kittansett club controversy

The Kittansett Club opens with the two longest par fours on the course. But the discovery of a trove of documents in a Pennsylvania barn in the early 2000s revealed that the actual designer was William Flynn, one of the masters of the so-called Philadelphia school of architecture and a man whose credits include Pine Valley and Shinnecock Hills. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Holes 3 through 8 is my personal favorite stretch of holes on the course. Its a fun all-or-nothing hole, and is certainly one of the highlights of the round. The conditions were surprisingly calm and beastly hot that Labor Day weekend 53 years ago. After he and Littler dropped the first hole to Wilson and MacGregor (dubbed the sporting goods team by one press wag,) Jackson discovered he was carrying 16 clubs, having failed to remove his brassie and an extra wedge after warming up. However, the course performed admirably, conceding not a single sub-par round during the weekends play, even though the wind a Kittansett trademark blew hardly at all. After the original drawings from William Flynn were discovered, Hanse refined his project in 2003, 2014 and again in 2019, adapting much of the Flynn plan. You may use these HTML tags and attributes: document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2021. The New England ground produced glacial stone and Hood built mounds to cover these huge boulders. Kittansett can be a brute, but those who can control their distances and work their golf balls in the wind can certainly score. Tabor Academy representatives filed a Notice of Intent with the ConCom on June 3, 2011 regarding the project. Many of the bunkers had also shrunk in size over the years and lost what had initially been a rugged, almost windswept appearance. Youre driving out on what becomes an increasingly narrow peninsula, but youd never know it. I think it was because the foreman for that job got fired for sleeping on the job and stealing, Briggs said. But considering, again, there was no water in sight, I had a feeling a still had a little ways to go (The GPS sends you to the halfway house after the 9th hole). Generous benefits and bonuses. The 380 yard 9th is one of the weaker holes on the course as a straightaway par 4 lined by tall trees on both sides. The course at that time measured 6,374 yards from the back of the regular tees, with the stands of pines and hardwoods combined with stretches of marshland and wispy field grass to give it a very New England feel. During its memorable history Kittansett has hosted several Massachusetts Golf Association championships over the years. But Kittansett is seldom what it appears to be, especially at first glance. Before coming to Kittansett, I was expecting the course to be much more open than it is. I really enjoyed the course a lot and the amenities are phenomenal and better than most private courses. But that has to end, say some. Some of that credit goes to Hanse who recommended some serious tree clearing when he first refurbished the bunkers in 1995 (adding fescued eyelashes to each one, a perfect fit). The setting of the clubhouse is top 10 among the courses Ive visited in my travels. With the wind usually howling, this is an exhilarating teeshot and one you wont soon forget. And theres a good chance driver will be too much and take you through the fairway. Perhaps the best hole on the course is No. A mile later, I arrived at the end of the road. The golfer needs to think his way around this hole, but birdies can certainly be had with good ballstriking. The penalty for this infraction is disqualification, of course, and Grainger invoked it without hesitation. The latest version of the Master Plan was released in 2013, and it involved the moving of mounds on Nos. Another beauty is the 12th, a longer par-4 that doglegs slightly to the left. We didnt play on a particularly windy day, but I imagine these two holes rarely play the scorecard yardage. The Kittansett Club, appropriately named from two Native American words meaning near the sea, is situated in the town of Marion at the end of Butler Point, which extends into Buzzards Bay. At 16, for example. Although my least favorite of the three, Weequahic offers strong value and a more than adequate layout for public golfers in the New York metro area. This has led to significant changes in bunkering, and even more notably, the removal of hundreds of trees that have completely reshaped the look and feel of the course. The par threes at Kittansett are among the best sets Ive played and the 3rd is the best of the bunch. Because Kittansett is a golf club youre not going to find a pool, tennis, or all of the other amenities that youll typically find at a country club. In retrospect, the 1953 Walker Cup was a thoroughly fascinating event, but not necessarily because it served as the coming-out party for Kittansett, for a pair of promising young Californians, Ken Venturi and Gene Littler or because E. Harvie Ward managed in the course of the competition, to avenge his 1952 British Amateur loss to the talented Irishman Joe Carr. A cross bunker comes into play from the left on tee shots, and the best move is taking on that hazard with ones drive, keeping the ball on that side of the fairway for a more open approach to the green. MARION, MASSACHUSETTS | Competitors in last weeks Massachusetts Amateur had the pleasure of playing one of the Bay States best golf courses at the Kittansett Club. The tee shot on the par 4, 5th is one of the most intimidating on the course with two big bunkers in the middle of the fairway to contend with and wetlands all down the right. And on other occasions, Flynn made them more pronounced, as on the fourth, which doglegs sharply to the right. Sign Up For Our Free Weekly Digital Magazine! Truth be told, there was little overarching drama to the competition itself; the U.S. squad won easily, 9-3, securing its 13th victory in 14 tries. The 15th is the second of the trio of par 5s on the course. Thats absolutely wild to think about, and it makes you glad the membership voted to take a chance and go ahead with the removal. Framed by cedar shake houses and the loveliest view of the Atlantic, Kittansett has a special place in the heart of all who visit. While I feel Kittansett finishes a close race as 4th best in the state, if you like courses along the lines of Garden City Golf Club, Maidstone, San Francisco Golf Club, and Minikahda then Kittansett should be right up your alley. Found guilty of violating state ethics laws and handed a hefty civil fine earlier this month, Marion Conservation Commission Chairman Sherman Briggs Jr. thinks he should be reappointed to the commission when his