anywhere in Southern New England without running into a golf course. This leads us to our first region in Massachusetts, Cape Cod and the Islands of Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket.

CAPE COD & THE ISLANDS RESORTS

On Cape Cod alone, a tiny hook-shaped peninsula of 15 towns spanning 64 miles is home to 42 golf courses. There are more golf courses per square mile on the Cape than just about anywhere. On Martha’s Vineyard, there are five courses: Mink Meadows, Farm Neck, The Vineyard Club, Edgartown Golf Club and Chappaquiddick Links built in 1887, which is a short ferry ride from the Vineyard to Chappaquiddick Island. And on Nantucket Island, there are three: Sankaty Neck, Miacomet, and Sconset, built in1899. The 50 golf facilities in the Cape & Islands are on a total land mass of less than 500 square miles, which is totally amazing.

The Ocean Edge Resort

Brewster, MA

Cape Cod’s only Nicklaus Design course, you’ll play on tree-lined fairways with dramatic elevation changes. Private instruction and junior golf camps are available with a professional team of PGA pros who will get your game to where you want it to be. The resort’s Stay & Play Golf Package with lunch includes unlimited same-day play, overnight lodging and lunch at

Resorts By Region Stay

the Linx Tavern. This 400-acre property has a 700-foot private beach easily accessible from the townhouses. A morning stroll or brisk jog is the perfect way to prepare for a round at one of Cape Cod’s best resort courses.

https://www.oceanedge.com

Wequassett Resort and Golf Club Harwich, MA

For those seeking the ultimate in luxury accommodations and unparalleled experiences, Wequassett provides Five-Star service and access to the amazing Cape Cod National Golf Club. CCN is one of the finest, most prestigious clubs in Cape Cod and the nation. Ranked as one of the top 20 best golf courses by Golf Digest, the 18-hole Cape Cod National course offers exceptional views and challenging play for both casual and competitive golfers. Located on the Cape’s elbow, there’s no shortage of idyllic seaside beaches to relax on, as well as an abundance of local shops, galleries, whale watches, and easy day trips to Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard.

https://wequassett.com

The Club at New Seabury Mashpee, MA

The Club at New Seabury is a premier www.newseabury.com

Private Golf Community, boasting resort amenities with spectacular views of the iconic Nantucket Sound. Membership at New Seabury provides a Cape Cod vacation lifestyle with two championship waterfront golf courses, a full-service clubhouse, five restaurants, two beach clubs and beach bars, a state-of-the-art fitness facility, sixteen tennis courts, pools, walking trails & more. Your experiences with family and friends will provide you with memories to last a lifetime. Resort guests will enjoy a taste of the New Seabury lifestyle in the newly renovated guest accommodations, while future homeowners will find unique neighborhoods set amidst the country club setting.

CAPE COD & THE ISLANDS’ GOLF PACKAGES STAY & PLAY

Golf in the spring, summer, fall, or Winter at over 30 premier golf clubs on the Cape & Islands. Book an all-inclusive golf vacation for groups of any size. Register online to receive regular offer specials and golf promotions. Get exclusive tee time discounts & hotel rates, and preferred tee times according to your needs and schedule. The folks at Golf in Cape Cod plan your golf trip for you!

www.golfincapecod.com

Freebird

West Yarmouth, MA

Freebird Motor Lodge – Formerly Hunters Green in West Yarmouth has been a favorite destination of Stay & Play golf groups heading out to Cape Cod for year-round golf packages. They offer 75+ rooms with various options and offer a full range of amenities. Golf packages include all golf courses on Cape Cod & the Islands. The facility is centrally located on Route 28 in Yarmouth close to beaches, restaurants, and attractions.

The Tidewater Inn

Hyannis, MA

The Tidewater Inn is a family-friendly hotel that is centrally located and just minutes to the village of Hyannis, ferry rides to the islands, sandy beaches, golf, fishing, local restaurants, and shopping options. The hotel boasts both indoor and outdoor swimming pools, a hot tub, and an onsite 1950’s style breakfast diner. Some of Tidewater’s tastefully appointed rooms come with beautiful water views, while the exterior has a well-manicured picnic area with a playground, grills, and picnic tables.

