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Alex Elias  Courtesy of Jon Cavalier (@LinksGems) Long thought to be designed by amateur architect, Frederic Hood, The Kittansett Club (Marion, MA) was actually the work of well-known Golden Age architect, William Flynn, best-known for his designs at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club (Southampton, NY), Cherry Hills Country Club (Cherry Hills Village, CO), and Indian Creek Country Club (Indian Creek, FL).  Courtesy of Jon Cavalier (@LinksGems) Although Flynn is often overshadowed by fellow Golden Age architects, his ability to route a golf course was second-to-none. At The Kittansett Club, despite an out-and-back routing, the holes never feel repetitive, as Flynn laid out the holes with the wind consideration in mind. Much to his credit, only two tee shots play back-to-back in the same direction, and futhermore, each of the four Par-3s are laid out in a different direction, resulting in constant change in wind. “Kittansett is a mentally tough golf course because of the ever-changing wind. It plays completely differently day-to-day, which makes it incredibly unique,” said Hannah Berman, Assistant Golf Professional at The Kittansett Club. As a complement to the routing, Flynn’s superb ability to marry a routing with the natural landscape is perhaps most evident at The Kittansett Club. A combination of sea-side links and inland tree-lined holes, Flynn masterfully utilized the natural landscape as a defense throughout the course. Situated at end of Butler Point which extends into Buzzards Bay, the Par-3 3rd (pictured above) demands a forced carry over the bay. “It is similar to No. 17 at TPC Sawgrass with the forced carry but, at Kittansett, the hole is natural,” said Berman. “Depending on the tide, it can play differently in the morning than the afternoon. As a result, it's multiple holes within one.”  Courtesy of Jon Cavalier (@LinksGems) One of the most forward thinking architects, Flynn was one of the early proponents of having short grass around the greens. “No. 16 (pictured above) is a perfect example of Flynn's use of short grass,” said Berman. “As the slightly elevated green is surrounded by short grass, a missed green risks an approach shot running 10 or 20 yards away from the putting surface.” While the use of short grass certainly poses an added challenge—penalizing poor shots—Flynn also believed it would lead to a greater number of shots that a player would need to possess in their short game. “What's so great about Kittansett is there's so many different ways to play it, especially around the greens with high and low shots,” said Berman.  Courtesy of Jon Cavalier (@LinksGems) Off the tee, Flynn believed strategy was paramount. Rather than solely relying on fairway bunkers, where players would be demanded to drive it into a 25-yard corridor, Flynn utilized cross-bunkers and mounds to define corridors and lines of play.
“Kittansett is all about knowing what Flynn is demanding and where to be off the tee,” said Berman. “On many of the holes, cross bunkers are directly in the landing area, and as a result you have to ask yourself, ‘Would I rather be in the fairway with 150-yards to the pin or in a cross-bunker with 100?’” From tee-to-green, Flynn's forward thinking is the predominant reason his layouts, including The Kittansett Club, have stood the test of time.
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