Whitinsville Golf Club – Played July 2022
- Rankings: None of my four lists
- Location: 179 Fletcher Street, Whitinsville, Massachusetts
- Year: 1925
- Original Architect: Donald Ross
- Additional Work By: Gil Hanse
- Course Access: Private
- Walking Rules: Carts Available
Score Card Information:
- White/Blue: 6,427 yards, Par 70, 71.2 Rating/139 Slope
- Black/White: 5,988 yards, Par 70, 69.1 Rating/132 Slope
- Yellow/Red: 5,170 yards, Par 72, 70.2 Rating/121 Slope
I haven’t played many nine hole courses, but not due to lack of trying. Whitinsville Golf Club was high on the priority list due to the fact it is a Donald Ross design from the 1920s. My interest is shared because Whitinsville has been highly ranked among nine hole layouts, classic courses, and Massachusetts courses.
Whitinsville Golf Club was built at the behest of an executive of the Whitins Machine Works, which was the largest builder of textile machinery at the time.
I was lucky enough to get in touch with a member through one of the many online communities I’m involved with. A couple more guys jumped on our tee time and we were off!
Hole 1 – 526 yards – Par 5
Whitinsville gets started with a tough opener. For some players, the bunkers on the left are in play. Hitting short approach shots into the elevated green can be tricky with too much spin.
Hole 2 – 147 yards – Par 3
We got a treacherous pin for our round! Par is a longshot if you miss deep here.
The back right section of the green has a pronounced shelf and a ridge that makes long putts quite difficult.
Hole 3 – 372 yards – Par 4
At first glance, you might write off this flat hole. Don’t overlook it though because the green has some intrigue. There is a ridge that will challenge you if you are in the wrong section of the putting surface.
Hole 4 – 358 yards – Par 4
Elevated tee boxes just work for me. It’s tempting to take on the left bunker here, which is a great idea if you pull it off.
Check this green out!
Hole 5 – 421 yards – Par 4
I love blind shots and they just scream old-school architecture. When there is a big landing area the concept really works for me. Bombs away on this long par four.
The green is a big target but has a substantial slope from back to front.
Hole 6 – 385 yards – Par 4
I didn’t get a photo of the approach/green for this hole, but it was a good one. The hole bends to the right, but you don’t want to miss on that side.
Hole 7 – 172 yards – Par 3
Don’t come up short here or your ball might be rolling down the massive hill fronting this green.
Hole 8 – 327 yards – Par 4
After a few rounds at Whitinsville, I imagine this hole becomes more comfortable. The goal is to find the fairway at a comfortable distance on this sharp dogleg left. Precision over power on this tee.
Hole 9 – 416 yards – Par 4
The final hole is a difficult assignment. A hazard comes into play for a tee shot where the more right you go, the longer your carry yardage. You can see the green off to the right near the clubhouse.
Long approach shots are at least able to be played into a large green. Like the previous hole, coming up short is not good. On the other hand, long is bad too!
I found Whitinsville to be a delightful course with some challenging shots. Like any Donald Ross course, the greens were the star of the show. There were some really cool tee and approach shots as well. Couple all of this with a pleasant stroll with some new friends and it’s a formula for a great day of golf.