Metacomet at Metacomet Country Club

Metacomet Country Club sits in East Providence, Rhode Island, on land that rises above the Providence River with views extending toward Narragansett Bay. Donald Ross designed the course in 1901, making it one of his earlier American works and among the oldest Ross layouts still in play. The routing takes advantage of the property's natural elevation changes and rocky New England terrain, characteristics that define many courses in this region.

The design reflects Ross's early principles: strategic bunkering, greens with subtle contours and false fronts, and holes that reward accurate placement over pure distance. The course measures modest by contemporary standards but presents a thoughtful test of golf through its use of natural features and green complexes that demand careful approach play. Several holes move through corridors of mature trees, while others open to broader views of the surrounding landscape.

Metacomet has served as a private club for more than a century, maintaining its traditional character while adapting to modern maintenance practices. The club occupies a place in Rhode Island's golf history as one of the state's oldest continuously operating courses. Its membership has long drawn from the East Providence and greater Providence communities, and the club functions as a year-round social and recreational center typical of established New England country clubs. The course remains a representative example of Ross's work from his formative period in American golf architecture.