Rhode Island may not have as many golf courses as some of the other States, but the 37 on offer are well worth visiting and taking the time to play. However, the selection of the 10 best golf courses in Rhode Island has proved a difficult task.
This task has been eased with a collaboration with TheGrint, our favorite mobile app that helps golfers track their handicap and stats. They have collected golf course reviews from millions of real golf rounds from real golfers.
Ranking in order 1 to 10
- Newport National Golf Club
- Metacomet Country Club | Metacomet
- Agawam Hunt Club
- Meadow Brook Golf Club
- Montaup Country Club | Montaup
- Fenner Hill Golf Club
- Midville Golf Club
- Richmond Country Club
- Green Valley Country Club
- Exeter Country Club
1. Newport National Golf Club
- Site Link
- Location: Middletown, Rhode Island.
- Par: 72
- Length: 6,622 meters off the Tips and 5,500 meters off the Front.
PLAYER RATING
4 tees options available.
Signature Hole – The 403-meter par 4 17th is my choice of the signature hole and is a “beast”. Carry over water off the tee to a wide fairway with OB on both sides calls for accuracy and length.
Deep cross-bunkers short of the protected green need to be avoided.
Built on sandy soil this links-style layout has hard and fast fairways.
The diverse selection of holes, with stunning views of the Atlantic Ocean, Narragansett Bay, and the Sakonnet Passage, will provide a stern test of golfing skill for all levels.
Winds off the ocean, OB throughout the round, and gnarly, tough fescue, protect par.
Add the sloping fairways, marshes, and strategic bunker placement, and a real test is on offer.
Bring the A-game.
2. Metacomet Country Club | Metacomet
- Site Link
- Location: East Providence, Rhode Island.
- Par: 70
- Length: 5,919 meters off the Tips and 5,177 meters off the Front.
PLAYER RATING
3 tee options available.
Signature Hole – My choice of signature hole is the 328-meter par 4 3rd.
A dogleg right that plays to a green tucked into a steep hill.
The huge false front will carry the ball 70-meters back down the fairway if not judged well.
Take an extra club.
A classic design through rolling terrain, it offers an extremely tough challenge.
Accuracy and shot manufacturing is required to tame some of the par4s and 5s.
OB, doglegs, flowing streams, strategically placed bunkers through the green, and trees create excitement when the round is going well.
But, it is a course that must be tackled with patience and strategy to avoid some big numbers.
3. Agawam Hunt Club
- Site Link
- Location: Rumford, Rhode Island.
- Par: 69
- Length: 5,627 meters off the Tips and 4,774 meters off the Front.
PLAYER RATING
3 tee options available.
Signature Hole – The 459-meter par 5 3rd hole is my choice of signature hole.
Streams crisscross the fairway and must be avoided from the tee and further up the fairway.
Taking on the green complex for 2 requires pinpoint accuracy and a solid shot.
It’s all about the challenge!
The original course dates back to the 1800s and has had many revamps in recent times.
It is used as a US Open qualifying track and therefore demands respect and strategy to score well.
An old school layout that has used the natural terrain to produce a compact course with challenges throughout the round.
Undulating fairways, blind shots, streams crisscrossing the fairways, forced carries and the tough fescue grass are par protectors.
A serious challenge to all skill levels.
4. Meadow Brook Golf Club
- Site Link
- Location: Wyoming, Rhode Island.
- Par: 72
- Length: 6,926 meters off the Tips and 5,391 meters off the Front.
PLAYER RATING
4 tee options available.
Signature Hole – The 185-meter 10th is the signature hole.
It plays from an elevated tee to a semi-island green with a limited bailout area just short and right.
Select the correct club and take it on.
Classified by many as a “hidden gem” the well-designed layout is long and testing to all skill levels.
No two holes are similar, and the rolling terrain, with tree-framed fairways, is a shot-makers delight.
The large contoured greens are tricky and the short-game is severely tested should the approach shot not find the green.
Water comes into play on several holes and a good strategy throughout the course will produce a neat scorecard.
5. Montaup Country Club | Montaup
- Site Link
- Location: Portsmouth, Rhode Island.
- Par: 71
- Length: 5,778 meters off the Tips and 5,308 meters off the Front.
PLAYER RATING
2 tee options available.
Signature Hole – The 474-meter par 5 16th is the signature hole.
The hole plays into the wind most of the time, but the long-hitter may be tempted to have a go for 2.
OB lines the hole on the left, but the danger is a small pond in front of the green.
Magnificent views of Mount Hope Bridge from the multi-tiered green could be a distraction.
A flat fairly open old-style layout, where the cross-winds call for shot-making to score well.
The long, tough opening holes set the tone for the round and challenge all skill levels to play with patience.
A feature is the 5 par 3s that can make or break the scorecard.
Water, OB, and bunkers keep the attention, and the ability to play punch-shots and knock-down approaches will stand the golfer in good stead.
6. Fenner Hill Golf Club
- Site Link
- Location: Hope Valley, Rhode Island.
