Quidnessett Country Club
The Quidnessett Country Club is one of Rhode Islands most beautiful golf facilities located in North Kingstown Rhode Island overlooking Narragansett Bay. The historic location was once summer hunting and fishing grounds used by the Narragansett Indians.
The majestic views and rolling landscape along the waters edge make it a great backdrop for one of the most scenic golf locations in New England.
Quidnessett Country Club’s original nine-hole course was a Geoffrey Cornish design built in 1959 and opened in 1960. The grand opening was highlighted by golf legend Sam Snead and Red Sox Hall of Fame player Ted Williams serving on the original advisory board at the clubs inception. In The Summer of 1960, to celebrate the clubs opening, Sam Snead played a young Arnold Palmer (The 1960 Open and Masters Champion that Year) in a close match that was won by Snead one up to earn the $3000.00 cash prize. Cornish and William G. Robinson designed the back nine to complete the 18 present holes in 1974.
Quidnessett County Club is a par 72 playing at just less than 7000 yards from the blue tees, with a course rating of 73.7 and a slope of 128. The layout is links style with some narrow fairways and well placed bunkers and water hazards.
Course conditions at Quidnessett are some of the finest you will play anywhere in the state. The fairways are pristine, the greens roll fast and true and the grounds overall are just beautiful. The front nine starts you out with a par 4 at 379 yards that is fairly straight away followed by a par 3 at 176 yards and a par 5 at 548 yards. The design brings the 11th, 13th and 15th handicap holes as one, two and three in the round and gives you an early chance to build some confidence in the round. Now that you are warmed up you can be ready for the fourth hole, the number one handicap par four at 465 yards with a difficult and narrow layout.
It is very important to have not only distance on your drive but position as well if you want to be in position to get away with a par here.
The next four holes on the front nine bring into play 4 more of the top 10 handicap holes on the course. The 5th hole is a long par 3 at 214 yards over water, which is the #3 handicap hole. The 6th a difficult 405 yard par 4 is the #9 handicap hole and the 7thand 8th are the #5 handicap and #7 handicap holes on the course. If you are going to score well on this course, playing these five at or under par will be the key. This is Cornish at his best with designs that give you a few holes to warm up ,before he brings on the lions. In the same way the 9th is a par 5 at 516 yards a very good birdie opportunity to finish the front nine.
The back nine sends you off with a par 4 at 402 yards, rated the #2 handicap, you can birdie this hole with a good drive, followed by the 11th a par 5 at 592 yards with a very narrow target area for your second shot and a small protected green.
The 12th through the 16th are all shot makers holes and offer again a stretch of holes where you could build some momentum on the back nine to post a good score. If you are in position one off the tee on these holes you will leave yourself good scoring chances.
The 17th and the 18th are two par fours with good length at 410 and 400 yards and both are all about approach position, there is plenty of trouble left and right as well as water and waste area’s to carry, two great finishing holes on a Cornish masterpiece.
This course is just fun to play, the conditions throughout are some of the finest in the state. The grounds are lush, the views of the bay spectacular and overall this course is one of the finest in the region. It’s no wonder Quidnessett is one of the regions favorite banquet and function facilities as well. The attention to detail is evident, from the golf course to the clubhouse to the practice facility.
The course is owned and operated by the Jan Companies, a Rhode Island company, which also owns Grassy Hill Country Club in Central Connecticut and The Norton Country Club in Norton Massachusetts. Phantom scores of 98 out of 100 a great facility.
The Phantom Golfer
www.nebulletin.com
tim@nebulletin.com
800-736-9020
