Fishers Island Club

Seth Raynor's last course, finished by Charles Banks in 1926, on the eastern tip of a small island with water views of Block Island and Fishers Island sounds from most holes.

The course was the centerpiece of a 1920s plan to turn the east end of Fishers Island into a summer community, with Frederick Law Olmsted Jr. planning the residential side. Seth Raynor designed the course but died in January 1926; his associate Charles Banks finished it, and it opened that July. The Depression stopped most of the planned development, leaving the course with open space and long sight lines.

Like his mentor C.B. Macdonald, Raynor built versions of classic templates here, including the Biarritz, Redan, Eden, Punchbowl, Cape and Alps. Plateau greens are protected by deep bunkers, and the rough can be severe. At 6,566 yards from the back tees, length is less important than keeping the ball in play in a near-constant wind. The club keeps a low profile and hosts no major events. Getting there involves a ferry from Connecticut. Its setting has earned it the nickname 'Cypress Point of the East.'

Holes to know

4

Par 4 · 397 yd

Ranked the hardest hole on the card by handicap.

5

Par 3 · 229 yd

The longest of the four par 3s at 229 yards from the back tees.

16

Par 3 · 146 yd

The shortest hole on the course, late in a round that keeps the water in view.

Design history

• 1995–present: Gil Hanse advising the club on course restoration