Newport Country Club

Newport Country Club, founded in 1893, is a historic private golf club located in Newport Rhode Island. It has been recognized as one of the top courses in the United States. The club is one of the five founding member clubs of the United States Golf Association.

The course has had several serious modifications and additions. William F. Davis is credited with the first formal 9-hole layout. 1893. In 1897, an additional 9-holes were added by Davis, making Newport an 18-hole course. The original 18 holes were all located east of Harrison Avenue. In 1921, the Club purchased two parcels of land, west of Harrison Avenue. These purchases made possible the addition of 7 holes and the rerouting of the course to the east side of Harrison Avenue. The redesign of the course with the new 7 holes on the west side of Harrison Avenue was done A.W. Tillinghast. This is the current 18-hole layout played today.

Whitney Warren designed the iconic clubhouse, Beaux Arts style in 1895, overlooking Brenton Point and the 18 hole layout. The New York Times proclaimed “It stood supreme for magnificence among golf clubs, not only in America, but the world”. In 2006 the clubhouse underwent a major restoration.

Newport Country Club is legendary in the history of golf in America. The first national championships were played at Newport in 1895. These championships were the first sanctioned by the newly formed United States Golf Association. Charles Blair Macdonald of Chicago won the Amateur Championship. Horace Rawlins won the first national Open Championship. The Open Championship was played over the 9-hole layout 4 times.