Wanumetonomy Golf & Country Club

Wanumetonomy Golf & Country Club – Played September 2022

  • Rankings: None of my four lists
  • Location: 152 Browns Lane, Middletown, Rhode Island
  • Year: 1922
  • Architect: Seth Raynor
  • Course Access: Private
  • Walking Rules: Carts Available

Score Card Information:

  • Black: 6,309 yards, Par 70/73, 70.8 Rating/128 Slope (Men’s), 76.3 Rating/132 Slope (Women’s)
  • Blue: 6,036 yards, Par 70/73, 69.5 Rating/125 Slope (Men’s), 74.8 Rating/130 Slope (Women’s)
  • White: 5,487 yards, Par 70/73, 68.1 Rating/119 Slope (Men’s), 71.6 Rating/124 Slope (Women’s)
  • White/Green: 4,858 yards, Par 70/73, 65.1 Rating/113 Slope (Men’s), 69.5 Rating/118 Slope (Women’s)
  • Green: 4,462 yards, Par 70/73, 64.1 Rating/109 Slope (Men’s), 65.6 Rating/113 Slope (Women’s)

I’m always interested in seeing a Seth Raynor golf course.  Wanumetonomy Golf & Country Club isn’t one of the more known Raynors but once I did some research I was psyched to see it.  I highly recommend checking out the short history of the club at this link.

You might look at the scorecard, see that the course is just over 6,300 yards from the tips, and think that you are going to blow it away.  The only thing that will be blown away is your golf ball in the ever-present winds.  We played it ahead of a strong tropical storm which made the wind extra strong.

There is a reason Wanumetonomy was selected as the other course for the stroke play portion of the 1995 US Amateur, hosted at Newport Country Club.  Tiger Woods won the event but he scored higher here than at Newport.

With that context, let’s get into the tour!

Hole 1 – 318 yards – Par 4

Even playing downwind, this hole can be treacherous with OB all down the left side.  With room right, that is certainly the side to miss.

Hole 2 – 313 yards – Par 4

As I mentioned, the wind is a factor at Wanumetonomy.  Check the direction and avoid the fairway bunkers with this tee shot.  If you execute properly, a short approach to a small green awaits.

Hole 3 – 451 yards – Par 4

You’re presented with a stout challenge on this wide-open hole.  Thank goodness it’s not tree-lined.  The creek wasn’t in play for me but my second shot was played with a wood.  The classic architecture calls for the green to be open in front for run-up shots.

Hole 4 – 392 yards – Par 4

The wind was whipping, so I’ll blame that for the blurry photo.  This hole plays slightly downhill.

Be very careful with the hazard on the left.  Even if you miss it, up and downs from that side are quite difficult.

Hole 5 – 149 yards – Par 3

Playing this hole into the breeze brings the left pond into play.  The green is perched just enough to repel anything that is slightly offline.  Tee shots must be struck with conviction.

Hole 6 – 416 yards – Par 4

The cluster of trees on the left is very much in play.  With that in mind and a road on the right, fitting a drive into this fairway can be nerve-wracking.  After that, you have to step up on the approach that must dodge multiple greenside bunkers.

Hole 7 – 301 yards – Par 4

The uphill slope adds some teeth to this shorter hole.  Even so, the landing area is pretty large and the rough wasn’t penalizing.

This shot was a flip wedge.  The angle was tough because it made the green shallower.

Hole 8 – 389 yards – Par 4

From the tee, the entire hole is laid out for you.  Bunkers up the left side factor into the drive and approach.

Hole 9 – 369 yards – Par 4

This is one of the most awkward tee shots at Wanumetonomy.  The hole bends sharply left and uphill.  If your tee shot flys straight, it will be in the driving range.  It’s not out of bounds but you’ll have to keep your head on a swivel.

Golf sometimes comes with dark thoughts and I’d be lying if I didn’t briefly think of blading one into the clubhouse!

Hole 10 – 392 yards – Par 4

The net hugs the right side of this hole but there is two holes worth of fairway to play from.  The worst place to be is in the rough/bunkers between the two fairways.  You can see the green in the distance, up and to the right.

It might not look it but this green features some difficult contouring.  We had some very difficult putts.

Hole 11 – 404 yards – Par 4

You get the best view on this tee.  Try to channel that beautiful view into a well-struck drive that avoids the two bunkers.

The bunker on the left is no good.  Missing short of this green is just fine.

Hole 12 – 173 yards – Par 3

Relatively speaking, this hole is sheltered from the wind.  It does play slightly uphill and a few of us in our group were short of the green.  It’s hard to see from the tee but there is a bunker guarding the green that starts in the middle and wraps around the right side.

Take note of the slopes on the back side of the green.

Hole 13 – 347 yards – Par 4

Depending on the wind direction, it might be wise to play less than driver here.  The hole bends to the right and the green is perched up a bit.  Having a comfortable approach shot is the main goal over distance off the tee.

This back pin is for suckers by the way.

Hole 14 – 334 yards – Par 4

When you step on this tee and see a flat, nondescript fairway, I can understand being underwhelmed.  Like many Raynor courses, just wait for the green.

The entire hole is played on flat ground but look at how the green rises on the sides from the surrounding areas.  These subtle slopes add intrigue where there otherwise wouldn’t be.

Hole 15 – 408 yards – Par 4

Template holes were a staple for Raynor and his mentor CB MacDonald.  This is the Maiden template.  We’ll investigate that in a minute.

Maiden holes are defined by their greens.  You can’t quite see it all from here.  Avoid the left bunker at all costs.

Here you can see the two tiers with the valley between them that make up the Maiden green.

Hole 16 – 556 yards – Par 5

Wanumetonomy has only one par five and it is a monster.  If you can get home in two here, I’ll tip my cap to you.  As an added bonus we got it directly into a stiff wind.

The long road continues…

And ends at a smallish green.

Hole 17 – 206 yards – Par 3

Nothing but a tough hole here.  Multiple bunkers lurk on the left side and up by the green.  Keeping your concentration can be tough when you’ve been battered by the wind for 16 holes.

Hole 18 – 391 yards – Par 4

Playing your drive toward the bushy tree with a slight fade will set you up well on this uphill finisher.

You do not want to be over this green as everything slopes from back to front.

My day at Wanumetonomy was fun, windy, and challenging.  The yardage belies the inherent challenge throughout the course.  I can only imagine playing the course in a strong wind and having to post a competitive score.  What a gem!

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