The Brilliance of Donald Ross at Hyannisport Club

Alex Elias

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Founded in 1897 by Scotsman John Reid, "The Father of American Golf," Hyannisport Club (Hyannis Port, MA) originally featured a 6-hole course laid out on the 'port side of the marsh,' now known as "Sunset Hill." In 1902, Alexander Findlay expanded it to 9 holes, and in 1913, Donald Ross redesigned it into an 18-hole layout. Seventeen years later, in 1930, Ross returned to redesign the course to its present form. 

Known to route and design from what he was given, Ross combined two holes designed by Findlay to create the Par-4 3rd, and utilized the same glacial deposit to design the Par-4 4th. Weaving around the tidal marshes of the Nantucket Sound, the consecutive dogleg left Par-4s are a perfect example of how similar golf holes can play very differently.

"From a bird's eye view, it's difficult to imagine two holes next to each other that could look more similar, but on the ground, play entirely different," said Charles Mallo, Senior Assistant Golf Professional at Hyannisport Club.
 
On the ground, the two holes demand a different strategy as the two greens, No. 3, a flat island-like green, and No. 4, a small, severely right to left sloped green, are set at slightly different angles to define different strategic lines of play.

​"Off the tee, on No. 3, you want to be on the interior of the dogleg to avoid a hook lie with a predominantly right to left headwind with a penalty area left and long and a bunker right," said Mallo. "But on No. 4, you want to be on the exterior of the dogleg."

No. 4 - Image 1

No. 4 - Image 2

As for the benefit of playing to the exterior on No. 4, Mallo said, "If you don’t play to the exterior of the dogleg, then you’re faced with only one option: fly the ball directly over the marsh (Image 1). But if you do play to the exterior, then you have a plethora of options. You can play your approach high or low, and if low, then you can use the kicker forty yards short of the green (Image 2)," as Ross often encouraged the ground game.