Agawam Hunt

Agawam Hunt began as a hunt, not a golf club. The club's timeline records that the Providence County Hunt was renamed the Agawam Hunt in 1874 and rented the Underwood farmhouse in East Providence, which with later additions is still the clubhouse. Rhode Island incorporated the club on March 30, 1897, the date it treats as its founding. Golf arrived in 1895, when Willie Park Jr. of Musselburgh designed and built a nine-hole course for the members.

Donald Ross designed the club's first full-size 18-hole course in 1920. The club's history says Agawam bought the former Metacomet Golf Course at that time, and Top100GolfCourses describes Ross's 18 as laid out over Metacomet's original Rumford course. No source read describes whether Ross walked the site or worked from a survey, or whether he came back later. Later changes came from the board in 1963, from Geoffrey Cornish after a 1964 land taking, and from a restoration plan begun with Gil Hanse and continued by Ian Andrew.

Holes to Know

From the Black tees the course measures 6,292 yards to a par of 69, 35 out and 34 in. It has eleven par 4s, five par 3s (the 2nd, 5th, 8th, 11th and 16th) and only two par 5s, which come back to back at the 3rd and 4th. The New England PGA, previewing its 2023 Section Championship, described a course that favours accuracy off the tee and leans on fast, undulating greens for its defence.

The 183-yard 2nd from the Black tees is the longest of the par 3s and stroke index 9. It plays out of a wooded corridor to a narrow green with a long bunker on its left and three on its right.

The 506-yard 3rd from the Black tees, stroke index 7, is the shorter of the par 5s. The club's history records that in 1963 its "famous 14th hole was reconfigured to become the 3rd hole." Today a pond sits just left of the line early on, a creek runs up the right side, a ditch angles across the fairway about 285 yards out, and two bunkers guard the right side of the green.

The 463-yard 6th from the Black tees is stroke index 1. It turns right around a clump of trees about 310 yards short of the green to an oval green with a single bunker at its front left.

The 315-yard 7th from the Black tees is the shortest par 4 and stroke index 13. It is one of the two holes Cornish added in 1964. It starts beside the 6th green and carries play across the Ten Mile River, which crosses the hole about 150 to 170 yards short of a round green with three bunkers across its front.

The 429-yard 15th from the Black tees, stroke index 8, is Cornish's other hole and brings play back across the river. It bends left past a pond, with bunkers down the right and a second pond wrapped around the left and back of the green. At the 2021 New England Women's Amateur, Mass Golf reported that it played as the hardest hole over the three rounds.

Ross's Design Here

No source ties a specific green, bunker or corridor on today's course to Ross's 1920 plan, and the club does not publish one. What can be said is how his course has been changed. Three of the holes he left, numbered the 5th, 12th and 13th in 1964, were lost to the city's taking. The 3rd is a reconfigured version of the old 14th. The 7th and 15th are Cornish's.

The routing today is split by the Ten Mile River. Top100GolfCourses describes the 8th through the 14th as a separate paddock south of the river, with the 7th and 15th linking it to the rest of the course, and the 2023 aerial photographs show both of those holes crossing the river. Because the linking holes date from 1964, the present shape of that connection is Cornish's, whatever Ross's routing across the river was. Top100GolfCourses puts the golf property at no more than ninety acres; the club describes 130 acres for the whole club.

On the ground today water shapes several holes besides the two river crossings. A creek runs along the right side of both the 3rd and the 4th, the 3rd has a diagonal ditch across its fairway, the 14th has a ditch crossing in front of the green with a pond beyond it to the right, and the 16th, a par 3, has a pond on the right of the tee shot. These are present-day features; no source dates them to Ross.

The club's stated aim for the restoration plan is to return the course "to its Donald Ross roots, while acknowledging modern equipment, grass management methods, and the change in the property since the original Ross design from 1920."

Historical Significance

Agawam's competitive history predates Ross's course. Mass Golf records that the first Tri-State Matches between Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut were played at Agawam Hunt in 1907, won by Massachusetts; the annual three-state format began in 1928. The New England PGA notes that Agawam was the 16th club to join the USGA and the second from Rhode Island.

In Ross's record, Agawam is a 1920 18-hole design on land that had already held another club's course, and one whose routing was cut by three holes within 45 years.

The club describes itself as a U.S. Open qualifying site and as part of the Rhode Island Golf Association's regular rotation for major championships. Recent regional events include:

• 2021 New England Women's Amateur, the 65th playing, won by Dree Fausnaugh of Pease Golf Club with 71-71-68 for 210, one stroke ahead of Mia Grzywinski. The course played to a par of 71 for the event.

• 2023 New England PGA Section Championship, the 103rd, with the first two rounds split between Agawam Hunt and Kirkbrae Country Club and the final round at Kirkbrae.

• 2025 New England PGA Senior Section Championship, won by Dale Abraham at 6 under (67-65), his third title.

• 2026 New England PGA Senior Section Championship, won by John Hickson in a playoff over Abraham at 3 under, his second title.

Changes Since Ross

The club's history records the changes in order. In 1963 the board approved lengthening the course by 200 yards, expanding three par 5s and four par 3s and raising par to 71, and reconfigured the 14th as the 3rd. In 1964 the City of East Providence took 27 acres containing the 5th, 12th and 13th holes. With the proceeds the club bought six acres from William C. H. Brandt, and Geoffrey S. Cornish redesigned several holes and built the 7th and 15th on the new land.

