Worldgolfer's Golf Course Reviews

Location: Rye, New York

History: Rye was founded in 1921 with a course designed by Devereux Emmet. The Club has changed hands and names numerous times since then and has been owned by the town of Rye since 1965. Rye residents get discounted memberships but non-residents are still able to join at higher fees. In 1982, Rees Jones renovated the course. While not one of the elite Westchester courses, Rye owns the following award:

• #90 Best Course in New York – Top100golfcourses.com (2024)

Conditions: 9/10, Rye is in strong shape with fast, true greens and lush fairways and teeboxes.

Value: N/A, This is a private course.

Scorecard:

Tee                     Par         Yardage         Rating          Slope

Blue                   71           6365                71.3               132

White                71           5925                 69.3             126

Gold                   71           5396               66.4              120

Red                     73           5224               71.0              123

Hole Descriptions: Westchester County is one of the deepest and best golf regions in the country with many private clubs well-worth playing and some giants like Winged Foot, Quaker Ridge, and Sleepy Hollow.  Located on a small, somewhat cramped property, Rye is short and often quirky. It features many parkland holes with strong land movement typical of Westchester but also a set of water holes that are quite interesting and unique. Overall, there are too many boring, straight holes for Rye to be held amongst the area’s elite courses, but there’s enough here to make it worth a play.

While not a long course, Rye opens with a longer par 4 as a 440 yard downhill dogleg left. This tree-lined teeshot is semi-blind and features a hidden pond down the left around 250 yards. Two bunkers defend this circular green which pinches in on both sides.

After crossing a residential street, you arrive at the 497 yard par 5 2nd. There’s an impressive amount of land movement at Rye and this is certainly true on this hole. This teeshot plays uphill to a generous fairway with a giant plateau. Those who can carry this plateau on their teeshot will have a chance to reach an elevated green in two but shorter hitters will face a blind lay-up. This green is quite interesting and features several tiers, sloping severely back-to-front with a false front. Bunkers surround this green short and leave a difficult up-and-down.

It seems Emmet was really pressed for space on the property and this is best seen on the stretch from 3-6, which features four parallel, cramped holes and has to be one of the worst stretches of private golf in Westchester. The 3rd hole is the shortest hole at Rye as a 134 yard par 3. The only real notable feature of this short hole is a severely back-to-front sloping green that leaves some dicey putts.

After an awkward walk across the 6th hole, the 4th is a 386 yard par 4 playing through a giant valley. This teeshot initially plays extremely downhill to a tree-lined fairway that ends with a creek around 280 yards. This approach then runs straight uphill towards a green that slopes back right-to-front left and is defended by bunkers long, left, and right.

The most interesting hole in this stretch, the 5th is a 391 yard par 4 running the opposite direction. This unique hole is very claustrophobic with tall trees down the left the entire way and OB right with houses. This hole plays uphill the entire way and also features a pair of crossbunkers down the right at 225 yards. Depending on your teeshot, this approach may be blind towards a back-to-front sloped green defended by large bunkers right.

With its teebox adjacent to the 4th, the 6th hole unforgivably plays as nearly the same exact hole as a 375 yard par 4 playing over a valley. Like the 4th, this hole features a downhill teeshot to a tree-lined fairway with the creek running across at just 235 yards this time. This approach again plays uphill towards an undulating green surrounded by four bunkers.

At 469 yards, the 7th hole is a prodigious par 4 and a real standout hole at Rye. A large, sweeping dogleg left, this number 1 handicap features terrific land movement and OB left the entire way. This dogleg doesn’t occur until about 300 yards, so this will be a three-shot hole for the majority of golfers. This right-to-left sloping green is open up front but defended by a bunker right.

When you reach the 8th teebox, you’re on Milton Harbor and can see Long Island in the distance across the Sound. This hole is another unique and memorable one and a stark contrast to the preceding monster par 4 at just 333 yards. While in theory reachable for the longest hitters, doing so incurs great risk with water and trees down the left the entire way and another pond beginning down the right at 240 yards. A more prudent play is a lay-up, leaving a wedge into a narrow, back-to-front sloped green with two tiers defended by a bunker left.

The 9th hole is another good short par 4 at just 304 yards that turns back inland. A premium is placed on accuracy here, with an immediate forced carry over the pond to a tight fairway lined by large bunkers on either side for much of the landing area. This green slopes back-to-front and is also lined by bunkers on either side.

After a great stretch of holes, Rye’s 10th hole is a letdown as a bland uphill 172 yard par 3 with a back-to-front sloped green. Club selection is critical here, as bunkers defend this green long, right, and short.

The 11th is a more interesting hole as the longest par 5 on the course at 574 yards. A true three-shot hole for most, this hole plays longer uphill to a skinny fairway lined by OB right the entire way. This hole continues straight and uphill for much of the way and narrows further on the lay-up area with numerous bunkers down either side. The best part of this hole is the green which features several mounds and slopes and is surrounded by bunkers long.

The 12th hole is a shorter par 4 running slightly downhill at 301 yards. Again reachable, this hole is notable for its pretty bunkering, with two large ones narrowing the fairway at 230 yards and moat-like bunkers surrounding this small, right-to-left sloped green.

The 13th hole is a slight dogleg left par 4 at 398 yards. Somewhat similar to the 1st, this fairway is lined by sporadic trees and features a speedslot. Two large bunkers guard either side short of this green which slopes off on its edges.

I’ve read some statements comparing the 14th to the 10th, but I don’t agree and find the 14th to be a far superior hole. While both par threes play uphill, the 14th is shorter at 136 yards and features excellent visuals with large rock outcroppings juxtaposed with the Long Island Sound to your left. Numerous large bunkers surround this green which has very severe tilts both back-to-front and right-to-left.

Unfortunately the 15th is another bland hole as a 358 yard straightaway par 4. Playing away from the water, this hole is lined by trees and features a back-to-front sloped green defended by multiple bunkers.

Rye’s closing stretch is very strong beginning with the 437 yard par 4 16th. Initially featuring a generous tree-lined fairway, this hole features a speed slot and significant dip around 280 yards. This approach is gorgeous with the water in the background behind a left-to-right sloped green defended by bunkers on either side.

At 187 yards, the 17th hole is longest par 3 at Rye and also its best. Playing shorter downhill, this one-shotter is lined by marshland down the left and features a small green with a central mound defended by bunkers long, right, and short. Judging the downhill and wind here makes for a difficult club selection.

Rye’s closing hole is another memorable one as a 473 yard par 5. Although short on the scorecard, this slight dogleg left plays longer uphill and features OB left the entire way and an immediate forced carry over water. The majestic Whitby Castle sits directly behind this green and serves as a good aiming point on this likely blind second shot up the hill. This green is huge and slopes back-to-front the entire way lined by numerous bunkers on either side.

General Comments: Practice facilities are limited on this small property with a practice green by the 1st tee and no range. The course’s clubhouse is historic Whitby Castle, which sits stately above the 18th green and is the source of the Club’s (not so great) logo.

Verdict: A short and quirky private course in Westchester, Rye is a difficult course to evaluate. There are some excellent, unique holes and water views here but also a lot of mediocre and forgettable ones. It is definitely not one of the elite courses in the area but is worth a play for these greens, certain holes, and beautiful land movement.