Newport

[Donnie Beck]

I recently played Newport for the 1st time. What a great golf course!  Definitely underrated in my opinion. The work Ron Forse has done is outstanding. What other changes are planed for the upcoming amateur?

[SPDB]

Donnie -
Did the course remind you of FI? Certainly the two are in harmony as far as maintenance practices are concerned, wouldn't you agree?

The two things that always strike me about FI and Newport are that they are the closest thing we have to Links in America.

[Patrick_Mucci]

Donnie Beck,

I have extolled the virtues of Newport on several occassions, but there hasn't seemed to have been much interest in the golf course.

# 5 has to be one of the most strategic holes in golf.

It is a wonderful golf course, the kind you could  play every day, and never get bored.

[Joel_Stewart]

I played it this year as well and agree that its underrated.  I played in a 30 mph wind (with rain) with gusts close to 40 mph so it was playing very hard.  I hit driver, 3 wood into #1 and I think the same into #2.  The problem from what I am told is that in calm conditions for top tier players it isn't hard enough?

[Donnie Beck]

Unfortunately I played the course is early October and it was very soft due to all the rain in the northeast. Without a doubt Fishers, Newport, and Maidstone all utilize similar maintenance practices. I hope none of them ever consider fairway irrigation. Newport’s fairways were in excellent condition when I played. I also loved their green complexes. Lots of gentle contours and subtle breaks. I agree that it is vulnerable to better players, but by narrowing fairways and allowing the native areas to grow it could easily be defended.  All in all for the average golfer I don’t think there are many more enjoyable places to play golf. It is definitely in my top 5 ahead of many of the courses discussed on here.

[TEPaul]

Donnie:

If you feel that way about lack of fairway irrigation I hate to tell you that a fairway irrigation system is finally going into Maidstone as we speak.

As for Newport, they've been in touch with Fazio's cousin and they're talking about putting a waterfall in there, they just haven't figured out which hole to put it on yet!

[Scratch_Nathan]

Donnie -

I played Newport alone three years ago. at the crack of dawn, as the first player out.  Played with the ghosts.  Of course, without a caddie, I had no idea where to go after finishing #1.  I figured it out eventually and had a wonderful round.

I'm a sucker for a course with the history of Newport and it certainly didn't disappoint in the architectural dept.  Clubhouse architecture is rather spectacular as well.  

I have a great aerial photo here in my office that you can see almost every inch of the course.  A good study in strategic design that I catch my self staring at from time to time.  My favorites were #5, #7, #13, #14 and #15.

Since playing Newport, I've experienced rounds at CC of Fairfield and Maidstone which I found to be similarly excellent courses on comparable sites.  Tough to choose between the three.  Perhaps that would make a nice stand-alone thread for the future.  Hope all is well with you.

[Donnie Beck]

Tom,
I hope you are kidding about Maidstone?
Well if Newport is putting in a waterfall...I guess we have no choice but to install some wonderful new fountains on #2 and #13  

[Patrick_Mucci]

Donnie Beck,

Would you say that Newport has one of the better collection of Par 3's than any of its peers ?

[RDecker]

I like Mr. Stewart played Newport alone first one out and in gusty winds.  On #1 however I hit Driver 8 iron. which brings me to my point, Is wind the most important factor in classic golf course strategy, one that has been lost at so many of our great courses because of tree encroachment.  I think the master architects used to leave their designs devoid of trees because with their superior understanding of Golf from the British ilse' they understood the winds importance in the game.
Some 80 odd years after it's creation the first hole at Newport can play driver 3 wood for one player and driver 8 iron for another, an indication of good strategy IMHO.

[mark chalfant]

Donnie,

Newport is a wonderful golf course. The bunkering is splendid

from both an artistic and a strategic standpoint.

There is a wonderful variety of holes and several shots that

require the golfer to negotiate interesting angles due to

brilliantly defended landing areas and fascinating green

complexes. The par fours at 5,6,17, are textbook

examples of stellar holes created out of relatively flat terrain.

Number 8 is a   4 martini  par 3 with a superb Tillinghast

green patrolled by deep bunkers that actually play like

hazards. !!

Ron Forse's restoration and  Bob Reynold's highly skilled

greenskeeping make  Newport a very authentic and

memorable classic golf experience.


I like Wannamoisett,  but  I love both Metacomet and  Newport.

[Geoffrey_Walsh]

Playing Newport in the coming weeks.  It surprised me how little has been written about the course on GCA given its historical significance in the US.  Any thoughts from those who have played there recently?

[Patrick_Mucci]

Geoffrey,

It's simply a wonderful natural golf course.

You'll love it, especially if you get a good breeze

[Michael Ryan]

I had the pleasure to play Newport last Thursday and bring my father with me for a round I'll remember for a long time.  I'm invited about twice a year and my affection for the course has grown into an outright love affair.  Like any love, there is always a wart and my only complaint is that I wish the fairways were widened slightly, specifically the right side of the fantastic par 5 7th hole.  It's the first course that I have been able to play multiple times where the wind direction plays such a strong factor into how the course will play that day.  I believe the course was designed for the standard "southerly" breeze that is so common in the summer months and the reason why Newport is the Sailing Capital of the World.  The par 5 opening hole and following two par 4's are short on the card and healthy into that standard breeze.  The long 5th is made bearable by that same breeze, but brings the strategy of how much of the large fairway bunker on the left the medium hitter cuts off and how to challenge the centerline bunker for the long hitter.  I won't go hole by hole, but let me just say that when you get the course on a day when that breeze flips 180 degrees and comes from the North, it can really make things difficult.  Not only do holes like 5. 7, 9 and 17 now play into a breeze, but the shorter holes actually get dicey downwind (I hit a great drive from the back tee on #2 and left myself with that lovely 58 yard shot off of a firm fairway).  I always compliment my host that he actually belongs to more than one club on the same property, as the course can change so much given the direction of the breeze.

Mike

[Dan_Callahan]

It's easily in my top 5 favorite courses. I played there twice last year, once right before Hurricane Irene and the wind was insane. The first hole is kind of an oddity, where the back tees are ahead of the member tees because from the tips #1 plays as a par 4. On a course of many, many amazing holes, the 9th is one of my all-time favorites, and it's a hole that plays away from the water. I don't love the mowing line of the 7th. I was told that they used to cut the fairway almost to the hedges on the right. That is certainly what your eye expects on the tee. Newport has some of the best and most difficult par 3s anywhere, especially when it's blowing. It is a certainly a course you could play every day and not get bored.

[Bart Bradley]

Played Newport with a delightful member just 12 days ago.  Wonderful course.  Wonderful environment for golf.  Great vibe to the whole place.  One of a handful of places I have been that made me wish I could be a member.  Firm and fast throughout.

Bart

[Mark Steffey]

Best golf course in new england.  (ncc and wannamoisett flip 1a&1b in my book)

[Patrick_Mucci]

Michael,

I believe there are two distinctly different breezes, one in the morning and then the afternoon breeze.

Unfortunately the fairways were narrowed for the Women's Open and never returned to their former widths.

Yet, it remains a great golf course, lot's of fun, especially when it's windy