Review: Metacomet Golf Club (Part 2)

It's time for the back nine at the now-former Metacomet Golf Club, go here to see the front nine.

The tenth hole is a very tough par 3, playing 225 yards. It's slightly downhill, but you can't run shots up onto the green, as the hole drops down and then goes back up at the green. Apparently the hole was designed this way, so while it's tough now, it must have been brutal back in the 20s. The green's got quite a lot of tilt from back to front, so you don't want to be above the hole. At least the green is fairly large.

The tenth hole.

The tenth green.

The eleventh hole is a flat, mid-length par 4 that runs between the parking lot to the rain and a road on the other. It also pulls a trick from Cape Arundel, as the entrance road crosses the fairway about 50 yards from the green. It's out of range from the tee, but still, it's a bit strange. This is what happens with golf courses on small properties, you get some routing quirks. This is a pretty easy hole though, the fairway is wide and the green is on the quieter side. Just avoid the deep bunkers protecting the front left and front right sections of the green and you'll be fine.

The eleventh hole.

The eleventh green.

The twelfth hole is an absolutely ridiculous par 3. It's 245 yards from the back tees, so it's really long. Honestly, it's so long that playing it as a par 4 and laying up in the fairway is a completely legitimate strategy and something both me and my brothers basically did. Avoid the bunkers and this is an easy 4 and potential 3. And when you've come up against a par 3 this long, that's all you can really ask for. 

The twelfth hole.

The twelfth green.

The thirteenth hole is the start of a six-hole stretch of par 4s that closes out Metacomet. It's a bit weird and involves quite a few parallel holes. We start off with a 420 yard hole pressed up against O.B. to the left. Obviously, you'll want to avoid going too far left. The green is flanked by sand but is completely open in the front, and it's fairly flat as well. 

The thirteenth hole.

Approaching the thirteenth green.

The thirteenth green.

The fourteenth hole is only 15 yards shorter than the ninth, which is a par 5, but this one's a par 4. The tee shot is simple enough, although if you can get far enough you'll get a lot more distance as the fairway drops significantly. The left side of the fairway is preferable, as a hill to the right in between the landing area and the green can obscure vision. It's a tough green here as well, as it's kind of domed and runs away at the back. It's a good hole, and a tough one. I'd say more, but I spent way too much time on a different hole entirely thanks to my wayward drives so I don't know if I can corroborate Tom Doak's assertion in the Confidential Guide that this is the best hole in Rhode Island. It is probably the best hole of the two courses in Rhode Island that I've played.

The fourteenth hole.

Approaching the fourteenth green. This is not an ideal angle.

The fourteenth green.

The fifteenth hole is 390 yards with a blind tee shot. The two fairway bunkers right are pretty close to the tee, so they're not really in play unless you're a really short hitter playing from the wrong tee. Then the second shot is a wedge or short iron over a cluster of bunkers to a green with significant back to front slope. 

The fifteenth hole.

The fifteenth green.

The sixteenth hole is a short par 4, measuring just under 350 yards. You can use driver, but doing so means you'll end up in a valley with a semiblind half wedge shot. It may be better to lay up in the flat portion and leave yourself a full wedge and a full view of the green. The green is very well bunkered and tilted from right to left, and falls away at the back right.

The sixteenth hole.

Approaching the sixteenth green.

The sixteenth green.

The seventeenth hole, at the very least, does not play directly parallel to the past four holes. It's 400 yards and the tee shot is very open. No bunkers and just a few trees. Obviously though with the big dogleg, the tee shot is best hit down the left side. The second shot is up the hill to a semiblind green. 

The seventeenth hole.

Approaching the seventeenth green.

The seventeenth green.

The eighteenth hole is another short par 4, about as long as the sixteenth. It's another wide-open tee shot, and the fairway is pretty much the widest on the course. No bunkers at all. You can hit driver, but then you've got a half-wedge to a fairly shallow green fronted by sand. The second shot is easier if you've got a full wedge into the green so you can get height and/or spin on it.

The eighteenth hole.

The eighteenth green.

So, how big a loss is Metacomet? Well, it's definitely a good course. It's got some quality holes: the second and the fourteenth come to mind right away. The greens are excellent and very tough. But it's also got some fairly dull holes. In that way, it's kind of like Cape Arundel. Sure, the course is 600 yards longer, but it also sits on a property that's very small and has lots and lots of parallel holes. It's got some hills and a few more trees, so it's not quite as easy to navigate, but the underlying issue is basically the same. The closing stretch in particular is just not that interesting to me. Six par 4s is one thing, but they're all parallel to each other and they just don't play that differently from each other, save the fourteenth. The front is definitely the better nine.

In the end, I think it's a bit better than the Donald Ross munies that I've previously reviewed thanks to some interesting greens, but it isn't not a standout or a must-see, especially when you factor in the extra price to play. You could play at Triggs or Shennecossett twice for one round here. But don't worry, we'll be seeing a much better Donald Ross course in a couple months. A course that's a true muni and going stronger than ever.