#12, 220 par 3 with "Sahara" bunker
This was a terribly difficult shot to try to maneuver up hill in a driving rain with a fairway wood. It's not very often one can hit a nice first long bunker shot, maybe 40 yds, nicely clipped, and still have to hit another bunker shot!
Getting to the green is only part of the issue, as this is another of the dramatically contoured green. In the rain, and hitting them as softly as I could, I could not get this 10ft downhill putt to stay within 2 ft, and that's not just my stroke working!
#14, from the heavily used drop area, for those failing to clear the pond on the drive
Same 14th green, but taken from the 17th fairway...
Again, the 14th green...This is perhaps one of the less-challenging holes at Wannamoisett, but I just plain liked the hole and the setting...
From this angle, you can see the enormous wrap-around bunker on the front/right of #14, which is not so visible from the fairway...
#15, 210 yd par 3 (these bunkers in the foreground are actually behind the 14th green)
It seems like all the Donald Ross courses I personally have played have one of these uphill 200+ par 3's, with flanking bunkers and a heavily canted green. This one goes hard right to left, as the tee shot with a slight draw hit on the front right of the green and rolled around to this position...
...which still left a hard downhill 18ft'er. Again this putt can probably not be hit softly enough, and that is in pretty wet conditions...
Importantly when playing Wannamoisett, I did not nail any of the cars, houses or citizens of Rumford RI, as the left-hand perimeter of the course does come prominently into play on about 8 of the holes!
The list of competitors/winners of the Northeast Am and the other bits of history in the clubhouse/pro shop is impressive indeed. I would heartily encourage any of you with the opportunity to visit Wannamoisett. To me, and only in my opinion, it deserves its lofty reputation and delivers all the challenge and delight I could want.
Peter