- Par: 72
- Length: 6,066 meters off the Tips and 5,387 meters off the Front.
PLAYER RATING
3 tee options available.
Signature Hole – The 297-meter par 4 15th is the signature hole.
It plays downhill and the long hitters can reach the green but have to avoid the pond in front.
A shallow, sloping green tests the nerves with the blade.
A links-style layout with magnificent views and unspoiled woodlands.
Blind shots are common through the layout and will not please everyone.
Mounds on the sloping fairways create difficult approach shots to the wide, narrow, tiered green complexes.
Wastelands forced carries, creeks, and the wind allows the course to show its teeth.
A good shot-maker will thrive here and score well.
7. Midville Golf Club
- Site Link
- Location: West Warwick, Rhode Island.
- Par: 70
- Length: 5,311 meters off the Tips and 4,004 meters off the Front.
PLAYER RATING
4 tee options available.
Signature Hole – The 146-meter par 3 7th is my choice of signature hole.
It plays slightly downhill over a gully.
The shallow green has a gentle right to left slope and a bunker at the back catches the over-club!
Midville Golf Club is a 9-hole layout that has a good variety of solid holes that will test all skill levels.
Sloping, undulating fairways and hazards call for placement and accuracy.
To score well on this shortish track, distance control will create the correct angles to attack the greens.
Fast greens require a good touch.
8. Richmond Country Club
- Site Link
- Location: Richmond, Rhode Island.
- Par: 71
- Length: 6,231 meters off the Tips and 5,724 meters off the Front.
PLAYER RATING
2 tee options available.
Signature Hole – The 214-meter par 3 3rd is the signature hole.
It plays uphill to a relatively large green and extra club should be factored in for the shot.
Commonly known as the shortest par 5 on the course.
Be warned!
This layout is a challenge to all skill levels, but the long-hitter can score well provided the driver works on the day.
Narrow, tall pine-tree framed fairways, with bunkers strategically placed and water in play on a few holes can be intimidating.
Risk and reward doglegs create scoring opportunities but hit it off-line at your peril.
A good strategy will keep the card neat.
9. Green Valley Country Club
- Site Link
- Location: Portsmouth, Rhode Island.
- Par: 71
- Length: 6,243 meters off the Tips and 5,568 meters off the Front.
PLAYER RATING
3 tee options available.
Signature Hole – The short 135-meter par 3 12th is my choice of signature hole.
It plays over water from the tee to a green protected by a front bunker.
It’s all about distance control.
The course is an old-style wide-open layout that has a links feel about it.
The driver can be let loose, but the natural grasses and scrub line the fairways for the mis-hits.
Slight doglegs, plenty of bunkers, and the huge greens make for an enjoyable outing, but can still be challenging.
An ideal track to hone the game without too much trouble.
10. Exeter Country Club
- Site Link
- Location: Exeter, Rhode Island.
- Par: 72
- Length: 6,326 meters off the Tips and 5,369 meters off the Front.
PLAYER RATING
3 tee options available.
Signature Hole – The 296-meter par 4 13th is the signature hole.
The tee shot must carry 150-meters over a large pond to a fairway that doglegs sharply left to the green.
The uphill approach to a punch-bowl green is interesting.
The rolling lush fairways are generous on most holes and encourage the use of the “big dog”.
Long hitters will be in paradise, but danger lurks if accuracy is compromised.
A good mix of holes throughout the layout with forced carries, water, elevation changes, plenty of OB, and trees to guard par.
The large undulating greens require distance control on approaches.
Other courses outside the top 10
1. Crystal Lake Golf Club
- Site Link
- Location: Mapleville, Rhode Island.
PLAYER RATING
The layout throws every challenge conceivable as the round progresses.
Doglegs blocked by trees, plenty of sand traps, water, downhill holes, OB, waste areas, and tricky undulating greens keep the pressure on for 18-holes.
Take the challenge!
2. Jamestown Golf Course
- Site Link
- Location: Jamestown, Rhode Island.
PLAYER RATING
An outstanding 9-hole golf course with a good variety of challenging holes for all skill levels.
The holes play through plenty of bunkers, which will ruin a scorecard if not avoided with precise shots from the fairways and tees.
3. Beaver River Golf Club
- Site Link
- Location: West Kingston, Rhode Island.
PLAYER RATING
A scenic layout that challenges the competent golfer, but is playable and enjoyable by the social golfer alike.
It hosts beautiful tree-lined fairways with doglegs and well-placed bunkers to add variety and fun.
Final Thoughts
The advantage of playing golf in Rhode Island is the opportunity to play all the courses in a relatively short time period.
Start a school of enthusiastic golfers and get out and play them all.
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Nick is the founder of GolfSpan and an avid golfer. He's not quite a pro but has over 15 years of experience playing and coaching golfers worldwide. His mission is to bring the golfing community a better experience when it comes to choosing the right golf gear and finding the right setup for your game.
