HISTORY IN THE MAKING
The Pros &
The Tournaments
Agawam has a long history of hosting tournaments. In 1923 the Championship Trophy for Men’s Golf was established.
Agawam hosted the RI Golf Tournament in 1930 and later the women's golf team won the RI State Team Championship.
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Fred B. Dinger was hired as caddy master in 1925 and stayed on as an employee of Agawam for 45 years. He was appointed Manager in charge of the entire golf course in 1944. After his death the annual member-guest tournament was named after him - The Dinger Tournament.
Agawam serves as a United States Open qualifier site and is a member of the USGA and the RIGA. Agawam is in the regular rotation of major championships hosted by the RIGA. We have also hosted the Rhode Island Men’s Senior Tournament.
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Paul Butler was Agawam's golf pro from 1969–1994 with a short break at Sun Valley in Rehoboth.
Norman Alberigo, Jr joined Agawam in 1995 and was the Club's golf pro until 2021.
Lou Rivers, joined Agawam in August of 2021 and leads the golf operation today. Including his time at Foxborough CC, Lou has 28 years of experience as an Assistant and Head Golf Professional; his other club experience includes 4 years as First Assistant at Hyannisport Club in Hyannisport, MA and four years as Head Professional at Ridgewood Country Club in Moultonborough, NH.
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The Course
As the nature around us changes, so does the game of golf and the course we play upon. Agawam's course has a rich history dating back to the 1800s and will continue to evolve and improve as we advance through the 2000s.
Agawam’s first golf course was designed and built in 1895 by Willie Park, Jr. of Musselburgh, Scotland. It was originally a 9 hole course.
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The first full size 18 hole course was designed by Donald James Ross in 1920. The former Metacomet Golf Course was purchased by Agawam at that time and there have been many renovations over the years.
In1963 The Board approved the 200-yard increase in the length of the course, the expansion of three par 5 holes and four par-3 holes and the increase to par 71 of the entire course. The famous 14th hole was reconfigured to become the 3rd hole.
In 1964 the City of East Providence requisitioned 27 acres containing the 5th, 12th, and 13th holes. With proceeds from the sale, the Club purchased 6 acres of land owned by William C.H. Brandt. Geoffrey S. Cornish, the golf course architect, redesigned several holes and added the 7th and 15th on the newly acquired Brandt property.
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At the turn of the century, Agawam partnered with Gil Hanse to work on a revised plan aimed at restoring the course to its Donald Ross roots, while acknowledging modern equipment, grass management methods, and the change in the property since the original Ross design from 1920. The Hanse plan is in progress and, since 2018, continues to evolve in partnership with Ian Andrew, an architect who frequently works with Hanse.
