Wannamoisett Country Club
Donald Ross fitted a full eighteen onto roughly a hundred acres in Rumford in 1914, and the result is one of the most admired small site courses in America. A par 69 that hosted the 1931 PGA Championship and stages the Northeast Amateur every year, Wannamoisett defends itself entirely through Ross's crowned, contoured greens rather than length.
Photograph: Wannamoisett Country Club, via Google
The verdict
Wannamoisett is the proof that great golf does not need great acreage. Donald Ross, who kept a summer base in Rhode Island and knew the ground intimately, routed a full eighteen holes onto a compact site of roughly a hundred acres in Rumford in 1914, and architects have studied the result ever since as a masterclass in efficiency. There is barely a wasted yard, the holes interlock cleverly without ever feeling cramped, and the whole course is defended not by length, water or forced carries but by a set of green complexes that rank among the very best Ross ever built.
For the travelling golfer, Wannamoisett matters because it punches so far above its size and its modest par. It is a par 69, yet it hosted the 1931 PGA Championship in the match play era and to this day stages the Northeast Amateur, one of the strongest amateur fields in the country, year after year. That a course this short keeps testing elite players is the surest sign of how good the architecture is. Access is private, through a member, but for anyone who loves classic American design it is one of the essential rounds in New England, and a natural pairing with the historic clubs of Rhode Island. This is Ross distilled to his essentials.
Wannamoisett at a glance
- Opened
- 1914
- Designer
- Donald Ross
- Type
- Classic parkland
- Par
- 69
- Yardage
- Around 6,700 yds
- Access
- Private, member guest
Designer, opening year, par, yardage and championship history verified June 2026 from club and course sources. Wannamoisett plays as a par 69 of around 6,700 yards from the back tees. It is a private members club with no public green fee; access is as the guest of a member, and any cost is arranged privately. Policies change, so always confirm directly before planning a visit.
The holes worth the trip
The greens are the story at Wannamoisett, and the par 3 third is the most celebrated example. A long one shot hole to a green crowned and falling away on every side, it is regarded as one of the finest par 3s Ross ever designed: hit the surface and hold it and you have a birdie chance, miss it by a fraction and the contours repel the ball into a testing chip from below. It sets the tone for a round in which the approach shot and the recovery, rather than the drive, decide the score.
Around it, the par 4s show how Ross extracted variety from a tight property. They bend in different directions, climb and fall with the natural grade, and ask for precise position off the tee because the angle into each crowned green matters enormously. The greens themselves, pushed up and rolling away at the edges, are the constant defense: a slightly long or slightly wide approach is punished not by a hazard but by the simple difficulty of getting up and down to a surface that rejects anything but a well judged shot. With a single par 5 on the card, the par 69 keeps the pressure on the irons all day.
None of this depends on yardage. At around 6,700 yards Wannamoisett is short by championship standards, and that is exactly the point the architecture makes: contour and green design can examine the best amateurs in the country on a course an average member walks in well under four hours. Play it with care for angles and respect for the greens, and it reveals itself as one of the most instructive and enjoyable classic courses in America.
How to get on
| What to know | Detail |
|---|---|
| Access | A private members club; there is no public green fee or visitor tee sheet, and play is as the accompanied guest of a member |
| Green fee | None published for visitors; any guest cost is arranged privately between member and host, so we quote no figure |
| Booking | Arranged by your member host; access is limited around the Northeast Amateur each summer, so plan ahead |
| On the day | A compact, very walkable course ideal on foot; a smart, traditional golf dress code applies on course and in the clubhouse |
| Best months | May to October, when the greens are at their firmest and show their full Ross character |
| Getting there | In Rumford just east of Providence, about an hour from Boston and minutes from the Rhode Island coast |
Access rules and championship history verified June 2026 from club and course sources; private club policies change without notice, so always confirm directly before planning a visit. We can shape a wider Rhode Island and New England golf trip around courses you can book. Ask about bookable Rhode Island tee times.
Where to stay nearby
Wannamoisett sits in Rumford on the eastern edge of Providence, so the natural bases are downtown Providence, a short drive away with hotels and a strong restaurant scene, or the coast around Newport for a resort feel. Boston is about an hour north for those arriving by air and wanting a city stay at either end of the trip.
Most visiting golfers fold Wannamoisett into a broader New England trip, given its private access. Pair a Rhode Island stay with the historic and bookable courses of the region: the founding club of Newport Country Club on the coast, the Coore and Crenshaw sand course at Old Sandwich Golf Club up in Massachusetts, and the windswept Cape Cod links of Eastward Ho Country Club make a memorable itinerary.
Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels and resorts near Providence and Newport.
Build a Rhode Island golf trip
Wannamoisett is private, but the golf around it is not. We build trips through Rhode Island, Cape Cod and the South Shore, secure the bookable tee times, and handle hotels, caddies and the order of play. Tell us roughly when and who is travelling and one concierge costs it to the head, with no obligation.
Wannamoisett questions
Can the public play Wannamoisett Country Club?
No. Wannamoisett is a private members club and does not sell public green fees or visitor tee times. The usual route to a round is to play as the guest of a member, accompanied by your host. The club publishes no visitor rate, so access and any associated cost are arranged privately. Always confirm the current member guest policy directly with the club before planning a visit.
Who designed Wannamoisett Country Club?
Wannamoisett was designed by Donald Ross in 1914. Ross, who summered in Rhode Island, fitted a full eighteen holes onto a famously compact site of around a hundred acres in Rumford, and the result is considered one of his finest small footprint designs and a model of efficient routing.
What is the par and yardage at Wannamoisett?
Wannamoisett plays as a par 69 of around 6,700 yards. The low par comes from a single par 5 and a strong, varied set of par 4s, and the difficulty lives in Ross's large, crowned, heavily contoured greens rather than in length, which keeps the pressure on the irons all day.
What championships has Wannamoisett hosted?
Wannamoisett hosted the 1931 PGA Championship, won by Tom Creavy, and stages the prestigious Northeast Amateur every year, one of the leading amateur events in the United States. That championship pedigree on so compact a site is a large part of its renown.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Designer, opening year, par, yardage and championship history verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.