Kittansett Club - Golf Armies

78. Kittansett Club

William Flynn & Frederic Hood (1922)/Gil Hanse (2012)

Only recently, with the discovery of some original blueprints, has it been conclusively established that the ocean-side, links-like Kittansett, long thought to be the product of an amateur architect, Frederic Hood, was actually the work of well-known course architect William Flynn, who also designed Shinnecock and Cherry Hills. Credit that revelation to authors Wayne S. Morrison and Thomas E. Paul, who reveal that and much more in their massive 2,260-page biography of Flynn entitled The Nature Faker: William S. Flynn, Golf Architect. Credit Gil Hanse with restoring the bunkers without the aid of those Flynn plans. Instead, he used old aerial photographs.

100 Greatest History: Ranked since 1971. Highest ranking: No. 39, 1999-2000. Previous ranking: No. 67

Panelist comments, Kittansett Club:

“A wonderful seaside track. Great walking course. I liked the variety in the design with the links-style holes at the start and finish and the tree-lined holes in-between.”

“The third hole, hitting out on the beach, continues to be one of the most beautiful par 3s that I’ve ever played. And on the whole, all the par 3s at Kittansett are quite good.”

“A seemingly innocuous track takes on dramatic dimensions through the use of the ravine. A great experience and must play for any architectural enthusiast. These are great challenges for courses that aren’t very long.”

“Gil Hanse restored many of the original mounds that help define the terrain. Numerous trees removed to return the majestic views of the Atlantic Ocean on Buzzards Bay that the original designers surely adored.”

“The course has that rare combination of tough and challenging for the highly skilled player and at the same time very enjoyable for the recreational player.”

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