The Little Course That Time Forgot
Summer 2024
Living in New England for the summer had its perks. Favorable weather, lobster rolls, and plenty of time for summer golf, especially along the coast. My hunt for the next hidden gem had begun as a whisper. Another playing mate mentioned an old and somewhat forgotten public golf course that had once been played by a young Katherine Hepburn, who lived along the course in her youth.
Once I heard about it, I knew that would be my next golfing adventure.
Along a lavish coastal community of old New England-style homes, some of which could probably be classified as mansions, just outside the sleepy seaside town of Old Saybrook, Connecticut, lies Fenwick Golf Club.
The course sits on a strip of sand that only money could maintain and the ocean had tried its best to shape. It was originally created in 1896 by the local community, with 85 founding members. The first three holes were only marked with tomato cans in those early days.
These stories alone were enough to peak my interest.
As we drove through town toward the ocean, my wife was probably wondering where exactly I was taking her. Were we headed for the end of the land and into the sea?
Over a small and unassuming two-lane bridge, no longer than a football field, lies a barrier island surrounded by lush beaches and backed by serene wetlands. Seabirds were everywhere, and the ocean spray leaves the entire island smelling of brine.
Through the small enclave sits an unassuming dirt parking lot. No giant clubhouse. No lavish entrance. Not even a sign from the road.
I asked my wife to drop me off, looking at me with confusion I assured her that a golf course must be here. She had a previous engagement at the salon, which gave me just enough time to at least explore.
Across the road and through the woods, along a small paved path, sits a little eight-foot-wide octagonal shack. Inside was one slightly cantankerous gentleman who seemed to be part starter, part course attendant.
The course itself is mostly played by those who live along it almost as a secret. Somehow, despite its perceived exclusivity, its public status remains.
After paying a rather modest amount for nine holes, I headed out.
The course only plays only a measly 2,900 yards, but those yards are jammed into every nook and cranny of the available land. The only real setback was the absolutely essential power line that dissects the first and ninth fairways. I’m assuming this was a later addition, much to the dismay of the local playing populace.
Off the second green sits the former home of Katherine Hepburn, Hollywood star and, at one point, girlfriend to the most famous man in the world, Howard Hughes.
The three-story, 8,400-square-foot home replaced the Hepburn family’s original cottage, which was cast into Long Island Sound by a hurricane in 1938, only to be rebuilt a year later.
It is even said that when Hughes was courting Hepburn, he would land his airplane on the ninth fairway, the home hole sliding slightly downhill toward the starter shack. I’m assuming this was before the power lines made that particular landing strip a little less practical.
I’m also assuming it was useful to have a quick exit from the loud and rambunctious Hepburn household.
Katherine learned to play golf on this course and even recorded her first hole-in-one on the old ninth hole, the day before the hurricane of ’38 destroyed her childhood home.
Golf apparently became an outlet for her limitless energy, which would stay with her for most of her life. She was known to play several rounds a day even in the rain, only coming inside when lightning became a threat.
The course plays relatively flat and isn’t particularly remarkable from a design standpoint. The lush fairways and views of the long island sound, however, were unforgettable. The company that day made it even better. I would suggest pairing up with a local. Someone who has spent enough time there to know the stories, the characters, and the little pieces of history that aren’t written on a plaque.
Fenwick still sits in a small corner of my mind. The corners where luck and circumstance produce distinct memories.
It's a course surrounded by some of the most desirable real estate in New England, with more history packed into its nine holes than courses ten times its size. It is also a course sitting in plain sight.
All you have to do is find it.
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