term expires, and that this latest turn of events should have no impact on his re-election bid to the town Planning Board. View key info about Course Database including Course description, Tee yardages, par and handicaps, scorecard, contact info, Course Tours, directions and more. I can only hope one day Ill have the opportunity to return and experience it again. It only took a minute, but from the moment I arrived, I knew I was going to like this place. The 47 year old from Washington state the sitting U.S. On this peninsula could be seen the possibilities of a different type of course than most in this country at that time, and one that might have the character of the famous sea-side courses of Great Britain. Kittansett Club Team Growth. Sometimes, the slants were quite subtle, like those on the par-5 seventh, and No. The Kittansett course design held up nicely through the years. In the 1990s, the team of Gil Hanse and Jim Wagner restored the course to its original glory by removing trees and renovating bunkers. G.H. So does the USGAs decision to stage the U.S. Senior Amateur here in autumn 2022, the year of the clubs centennial. in the minutes leading up to your arrival, you can be forgiven for thinking you might be in the wrong place. But whether it was Hood, Flynn, Ross or Hanse, every brilliant golf mind who has laid eyes on The Kittansett Club has come away with the same conclusion: Let the views speak for themselves. Briggs was cleared of wrong-doing in that instance. The course was so well designed and there were so many well-executed strategic elements, that it seemed like there had to be additional help from someone who was more prominent during the era. You must have JavaScript enabled to fill out this form. Briggs lawyer, Robert Troy of Troy Wall Associates in Sandwich, used the Rule of Necessity in arguing Briggs case before the state Ethics Commission. Verdict:The charming and exclusive Kittansett Club is one of the most underrated courses in America and might be my dark horse candidate for best course in New England. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Epic experience.. He reported the matter to the referee, USGA Treasurer Charles Pierson, who in turn consulted with USGA Vice President Ike Grainger. Its not just the length, the lack of elevation on the 11th teebox makes judging the distance even more difficult. Briggs said he signed the disposition agreement March 15. But there are so many other holes of note. Hard to believe this green would have sitting under 8 feet of water at one point. We also raised some of the sand faces so they were easier to see and more impressive visually. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. An obvious case is Sherman Briggs on the Conservation Commission. The A.V. All it takes is one look at a Google map of the course to see why. No reviews at this time. He and Urzetta easily won their foursomes match and the San Franciscan breezed past a beleaguered James Wilson in singles, 9 and 8; Venturis outward round of level-par 70 was the competitions lowest. Tucked away in a sort of nether region between Cape Cod and the Rhode Island coast, its widely acknowledged as the second best course in Massachusetts (behind TCC in Brookline) though few have actually played it. This keeps the vibe more chill and low-key, and really allows you to soak in the wonderful setting on the Bay. Those who go left or long will find a bunker at 195 yards or worse be OB. Its a very nice setting with the clubhouse off to the left, and is the shortest of the par 5s at Kittansett. More often the cross hazards come earlier in the golf hole. The maps on this site are based on Cesium which in turn is based on WebGL. As for the Conservation Commissions need for a better relationship with Tabor: Much of the academys waterfront property is located in a flood plain and wetlands, and therefore subject to Conservation Commission overview for building projects. Flynn demonstrated tremendous command of angles and strategic bunkering at Kittansett, and there really arent many teeshots you truly feel comfortable over. The hole looks pretty innocent from the tee, but there is more to it than initially meets the eye. This approach is fairly straightforward with a narrow green guarded by large bunkers on either side. But some 70 years after the clubs founding, in the mid-1990s, its leaders hired Gil Hanse. 10, with a diagonal row of grassy mounds on the left side of the landing area and a pair of bunkers on the right, both of which force golfers to consider distance and direction on their drives. This approach plays slightly uphill to a small, undulating green surrounded by deep bunkers. Members here bleed the right color and the course itself, perched on Butler Point and surrounded on three sides by Buzzards Bay, is surely transformed by a stiff wind. Kittansett. The Walker Cup competition began in 1922 as matches between amateur golfers from Great Britain and the United States. The 126 yard 9th hole is Cabot Cliffs shortest hole. Briggs said he had been doing work for Tabor Academy for 23 years and this was a known fact before he was appointed to Marion Conservation Commission by the then Marion Board of Selectmen. The 8th marks the start of the interior holes, which have a decidedly different feel than their seaside companions. At Kittansett fescue grass can frame a lot of the features well, and this hole is an excellent example of it. Briggs said his original fine by the state Ethics Commission was for $10,000, but his lawyer was able to negotiate the fine down to $7,500. (LogOut/ In 1969, Hal Purdy lengthened the course to a full 18 holes. Tabor paid Briggs Excavation $8,030 for the work. Congressman from its Second District went 2-0, winning his foursomes match with Ward, 9 and 8, and clinching the Cup with another landslide victory in singles, 7 and 5 over Roy MacGregor. A time when the British played one ball (1.62 inches in diameter) and the Americans another (1.68), when all matches were contested over 36 holes, a time when players were ultimately judged by the skill with which they deflected adulation when a point might well be refused if it hadnt been earned in the spirit of fair play. Feel comfortable over raised some of the Master Plan was released in 2013, and is best! From Great Britain and the United States be OB job and stealing, Briggs said he signed the agreement... The features well, and this hole, and really allows you to soak in the mid-1990s, its hired. Of elevation on the Bay is the second of the par threes at Kittansett among. Howling, this is an excellent example of it surrounded by deep bunkers other occasions Flynn... 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