Around 2000 the club commissioned Gil Hanse to prepare a plan to restore the course toward Ross, allowing for modern equipment and the post-1964 property. The club says the plan is in progress and that since 2018 it has continued with Ian Andrew. Top100GolfCourses says Hanse's firm never carried out any work itself.

The club's finances changed its ownership in the same period. It filed for Chapter 11 in January 2017 and emerged on March 19, 2018, recapitalised by a group of member families as New Agawam, LLC. As part of the recovery, The Nature Conservancy paid $2 million for a conservation easement on 82 acres, including 11 of the 18 holes and half a mile of the Ten Mile River corridor, with an option on the remaining 40 acres. Under the agreement the course is managed to Audubon International standards with limits on fertilisers and herbicides near the river, a public walking trail runs along the river, and East Providence residents can play the course on four days a year.

Uncertainties

• Ross's date: the club and Top100GolfCourses give 1920 for Ross's 18. ForeTee says Ross redesigned the course in 1911 and Cornish in 1963, and GolfPass also lists a 1911 Ross entry. This listing follows the club: Ross in 1920, the board's lengthening in 1963 and Cornish's holes after the 1964 taking.

• How Agawam came to the Metacomet land: the previous listing said Agawam leased Metacomet's Rumford course in 1917. No source read gives that date; the club says it bought the former Metacomet course in 1920.

• Hanse's role: the club describes the Hanse plan as in progress with Ian Andrew; Top100GolfCourses says Hanse's firm never carried out work. Both are reported here.

Sources & Notes

1. Agawam Hunt, Golf (club golf history), https://agawamhunt.com/golf : Park's 1895 nine, Ross's 1920 18 on the former Metacomet course, the 1963 and 1964 changes, Cornish's 7th and 15th, the Hanse and Andrew plan, USGA qualifying and RIGA rotation.

2. Agawam Hunt, About (club timeline), https://agawamhunt.com/about : 1874 naming and Underwood farmhouse, 1895 constitution, 1897 incorporation, 2018 sale to New Agawam, LLC and Nature Conservancy partnership.

3. Agawam Hunt, home, racquets, membership, golf outings and community golf days pages, https://agawamhunt.com/ , https://agawamhunt.com/racquets , https://agawamhunt.com/membership , https://agawamhunt.com/golf-outings , https://agawamhunt.com/east-providence-community-golf-days : facilities, dining, outings and resident golf days.

4. Top100GolfCourses, Agawam Hunt, https://www.top100golfcourses.com/golf-course/agawam-hunt : Ross over Metacomet's Rumford layout, holes 8 to 14 south of the river linked by the 7th and 15th, ninety-acre property, Hanse's firm did no work, Ian Andrew since 2018.

5. Providence Business News, "Nature Conservancy buys future development rights on E. Prov. golf club land," April 16, 2018, https://pbn.com/nature-conservancy-buys-future-development-rights-on-e-prov-golf-club-land/ : $2 million easement on 82 acres with 11 of 18 holes, 40-acre option, Chapter 11 exit, community access.

6. Club + Resort Business, "Conservation Agreement Pulls Agawam Hunt Club Out of Bankruptcy," April 16, 2018, https://clubandresortbusiness.com/conservation-agreement-pulls-agawam-hunt-club-bankruptcy/ : January 2017 filing, member-family ownership group, river protections.

7. East Bay RI, "Agawam Hunt, Nature Conservancy announce access agreement," April 16, 2018, https://eastbayri.com/stories/agawam-hunt-nature-conservancy-announce-access-agreement,49305 : Audubon International standards, public trail, four resident golf days.

8. Mass Golf, Tri-State Matches report, https://massgolf.org/?p=23851 : first Tri-State Matches at Agawam Hunt in 1907.

9. Mass Golf, "Dree Fausnaugh Rallies To Win New England Women's Amateur," 2021, https://massgolf.org/?p=11826 , and New England dot Golf, https://newengland.golf/dree-fausnaugh-2021-new-england-womens-amateur-champion/ : 2021 result, par 71 for the event, the 15th as the hardest hole.

10. New England PGA, "103rd New England PGA Section Championship Preview," 2023, https://nepga.com/news/103rd-new-england-pga-section-championship-preview/ : co-host with Kirkbrae, 16th USGA member club, description of the greens.

11. New England PGA, 2025 and 2026 Senior Section Championship reports, https://nepga.com/news/abraham-goes-lights-out-in-round-2-to-become-3x-nepga-senior-champion/ and https://nepga.com/news/hickson-captures-nepga-senior-championship-crowned-2x-champion/ : winners and scores.

12. GolfPass, Agawam Hunt, https://www.golfpass.com/travel-advisor/courses/12068-agawam-hunt , and ForeTee, Agawam Hunt Club, https://foretee.com/courses/rhode-island/east-providence/usa/agawam-hunt-club/13068 : a 1911 Ross date and a 1963 Cornish date (Uncertainties only).

13. Golf Channel, "USGA cancels qualifying for all 2020 events, including U.S. Open," 2020, https://www.golfchannel.com/news/usga-cancels-qualifying-all-2020-events-including-us-open : 2020 local qualifying cancelled, so the old listing's 2020 qualifying claim is dropped.

14. RIGIS / University of Rhode Island EDC, 2023 Spring Rhode Island Digital Aerial Photographs, hole images at https://qqewetavoqoyzrihjtyi.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/hole-orthos/793c08ac-35c1-48f4-b00e-b9a2c0039cbc/1.jpg (holes 1 to 18) : present-day hole features in Holes to Know and Ross's Design Here.