Rhode Island Country Club

Overview: Rhode Island Country Club in Barrington is a Donald Ross design with an unusually varied rhythm. The opening holes have a parkland character, wooded sections bring tighter lines and more definition, and the closing stretch moves across the road toward Narragansett Bay. That final sequence provides the course’s signature change of scale: trees give way to broad water views, exposed wind and sandy ground. Ross’s work is expressed through the routing and green complexes, where the best approach is often determined by the next shot rather than by raw length.

History: The property’s golf story began in 1885, when Charles Merriman acquired land that later became part of the club and established the nine-hole Nayatt Country layout. Rhode Island Country Club was incorporated in January 1911 by 27 founders, who invited Donald Ross to create a stronger course. The present golf course opened on July 4, 1912, and Ross remained connected to the club for much of his life. After a 1938 hurricane damaged the property, he returned with recommendations that included new 17th and 18th greens. A clubhouse fire in 1950 destroyed valuable archives, prompting the club to reconstruct its history.

Did You Know? The last four holes occupy a separate seaside section across the road from the clubhouse and most of the layout, an arrangement that gives the finish a distinctly links-like character. Rhode Island Country Club has hosted four USGA championships as well as the CVS Charity Classic. Its course history is also unusually well documented: the club created replacement histories after the 1950 fire, while surviving Olmsted drawings remain part of the archive.