Massachusetts Golf Resorts

Mirbeau Inn & Spa

Plymouth, MA

One championship golf course next to a resort is a pleasure. Two? That’s a luxury! It’s a luxury to be found at the elegant Mirbeau Inn & Spa, an exceptional 50-room resort and world-class spa located next door to a renowned Rees Jones-designed golf course and adjacent to the course created by the Jack Nicklaus. Both courses are at the Pinehills Golf Club. Set on more than 300 acres of rolling hills and glacially carved features, the club also boasts the most extensive practice facilities in New England, PGA instruction, and a clubhouse offering fine dining. www.plymouth.mirbeau.com

Wyndhurst Golf & Club Lenox, Massachusetts

The beautifully renovated Mansion with interior design by Clodagh exudes timeless elegance. Each guest room is unique and named after important historical and cultural figures who had ties to the Berkshires. Boasting incredible views and a challenging course designed by Wayne Styles and John Van

Kleek in 1926, Wyndhurst offers exceptional golf in a historic setting in the Berkshires. Nearby attractions like Tanglewood, which serves as the summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, as well as the Norman Rockwell Museum and Berkshire Botanical Gardens, are minutes away. wyndhurstgolfandclub.com

MASSACHUSETTS STAY & PLAY REGIONS

Massachusetts has nearly 400 golf courses in various regions that offer some of the most prolific and historic course designs in the country from coastal masterpieces to parkland inland courses.Great course designers, Donald Ross, Geoffrey Cornish, Seth Raynor, as well as modern-day Architects like Palmer,

Nicklaus, Hurdzan, Fry, Silver and others have created materpieces here.

COASTAL MASSACHUSETTS & BOSTON

Beantown has a proud golf history that begins well before Francis Ouimet’s upset win in the 1913 U.S. Open. The city is home to America’s second-oldest golf course, the William J. Devine Course at Franklin Park. (Bobby Jones played there whilst pursuing his English degree at Harvard.) Oakley Country Club in nearby Watertown was the first famed course architect Donald Ross worked when he came to America from Scotland. Ross spent 11 years there, honing his design skills and revising the course’s layout several times before going on to create over 400 other courses. Play the amazing Granite Links in Quincy, Robert T Lynch in Brookline, George Wright in Boston, William J Devine at Franklin Park, Newton Commonwealth, Ponkapoag in Canton, Braintree Municipal, and Gannon in Lynn.

CENTRAL & WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS

The Blackstone Valley in central Massachusetts and the Berkshires in western Massachusetts offer some of the very best in golf in New England. There are historic designs as well as some new courses that are spectacular. The area’s courses are routed over open land and gently rising hills. Spend a few hours visiting the villages and towns of the area. Play Wyckoff in Holyoke, East Mountain in Westfield, Cold Spring in Belchertown, Gardner Municipal, The Ledges in South Hadley, The Ranch in Southwick, The Crumpin Fox Bernardston, Tekoa in Westfield, Shaker Farms in Westfield and Weekeeba in Williamstown and make your way to Blackstone National in Sutton, MA.

Rhode

ISLAND

Golf Resorts

The Preserve Sporting Club

Richmond, RI

The Preserve was conceived as an unparalleled luxury resort and masterplanned community offering the best outdoor experiences, restaurants, accommodations, and luxury homes. The Preserve has created a variety of lodging types to suit many needs, all with luxurious amenities, and to provide an elevated experience within unspoiled nature. They offer the rustic elegance of a spacious Laurel Ridge Home, a chic Townhome on the Green, a luxurious Hilltop Lodge Suite or a perfectly Cozy Cabin. The Preserve Sporting Club & Residences takes up 3,500 acres and includes an 18-hole golf course, tennis, zip line, mountain biking, hiking, canoeing and kayaking, rock-climbing wall, and 10 fly fishing ponds. The Preserve also has a shooting sports facility, a spa, a Safari Tent experience and a series of “Hobbit Houses.” https://preservesportingclub.com

RHODE ISLAND

STAY & PLAY REGIONS

Rhode Island may be the smallest state in the Union but as far as golf there are vast options to Stay & Play in all areas. What’s great about Rhode Island is no course is very far from another since you can drive across the state in one hour. The Ocean State has some of the most beautiful courses in the nation and prices to play are very moderate. Staying in Providence, Newport, or South County means there are lots of other travel amenities to enjoy.

PROVIDENCE, RI

If you are going to stay in Providence, you might enjoy the delights of Federal Hill every night for some of the finest Italian food in the country and the desserts are to die for. Greater Providence is surrounded by some of the best golf courses in Southern New England.

