Eastward Ho looks wonderful. The greens, browns (contrasts) and wideopen vistas really show off the movement of the land. How much work was done over the past years to open up all the vistas? Is this North Americas best (most fun, want to play all day) 6000 yarder?

Yes, you can keep the ball in the fairways, but you may not be able to keep them on the spot were you want it on the fairway.  At Eastward Ho! it is not enough to be in the fairway, you need to be in the correct spot in the fairway or a blind shot or a severely uneven lie may result.

Mike Sweeney,

Do you feel that firm & fast fairways are an asset or a liability in playing the golf course ?

Since this is a well established and well regarded golf course I'd have to assume that they present the golf course, when Mother Nature cooperates, in a predetermined way.

Eastward Ho! has never looked better...I need to get back there ASAP. Thanks for the photos.

Bill,

The club has a 20+ year waiting list. I played with two brothers, one a member for 30 years. The other is the President of a Ross course outside of Boston and it still took him 13 years to get in!! I just don't think they are letting in the hedge fund guys who are building tear downs out by Chatham Lighthouse!  

The clubhouse had a bunch of fire code provisions and handicap access issues (see your lawyer friends). They looked at a renovation, but the economincs made it unreasonable especially considering what they had to start with. It is not like they are tearing down The Orchards or Newport!!

The course was originally a resort, and the resort hotel burned down years and years ago.

Interesting to note the natural fairways, following the contours of the land, offset by perfect square or rectangular tee boxes.  I suspect in the case of Eastward Ho, you are guaranteed of only 18 level lies during your round.

I'm sorry to see the old clubhouse go too.

The course was not originally a resort. There was a hotel on that land at one point (where the 4th green is) - the Hotel Chatham. It was dismantled in 1910.

The current clubhouse was originally the home of Captain Nickerson, who I believe owned the land there....it was located where the parking lot is. In 1929 they moved the core of his old home to its present location closer to the bluff, moved another old cottage built in the 1700s to that location, connected them and then updated/refurbished the interior.

Nice pics Mike.  It looks like one would have to take Anti-vert pills to keep your lunch down if you rode a cart upon it.  All the better arguement to hoof it and enjoy what appears to be a splendid walk.

Great pictures, thanks for posting.

As great as Mike's photos are, I still think you need to see the contours in person to truly appreciate them. It looked more like a rollercoaster than a golf course! Kind of like the seeing the 10th or 12th greens at Oakmont in person.

The course strikes me as a true testimony to an architect's vision, as I believe most would have seen that land and said, no way. Or, at least, a lot of modern architects would see it and start envisioning a lot of earthmoving (not meant as a slight to you modern guys, more a reflection of reality ).

I like the down and back mowing pattern.....the checkerboard is too busy.

MIke,

Would you say the fairways were mown at a higher lower or normal height? Would you recommend anything other than what they are doing as far as fairway height of cut goes? How is the rough maintained? Playable, or a real obstacle to getting your ball up around the green?