Old Sandwich Golf Club: A Yankee Original by a Pair of Texans On a private estate in Plymouth, Mass. a few miles north of the Cape Cod Canal,Bill Coore and Ben Crenshawhave crafted a retro course that would have made the pilgrims feel right at home were it around when they came ashore in 1620.

When was Old Sandwich golf course built?

Designed by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw, and first opened for play in 2004, the course at Old Sandwich lies at the heart of a private, local and national members club founded by purists for purists, in a landscape seemingly destined for golf — blessed with plenty of heavy elevation change,…

What makes Old Sandwich Golf Club’s Greens unique?

An organic creation, Old Sandwich, named for the nation’s oldest road (it skirts the club’s entrance), was built entirely from on-site materials save the gravel imported for the sump drains. The sand base for the greens, for example, was excavated and later screened from a huge pit opposite the first hole.

Which is better Old Sandwich or the country club?

For the members, they believe that Old Sandwich is better than The Country Club for one reason. If one misses a green at The Country Club, the recovery shot is limited to a wedge due to the thick rough that surrounds every green. At Old Sandwich, one can use a putter, different wedges, or any club they want to attempt to recover.

Is old Sandwich the craftiest Coore-Crenshaw design yet?

Old Sandwich Golf Club may be the craftiest Coore-Crenshaw design yet built. Amidst its pines, scrub oaks, gnarly bunkers, chocolate drop mounds, wavy fescue and briar bushes are hints of Baltusrol, National Golf Links, Pine Valley, Pinehurst No 2 and Chicago Golf Club in its cross-bunkering, hazard placement and sandy waste areas.

How many acres are there in Old Sandwich Golf Club?

Old Sandwich Golf Club is built amid the 3,000 forested acres that were formerly known as the Talcott estate, after John G. Talcott, Jr., a legendary local civic leader, businessman, cranberry farmer and descendant of Mayflower Pilgrims, who made this his home for more than five decades.

What is teaching center in golf?

Equipped with state-of-the-art, computer-based video swing diagnostics and staffed by experienced golf instructors, the Teaching Center helps members improve the most critical part of their game in the most spectacular of environments. The practice range and short game facility are unrivaled in New England. The Teaching Center is open year round and features three indoor hitting bays, enabling members to warm up or practice in any season, in any kind of weather.

Is Old Sandwich a top 100 golf course?

Currently ranked among the top 50 courses in the U.S. and among the top 100 courses in the world, Old Sandwich has earned its place among the truly elite experiences in golf.

What is the 5th hole of golf?

The fifth hole deserves special recognition. From the tee one is faced with a sharp dogleg left over a deep ravine of tall brush and grass while the fairway has a sizeable hill in its middle. On this hole, the long hitters dare to cut off as much as the dogleg left over the ravine to try to drive the green, while slightly shorter players will hit left of the top of the mound. Go too straight off the tee for the longer hitters and they will go through the fairway into trees, brush and tall grass. Shorter hitters will try to carry the rise in the fairway in order to have a view of the green. Yet even if short of the rise, the resulting blind shot allows one to land short of the green and potentially kick well onto it. To the left of the green is a sharp fall-off down into the ravine. The green itself is very undulating with spines, shelves and swales.

How many yards is the 17th par 3?

The momentum continues on the back nine, but it will test your length. The 16th is a long narrow par 4 with a blind tee shot, the 17th is a 210+ yard par 3 to a well protected 2-tier green and the par 4 18th sends you galloping back down-hill towards the end of the gauntlet.

What was the only earth movement at Old Sandwich?

The only earth movement of any note at Old Sandwich was carried out on the opening hole where a sand hill was removed to allow the routing for the par five 1st hole, with spoil used to build up tees and greens around the course.

Which is better, Old Sandwich or Friar’s Head?

It is a close call and would be a good debate between Old Sandwich and Friar’s Head, although neither approach the brilliance of Sand Hills. I think Friar’s Head has several holes that are better and more memorable, but Old Sandwich is more consistent and overall has the more interesting topography beginning with the first tee shot of the day. Possibly the only “weak” hole at Old Sandwich are two of the three short par 4’s at eight and fourteen. The other short par 4, the fifth, is one of the more brilliant short par 4’s I have ever played.

When did Old Sandwich Golf Club open?

Masa has this to say about Old Sandwich Golf Club which opened its tees for play in 2004: "This lay-of-the-land course from Ben Crenshaw and Bill Coore is a very good test, full of classic concepts. The green complexes are very interesting and include great contouring, and the bunker shaping by Jeff Bradley is excellent.

What is the most memorable feature of Old Sandwich?

The most memorable feature of Old Sandwich is Design Variety. The Coore/Crenshaw partnership has identified a winning formula with Sand Hills, Friar’s Head, Barnbougle and now Old Sandwich. But what did they do? The rolling terrains in this part of Massachusetts allows an architect to create “crater” type bunkers, run holes through v-shaped valleys, and take advantage of tremendous changes in elevation.

Is Old Sandwich a weak hole?

There is certainly not a weak hole at Old Sandwich and all holes are very distinctive. The sand based turf is ideal, firm and fast. A bold choice perhaps but it’s my favorite Coore & Crenshaw ahead of Sand Hills, Bandon Trails, Friar’s Head and Colorado Golf Club. It’s most certainly worth a trip to the Boston area just to play it.

Where is Old Sandwich Golf Club?

Old Sandwich Golf Club: A Yankee Original by a Pair of Texans. On a private estate in Plymouth, Mass. a few miles north of the Cape Cod Canal, Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw have crafted a retro course that would have made the pilgrims feel right at home were it around when they came ashore in 1620. The design duo assessed …

What is Old Sandwich named for?

Old Sandwich has a Pine Valley look in places. An organic creation, Old Sandwich, named for the nation’s oldest road (it skirts the club’s entrance), was built entirely from on-site materials save the gravel imported for the sump drains.

What animals live in Old Sandwich?

There’s wildlife, too. White-tailed deer, eastern coyote, red-tailed hawks and barn owls are frequently sighted, though the most common species at Old Sandwich is wild turkey.

How many yards is the fifth at Old Sandwich?

The fifth at Old Sandwich can stake a claim as one of the finest short par fours in America. The par-four seventh, while not long at 391 yards from the tips, calls for an unerring approach to a long, slim green nearly encased in sand.

What was the sand base for the greens?

The sand base for the greens, for example, was excavated and later screened from a huge pit opposite the first hole. Green construction was basic: The crew cored through a thin layer of silt and an old forest floor until they hit sand.

How many yards from back to front are old sandwiches greens?

They’re also sizable. A few measure up to 50 yards from back to front. At the height of summer, they can be very firm and exceedingly fast.

Is Old Sandwich a choppy course?

More rugged and less formal than most Boston-area courses, the hills at Old Sandwich are more sweeping and not as choppy as those of a typical Beantown layout. And while there are no majestic hardwoods on site, the Old World landforms yielded exceptional golf holes. In Sean McCormick, the club’s Keeper of the Greens, …

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I played OS recently. Have played a bunch of the top tracks in MA- Salem, eastward ho etc. OS is by far the best. Truly impressive grounds. Greens were tough all shaved around the edges with no flat bunkers. Either had a downhill lie or up hill lie. Made it tough. 19th hole is fun about 115 down the hill.

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Is there a pool at Boston Golf Club?

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Is Boston Golf Club invitation only anymore?

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Who brokered the Boston Golf Club deal?

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