Meadow Brook, owned and operated by the Hendrick family, is not only the newest course in Rhode Island but most definitely it’s the longest measuring at a whopping 7,468 yards from the championship tees. The high-end daily fee gem opened for public play on Monday, April 26, 2010 and has been the talk of the Rhode Island golf scene ever since.
Meadow Brook has old ties to the Ocean State as it was originally owned by the Rawlings family built in 1929 and measured just over 6,000 yards from the back tees. In 2006, the Hendrick family (Jason, Kelly and Peter) purchased the golf course with a vision of creating a modern course designed to challenge every golfer that walks or rides the beautiful layout. The family succeeded in their vision by unveiling a soon to be world-renowned Roger Rulewich and Dave Fleury masterpiece. The Massachusetts based firm has over four decades of experience in designing and reconstructing courses that compete with the best in the world.
Like the tiny state of Rhode Island, most of the courses are built on small pieces of land, have small greens and short yardages. Meadow Brook is a completely different animal. The course is built on a 260-acre piece of land on Rte. 138 in Richmond just 2 miles off of I-95. The greens are gigantic totaling 5+ acres with slopes and shelves that provide for some very interesting pin placements. There are also 5 acres of tee boxes and 45 bunkers that are perfectly placed for risk reward shot making. On most of the holes tall pines line the fairways creating definition that please the eye.
There is truly not a hole that can be labeled as “poor.” Every hole is unique providing golfers of all skill levels with a fair challenge and even better scenery. A few holes stand out, however, as far as over all design and difficulty are concerned. The 5th hole, which is by far the most challenging par 4 on the course, measures 481 yards from the back tees and seems to be strategically placed after the 261-yard par 3, 4th hole. The most challenging shot on this dogleg right is the tee shot because of the overhanging tree just 60 to 70 yards off the tee on the right. The 10th hole which is most definitely Meadow Brook’s signature hole is a down hill par 3 measuring anywhere between 86 and 202 yards in length. The hole is surround by man-made water hazards and provides astounding views of other holes on the course. The 15th hole which is officially the longest hole in Rhode Island and arguably the best par 5 in New England measuring an astounding 649 yards from the back tees. The fairway on this hole is very narrow and the second shot requires the length to carry a fairway bunker that is precisely placed in the landing area. The green matches the holes length with its gigantic size and slope.
Meadow Brook is sure to impress every golfer that graces its fairways and Rhode Island should be proud to have it. Look for Meadow Brook to be nationally ranked in the coming years. According to this golf writer, it’s inevitable.
Meadow Brook accepts tee times 7 days in advance by calling 401.539.8491. The course is located at 163 Kingstown Rd. in Richmond, RI 02898. For more information visit www.meadowbrookgolfri.com
About Greg Sampson
I am the Sales and Marketing Manager for NEGM. I am a member of the International Network of Golf & the Golf Writers Association of America. I specialize in customized all-inclusive programs across a multi-media platform.
