The Kittansett Club, appropriately named from two Native American words meaning “near the sea,” is situated in the town of Marion at the end of Butler Point, which extends into Buzzards Bay. Originally, it was the Native Americans who led the Plymouth settlers and their cattle to the warmer winter pastures on these shores.
An 18-hole golf course became a possibility when in the early 1920's a group of residents bought the land on Butler's Point, which until that time had been occupied solely by the Beverly Yacht Club. On this peninsula could be seen the possibilities of a different type of course than most in this country at that time, and one that might have the character of the famous sea-side courses of Great Britain. The project was soon undertaken by a group of local golf enthusiasts, many who gave generously of their time and financial resources to support the construction of Kittansett.
A club was formed and the course was built with play beginning in 1923. Kittansett was one of the first courses to be built with predetermined specifications. Several experts had been consulted regarding the course layout, including William Flynn, but it was founding member Frederic C. Hood who undertook the actual construction of the course based on his considerable knowledge of American and British golf courses of that day. The fairways were laid out over uncut wooded territory through which paths were cut as the areas for the holes took shape. The New England ground produced glacial stone and Hood built mounds to cover these huge boulders. The land provided well-drained and unusually fine fairways and greens. The course layout originated and concluded at the unprotected ocean end of the Point.
During its memorable history Kittansett has hosted several Massachusetts Golf Association championships over the years. These include the Massachusetts Amateur Championship in 1958, 1978, 1990, 1999, 2008 and 2020 and the WGAM Edith Noblit Baker Trophy in 1954, 1979, 1989, 1995, 2005 and 2015.
The most prestigious event hosted by Kittansett was the 1953 Walker Cup when the United States defeated Great Britain & Ireland 9 to 3. The Walker Cup competition began in 1922 as matches between amateur golfers from Great Britain and the United States. The Cup was named for the then President of the USGA George Herbert Walker, a banker and businessman. He was the maternal grandfather of President George H. W. Bush and great-grandfather of President George W. Bush.
Since the 1990s the course has gone through a series of redesigns by Gil Hanse, who has been a longstanding consultant with respect to restoration, improvements, and renovations of Kittansett. After the original drawings from William Flynn were discovered, Hanse refined his project in 2003, 2014 and again in 2019, adapting much of the Flynn plan. Hundreds of trees have been eliminated revealing the original contouring of the course, and nearly all of the greens and bunkers have been restored to their original design. The improvements over the past few years have transformed play. It is now a much more open course, the sea is visible from many more holes, and the wind has become a significant factor in course management. With its spectacular views and challenging golf, a round at Kittansett is a truly memorable experience.