Donald Ross designed Triggs Golf Club was opened in 1932 and is a must-play. Scenic Crystal Lake is a short drive away, and Cranston Country Club is also a great facility. There are a lot of private clubs in the region and if you have some connections, play Rhode Island Country Club and Wannamoisett.

SOUTH COUNTY, RI

South County is blessed with some great golf courses and some of the best small towns and villages in New England. You will also find some of Rhode Island’s best seafood restaurants and great seaside hotels with spectacular beaches. The Preserve Sporting Club is a spectacular luxury resort on 3500 acres. Right down the road is Meadow Brook Golf Course, one of the finest in Rhode Island. Close by is Fenner Hill, Exeter, Laurel Lane and Richmond all great choices. Once again if you have a contact, the private Club Shelter Harbor in Westerly would be at the top of any list.

EAST BAY & AQUIDNECK ISLAND Newport,

RI

In the East Bay, you will find the historic seaside city of Newport. It is the home of the historic Newport Country Club and the first U. S. Open. Getting on to play, well, that is another thing altogether. But close by is one of New England’s finest seaside links courses, Newport National Golf Club, “A little Ireland in Rhode Island.” Play Green Valley Country Club, scenic seaside Montaup Country Club, and Jamestown Golf Course with scenic views of Newport.

Connecticut Golf Resorts

Foxwood’s Lake of Isles

North Stonington, CT

Located an hour southeast of Hartford, Lake of Isles is owned by the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation and is part of Foxwoods Casino. Set on more than 900 acres of picturesque landscape and designed by renowned architect Rees Jones, the facility offers two 18-hole courses (one private, one public) and several golf packages to choose from ranging from single-day options to overnight stays at The Fox Tower at Foxwoods. There are also indulgent getaways combining golf with full-on pampering at the nearby Spa at Norwich Inn. The North Course is rated number one in Connecticut, and it offers five sets of tees to make it playable for all ability levels.

Foxwoods has everything you would want all under one roof, shopping at the new Tanger Outlets, entertainment and restaurants ranging from fine dining to casual fun. www.lakeofisles.com

MOHEGAN SUN / GOLF CLUB

Mohegan Sun Golf Club is recognized as one of the finest golf experiences in the region. Situated on 185 acres along the Thames River in scenic southeastern Connecticut, Mohegan Sun is home to two unique casinos, two luxury hotel towers totaling 1,600 rooms, a world-class spa, the 125,000 square-foot Earth Expo Center, a championship golf course, more than 80 shops, restaurants and bars as well as three entertainment venues for concerts and events. In 2012, Golf Course Architect Robert McNeil directed a complete renovation of the Geoffrey Cornish original design.

https://mohegansun.com

CONNECTICUT STAY & PLAY

The state of Connecticut has over 180 golf courses that offer seaside golf, dramatic hillside courses, and parkland inland designs. In each region of the state, there are great opportunities to stay & play and enjoy a variety of new and old courses from north to south. The capital city Hartford is located north central in the state and each year the Travelers Championship is held in June at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, a great event annually.

NORTH & EAST CONNECTICUT

Whether you stay in Hartford as your base or along Long Island Sound in Coastal Connecticut, you will find lots to choose from in the North. Both Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun offer public access to their golf courses without staying at the resort. Play historic Shennecossett along the Sound, Lyman Orchids, Wintonbury Hills, The Fox Hopyard, Godwin Park, Raceway, East Hartford, Connecticut National, Gillette Ridge and Black Birch. If you have the contacts, TPC River Highlands of course.

Central Connecticut

The Connecticut River Valley creates a perfect backdrop for a host of hilly parkland courses. This central region of the state is made up of small rural communities with true New England character. Play River Oaks, Blue Fox, Blackledge, Candlewood,

Great River, and Indian Springs. A must-play is the Fenwick Golf Course in Old Saybrook, one of the oldest courses in the state dating back to 1894; it is right along Long Island Sound. Richter Park in Danbury is said to be the “Best Public Course in Connecticut.”

Southern Connecticut

In Southern Connecticut close to the New York border and along the Sound there are a host of spectacular courses. Must plays are Rockrimmon and, just across the state line, the amazing Pound Ridge in NY both are spectacular. Innis Arden and E Gaynor Brennan in Stanford and Oak Hills Park in Norwalk are east along the sound. Sterling