New England Golf Life By The Bay
Narragansett Bay is New England’s largest estuary with over 400 miles of coastline. There are over 30 islands throughout the bay the largest being Aquidneck Island. The east side of the bay is home to some of the finest golf courses in New England with a rich history dating back to the very beginning of golf in America.
The first U.S. Amateur Championship and the first U.S. Open held in 1895 at Newport C.C. got it all started in the City By The Sea, Newport Over the next 115 years the East Bay of Rhode Island became home to some of the greatest private and public golf courses in the world.
If you love golf then living in the East Bay is as close to golf heaven as you can ever get in New England. Mild winters offer playing conditions that stretch out to nearly 9 months of the year with plenty of winter golf at many facilities year round. The region offers an unmatched quality of life with some of the finest seaside homes, fantastic beaches and unlimited choices to some of the world’s best dining and entertainment.
The East Bay is home to 10 small cities and towns that capture the essence of history and charm that dates back to the original colonies. Communities like Newport, Bristol and Providence are at the heart of this beautiful region. In a 20-mile stretch you can play 15 great golf courses designed by the best of the best, Donald Ross, Geoffrey Cornish, Arthur Hill, Drew Rogers, Donald Steel, A.W.Tillinghast, Willie Park Jr. The East Bay oozes golf history with some of the most challenging courses you will find anywhere.
So lets start out at the mouth of the bay at The Newport C.C. Surrounded by the mansions of the 12-mile drive. The club sits as a stately reminder of a time in history that marked opulence and style. Newport is a private club with a very rich history. The Club has hosted numerous U.S. Amateur Championships as well as U.S. Opens. Just minutes away is Newport National G.C. one of the finest public golf facilities in New England. Arthur Hills and Drew Rogers designed this masterpiece along the Sakonnet Passage of Narragansett Bay overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. It offers breathtaking views of the bay and feels like the coast of Ireland instead of Rhode Island.
As you make your way north on Aquidneck Island you will find another exquisite private course in Wanumentonomy G.C. which looks to the bay west and less than a driver away Green Valley Country Club a semi private gem in Middletown. Just Minutes up the road is The Carnegie Abbey Club one of the most exclusive private golf course communities built anywhere in the northeast. The course, residences and amenities of this waterfront mecca spared no expense in creating the perfect oasis of unprecedented luxury. Just e few miles as the crow flies in Portsmouth is Montaup C.C. this bayside semi private course offers some of the most spectacular views in the region. 
Across the bay in a very small and disconnected region of sits Sakonnet G.C. a great seaside Donald Ross design just minutes from Ross’s summer retreat home in Little Compton. On the north end of the Bay in Barrington, R.I. you will find Rhode Island C.C. a great and historic private club that played host to 4 USGA Championships and is home to the CVS Caremark Charity Classic each year hosted by PGA Tour Players Brad Faxon and Billy Andrade. This course is a Donald Ross creation built in 1911 with its final 4 finishing holes alongside Narragansett Bay.
As you travel up the bay the courses are just as magnificent with another great Donald Ross design built in 1901, Metacomet C.C., one of the East Bays finest private courses. Just over the R.I. line Swansea C.C. one of the regions best Cornish designs is a great facility as well.
As we venture closer to the city of Providence there is Agawam Hunt in Rumford another great private club built in 1897, and The Wannamoisett C.C. still another Ross design in 1914 where the 1931 PGA Championship was played and yearly host the prestigious Northeast Amateur each year.
The East Bay of Rhode island will offer you some of the best golf choices in the country. Living here with all the region has to offer is truly very special. From million dollar estates and country club homes to moderately priced residences from $200,000 and less fit a very broad range of lifestyles. The Bay, ocean beaches, great parks, the golf, restaurants and cultural attractions make this region a New England gem.
