Agawam Hunt – Played Summer 2025
- Rankings: None of my four lists
- Location: 15 Roger Williams Avenue, Rumford, Rhode Island
- Year: 1895
- Original Architect: Willie Park, Jr
- Additional Work By: Donald Ross, Geoffrey Cornish, Gil Hanse, & Ian Andrew
- Course Access: Private
- Walking Rules: Carts Available
Score Card Information:
- Black: 6,237 yards, Par 69/71, 70.2 Rating/128 Slope (Men’s), 75.8 Rating/132 Slope (Women’s)
- White: 5,802 yards, Par 69/71, 68.0 Rating/122 Slope (Men’s), 73.3 Rating/127 Slope (Women’s)
- Green: 5,172 yards, Par 69/71, 65.4 Rating/115 Slope (Men’s), 69.5 Rating/117 Slope (Women’s)
My annual tour of New England continues with Agawam Hunt in Rhode Island. That’s right, just Agawam Hunt. I dig the simple name that doesn’t necessarily give away that this place has a golf course.
The club dates back to 1895 when a nine-hole course was designed by Willie Park, Jr. About 25 years later, Donald Ross arrived and put together the eighteen-hole layout. Over the years, like many courses of this vintage, many changes have happened. The course has been lengthened, and city requisitions have forced redesigns of several holes. Let’s get into the tour to see what it looks like today.
Hole 1 – 439 yards – Par 4
The round here starts with an uphill par four where you cannot see the green from the tee. There is plenty of room to the right where the eighteenth fairway sits. Some longer grass along the left can cause you problems if you’re wayward.
Hole 2 – 183 yards – Par 3
This par three has a large slope in the front, so you do not want to be short. Long, however, isn’t much better. Hopefully, you are precise!
Hole 3 – 512 yards – Par 5
A hazard that bisects the fairway twice gives you something to think about while playing this hole. Good drives will set you up to go for the green in two and set up an early birdie.
Hole 4 – 510 yards – Par 5
We’ve got a second consecutive par five that runs parallel to the previous one. There’s no hazard here, with only the trees providing any resistance. Two good shots can get you around the green that has just enough slope to make things interesting when putting.
Hole 5 – 172 yards – Par 3
Let me tell you from experience…long and left is not good on this hole! The green is plenty large, but recovery shots from anywhere other than short will be difficult.
Hole 6 – 468 yards – Par 4
While it’s not that much shorter than the fourth and fifth holes, the sixth plays as a par four. Keep your tee shot up the right side to avoid the large tree, and maybe you can get out of here with a well-earned par.
Hole 7 – 315 yards – Par 4
I was a little confused about where this hole went since it was my first time here. Once I saw that it moved to the left, I decided the driver was not the play. Anything 200-250 yards will set you up to attack the green.
Hole 8 – 169 yards – Par 3
You have a cool commute to this tee. From the seventh green, you drive through a wooden garage, pass some houses, and cross the street. That doesn’t fully describe it, but it was unique to anything I’d seen before.
As for this hole, all of the intrigue is around the green.
Hole 9 – 365 yards – Par 4
The slope of this hole hides the green from view and makes it play longer than the yardage. A good drive should leave you with a short approach.
Hole 10 – 395 yards – Par 4
This hole bends slightly to the right and features a green with considerable contouring.
Hole 11 – 157 yards – Par 3
Misses to the left are dead here. The green is pretty big, which made this a comfortable shot for my usual right-to-left shot shape.
Hole 12 – 420 yards – Par 4
The elevated tee shortens this hole quite a bit. Around the green, there is a grass mound that reminded me of some other courses from this vintage.
Hole 13 – 379 yards – Par 4
The fairway bunkers shouldn’t be in play here unless you are incredibly long or badly mishit your second shot. A hidden, narrow green provides most of the challenge on the approach shot.
Hole 14 – 370 yards – Par 4
Centerline trees are not a common feature in golf course architecture, but we get a chance to tangle with one here. Playing to the left side of it shortens the hole and lets you attack a fairly wide-open green.
Hole 15 – 363 yards – Par 4
You cross the road again to get back to this section of the golf course. The hazard on the left is lurking to catch mishit drives, but there is ample room to the right of it, with many able to carry it. From there it should be a short approach shot.
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Hole 16 – 181 yards – Par 3
This is a tricky green tucked into this corner of the property. It looks like a draw fits nicely, but the angle of the green favors a fade. Whichever shot shape you choose, you’ll be happy if it finds this small target.
Hole 17 – 369 yards – Par 4
This hole bends ever so slightly left, and the eighteenth fairway is all along that side. Translation…pound the driver if you are confident you will not miss to the right.
Hole 18 – 470 yards – Par 4
The finish to Agawam Hunt is no easy affair. You get a break with the downhill slope that features in the second half of the hole. From there, you’ve got a sloped green with the parking lot looming behind it.
I didn’t really know anything about Agawam Hunt before I played it. On a cool summer day, it was a pleasure to see another New England Ross course. It’s not long, and if you are striking it well, good scores can be had. However, if you’re off a bit or shaky with the putter, it can bite you.