Situated in Blackstone Valley, the course at Whitinsville Golf Club was established by Donald Ross in the mid-1920s and it’s widely regarded as one of the best 9-hole layouts in the entire country.
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Situated in Blackstone Valley, the course at Whitinsville Golf Club was established by Donald Ross in the mid-1920s and it’s widely regarded as one of the best 9-hole layouts in the entire country.
Whitinsville Golf Club
Situated in Blackstone Valley, some 45 miles west of downtown Boston, the 9-hole course at Whitinsville Golf Club is an authentic Donald Ross design from the mid-1920s, built for the Whitins machine works, which was at that time the world’s largest manufacturer of textile machinery.
It’s said the architect was working on another project nearby so he was duly contacted about designing the new course in Whitinsville. When Ross didn’t appear to show much interest in the commission, the offer of an 18-hole fee for a 9-hole layout seemed to quickly change his mind.
The course has been altered little down the years so it still bears many of the hallmark traits of a vintage Ross design, from small, open fronted domed greens to grass-faced bunkers, like the fairway traps found on the 438-yard 5th hole.
Laid out on hilly terrain, the fairways are generally wide and forgiving, with several of the holes routed around water hazards. The 446-yard 9th is a brilliant par four finishing hole, where the tee shot is aimed across the corner of a river basin to a tumbling fairway before an approach is then played across a valley to a plateau home green.
In the book The Finest Nines by Anthony Pioppi, the author has this to say about the course:
“There is good reason why for so long Whitinsville Golf Club has been considered the finest 9-hole course in the country. Whitinsville is virtually flawless, a masterwork of a master designer. Architect Donald Ross brought his best to this project, from the first tee to the ninth green.
”Strategy and options abound. At points, golfers are rewarded for their length off the tee. At other times, putting the driver away and playing for position is the wise move. The long irons as well as the wedges will be called on before the day is done. Not only do those who trod Whitinsville need a deft putting stroke, but they also need green-reading skills, something that could take many years to acquire.
“The course is made up of one par-5, two par-3s, and six par-4s. Four of the two-shotters are played in a row, but because of their variation in length, elevation, look, and shots required, the span is neither tiresome nor mundane, displaying the genius of Ross. The two par-3s are world apart in their appearance, the skills needed to conquer them, and the shots required to recover if the tee shots ends in unintended locations.”