Inside The Kittansett Club: A Massachusetts Golf Masterpiece

Kittansett Club, named “near the sea” from two Native American words, was arguably one of the greatest golfing experiences of my life.

This gem is carved into a peninsula in Marion, Massachusetts right at the end of Butler Point next to Buzzards Bay. 

The Kittansett Club features a stunning 18-hole golf course layout that was dreamt up in the early 1920s when some locals bought the land on Butler’s Point. At the time, this landmark was used by the Beverly Yacht Club but sometime later a bunch of golf-loving locals started the project, putting in their time and money to make Kittansett a reality.

The Early Club

A golf club was formed and they started playing on the course in 1923. Kittansett was one of the first courses with a set design and William Flynn was one of the names who gave their thoughts on the layout, but it was club founder Frederic C. Hood who did the construction. 

Hood used his knowledge of American and British golf courses architecture to create fairways through uncut woods. Glacial stone was found on the New England ground, so Hood built mounds to cover the big rocks. 

Events in History

Kittansett has a rich history, hosting Massachusetts Golf Association championships over the years. Some highlights include the Massachusetts Amateur Championship in 1958, 1978, 1990, 1999, 2008, and 2020, and the WGAM Edith Noblit Baker Trophy in 1954, 1979, 1989, 1995, 2005, and 2015.

The most prestigious event was the 1953 Walker Cup, where the US beat Great Britain & Ireland 9 to 3. The Walker Cup is a match between amateur golfers from the US and Great Britain, named after the then President of the USGA, George Herbert Walker. He was also the maternal grandfather of President George H. W. Bush and great-grandfather of President George W. Bush.

We had the incredible opportunity to gain all-access to the Kittansett Club. What a special place and an even more incredible experience.