There's a new 9-hole golf course in Rhode Island and it might be the best in the state

USA Today

14-06-2025

There's a new 9-hole golf course in Rhode Island and it might be the best in the state
If you're not quite sure what your expectations should be for the South Shore Village Golf Club, you're not alone.
The circumstances of the course are unique, to say the least. It was built in the center of a housing development for people 55 years old and up and originally was supposed to serve that community until a late pivot to become a full-fledged public nine-hole course.
There's been little to no marketing for the course and no real attempt to build awareness on social media, which has been a boon for the golf industry.
More: Golfweek's Best 2025: Top public-access golf courses in every state, ranked
It leads to a lot of questions, namely, what are they trying to hide?
When you play it, you find out fast.
First impressions of South Shore Community Golf Club
If you don't spend time in the South Kingstown/Charlestown area, driving to South Shore Village Club feels like you're driving to another state. As you traverse the rural roads, it's hard to imagine a golf course being anywhere nearby.
As you make your way through the development − which feels very much like the layout of the homes in "The Truman Show" − you start to see signs pointing you in the right direction.
The driving range is the first thing that pops and makes you realize this place is a little different. There's a decent area for putting and a hidden chipping green in the back.
For a range rat, or at least someone who likes to go through a proper warmup, it's a sign of things to come.
The 9−hole course
Conditions are the first thing everyone wants to know about and there's a real easy answer for what type of shape South Shore Village is in.
The greens are immaculate and would rank near the top as far as public courses in Rhode Island go. The fairways are good, but you can expect them to only get better as the course ages. They're also firmed up, so enjoy that until the earth settles in.
As far as the bunkers, South Shore Village's might be the best in the state. New sand has a way of being more playable and that's what makes these great.
But what really makes the bunkers terrific is how they frame the course. It's not often you're in awe of the placement and shape of a place you're trying to avoid, but they really make the course pop.
What about the greens?
The conditions of the greens are great, but that's not the best part. Every green complex is massive and it will allow for a wildly different experience every time you play the course. Most are multi-tiered and while some border on gimmicky — the left side of the seventh hole is completely ridiculous and unnecessary — they force golfers to think about placement.
South Shore's most fun green is a toss-up between the three-tiered par-3 third hole, which measured 189 to a middle left flag from the tips. It could easily play 25 yards shorter in a front right location and if the greenskeeper is having a really bad day, he could toss a pin back right and watch people make doubles all afternoon.
The ninth hole is simply devious. The tee shot is routine, but the three-tiered green doesn't give you a place to miss. The pin was back right, my shot went over and I hit a chip that was decent, watched it roll toward the edge, stop … and then roll all the way down and off the front of the green. Laughter was the best response.
South Shore Village: Playability
South Shore Village found a perfect balance between fun and ferocious. The first hole is a nothing-burger, but it warms you up for a sneaky tough second hole where you need to cut a driver away from a bunker to hit a shot to an elevated green with two very different tiers.
The three-hole stretch on Nos. 4, 5 and 6 is fun and is where the 3,046-yard course gets its length. The two par-4s require good shot-making and the par-5 sixth is gettable — just remember to aim left and get that kick on the green (and then don't three-putt for par).
The eighth hole is a terrific risk-reward par 4. It's 267 yards but there's no good place to miss. I took the coward's route and hit a hybrid to the right side of the fairway, stuck a wedge to 10 feet, made my birdie and called it a day.
I cannot speak highly enough about the ninth hole. The drive isn't tough, but that approach melts your mind — but a lot of the shots at the course do.
South Shore Village's design messes with your depth a lot. Between the changes in elevation, the shape of the greens and the bunkers, it's hard to visualize the shots you're trying to hit. That only adds to the fun.
Where does South Shore Village rank?
We're not going to mince words here. South Shore Village is the best nine-hole public course in Rhode Island and there's a sizeable gap to No. 2.
Between the conditions, playability, fun factor and price — $35 to walk, and if you don't walk, you're not doing it right — it's largely untouched. Having a practice facility (you do have to pay for range balls and they are flight restricted) is a bonus.
For most Rhode Islanders, the negative will be it being in the middle of absolutely nowhere, but golfers in Rhode Island aren't normal Rhode Islanders.
We'll drive anywhere to play and I'd be shocked if many aren't swarming this place in 2025.