the Stanwich CLub Greenwich, cT
Date Reviewed: September, 2014
The Stanwich Club was originally designed by William and David Gordon, opening for play in 1962. While the course was originally built to challenge the world’s best, Tom Fazio and design associate Tom Marzolf were hired in 2005 to soften the course in response to modern conditioning’s influences on increased green speeds. The renovations included seven new putting surfaces, lengthening of some holes, the addition and redesign of bunkers, and improved drainage in several low-lying holes. Today, there are five sets of tees that vary by more than 1,700 yards, creating an experience that is challenging, but fair for players of all abilities. Stanwich’s trademark is its greens, which are big, bold and often elevated, an influence William Gordon took from Donald Ross. Many of the greens are pear-shaped with narrow entries, requiring careful club selection, particularly for front hole locations. While the fairways and landing areas are fairly generous, finding the proper side is crucial to attack the angled greens.
Course Information
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Course Rating
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Course Layout & Scorecard
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Hole 1
A drive just left of the lone bunker in view is ideal (260-yards to reach from the tips), avoiding scattered trees left and right. A solid drive leaves an approach between 100-125 yards to a large green guarded by three bunkers. The safe miss is short-right as the putting surface is pitched severely from back-left to front-right.
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Hole 2
A drive right-of-center is ideal, avoiding a creek and scattered trees left, and two bunkers right (300-yards to clear from the tips). A solid drive leaves an approach between 130-160 yards to an elevated green guarded by sand left and short-right. The putting surface slopes generally from right-to-left, defined by a lower, left tier.
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Hole 3
The short third plays to a generous landing area lined by mature trees left and right. A solid drive leaves an uphill approach between 100-125 yards to a small green guarded by sand left, right and short. The safe miss is short-left as the putting surface is pitched slightly right-to-left, split into two distinct sections by a shallow ridge.
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Hole 4
The long fourth plays dramatically downhill from the tee to a large green guarded by sand left and water short-right. The safe miss is just short as the putting surface is pitched severely from back-left to front-right, guarded by a wicked false front.
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Hole 5
A drive right-of-center is ideal, avoiding water left and two bunkers (300-yards to reach left bunker from tips). A solid drive leaves an uphill second between 230-260 yards to a small green guarded by two bunkers short. Players opting to layup should favor the left side of the fairway, leaving the best approach angle. The putting surface slopes generously from back-right to front-left.
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Hole 6
The long sixth favors a drive played down the middle, avoiding scattered trees left and right, and a lone bunker left (310-yards to reach from the tips). A solid drive leaves an approach between 160-190 yards to a large green guarded by a sand left and right. The putting surface is slightly saddled, defined by a lower back-right tier.
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Hole 7
A drive down the middle is ideal, avoiding fairway bunkers that pinch the landing area 300-yards from the tips. A solid drive leaves an approach between 140-170 yards to a small, elevated green guarded by sand left and right. The safe miss is short as the putting surface is two-tiered, sloping generously from back-right to front-left.
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Hole 8
The long eighth plays to a large green guarded by sand short-left and right. The safe miss is short as the putting surface slopes generally from back-left to front-right.
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Hole 9
The long ninth plays to a generous landing area lined by four bunkers right (300-yards to reach from tips) and out-of-bounds left. The layup should be played down the middle, leaving an approach between 75-100 yards to an elevated green guarded by sand short-left and right. The front portion of the green is narrow and severely pitched from back-to-front. The back portion of the green is shallow and slopes generally back-right to front-left.
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Hole 10
A drive left-of-center is ideal, avoiding three bunkers that guard the landing area (260-yards to carry left bunker from the tips). A solid drive leaves a downhill approach between 110-140 yards to a large green guarded by sand short-left and right. The front portion of the green is pitched severely from back-to-front. The back portion of the green is pitched slightly from right-to-left.
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Hole 11
The challenging eleventh favors a drive played just left of the corner bunker in view (280-yards to carry from the tips). A solid drive leaves a downhill approach between 140-170 yards to a large green guarded by sand left and right. The safe miss is short-right as the putting surface is pitched severely from back-left to front-right.
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Hole 12
The long twelfth plays to a generous landing area flanked by three bunkers (320-yards to clear from the tips). A solid drive leaves a downhill second between 175-200 yards to a large green guarded by sand left and right. The putting surface is slightly saddled and is pitched generally from back-right to front-left. The safe miss is short.
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Hole 13
The scenic thirteenth plays slightly uphill from the tee to a pear-shaped green guarded by sand right and short-left. The safe miss is short as the putting surface is pitched generally from back-to-front.
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Hole 14
The fourteenth plays slightly downhill from the tee to a landing area that wraps around a sea of bunkers (300-yards from the tips). Longer hitters should note that a hidden pond will catch drives through the fairway. A solid drives leaves a second shot between 210-240 yards over water to an elevated green guarded by sand left and right. Players opting to layup should play out to the left, leaving an approach between 50-75 yards. The safe miss is just short as the putting surface slopes generally from back-to-front.
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Hole 15
The long fifteenth plays to a narrow landing area lined by water on either side. A solid drive leaves an approach between 140-170 yards to a small green guarded by sand left and right. The safe miss is short-right as the putting surface is pitched from back-left to front-right, guarded by a false front.
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Hole 16
The sixteenth plays along a creek to a small, elevated green guarded by sand short, left and right. The safe miss is short-right. The putting surface has moderate slopes that a difficult to read, defined by a lower back-tier.
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Hole 17
The long seventeenth favors a drive down the middle, avoiding a creek left and scattered trees right. The layup should be played right-of-center, avoiding a pond left and scattered trees right, leaving an approach between 75-100 yards to an elevated green guarded by sand short-left and right. Missing in the collection area long should be avoided as the putting surface is pitched generously from back-to-front.
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Hole 18
A drive right-of-center is ideal, avoiding three bunkers that guard the corner of the dogleg (265-yards to clear right bunker from the tips). A solid drive leaves an uphill approach between 125-150 yards to a deep, but narrow green guarded by sand left, right and long. The safe miss is short as the putting surface is pitched generally from back-left to front-right, split into two distinct sections by a shallow ridge.
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