Essex County Club
Not only one of Donald Ross's best, one of the best in the country
Few places in the United States are as scenic in the fall as Boston's north shore. This September, we're heading back to Essex County Club, former home to Donald Ross as the great architect was the head professional in the 1910s.
With one of the best nines in golf, daring shots you can't find anywhere else, and old-school charm rarely found in the United States, Essex County Club is a can't-miss for golf architecture fans.
For those looking to build a trip, the Essex County Club event will also include optional rounds at Cape Arundel Golf Club (9/21), The Kittansett Club (9/23), and Boston Golf Club (9/24). See below for additional information.
Manchester-by-the-Sea, Massachusetts
September 17, 2025
Wednesday, March 19 at Noon ET
Tuesday, March 18 at Noon ET
$895/player
Included in Registration:
- 36 holes at Essex County Club (18 best ball, 18 alternate shot)
- Breakfast
- New England style Lunch
- Post-golf hors d'oeuvres
- Tee gifts from Fried Egg Golf & our partners
- Prizes for low gross and low net
- Closest-to-the-pin prizes
Format
Two-person teams. Morning round is best ball and the afternoon round is alternate shot
Course Information
Essex County Club
There are many reasons you should get out to see Essex County Club. Here are three for starters:
1 - Essex County Club is not Donald Ross's first design, but it's probably his first truly great golf course. (Pinehurst No. 2 had not yet taken its definitive form when Ross finished Essex County in 1917.) The great Scottish architect served as the golf professional at the Massachusetts club for several years, and he spent nearly a decade fine-tuning his layout. The result is a course that fully reflects Ross's intentions.
2 - After many years of sensitive stewardship by architect Bruce Hepner and superintendent Eric Richardson, Essex County is one of the most authentic Golden Age courses in America. From the fairways to the bunkers to the greens, everything feels properly old.
3 - The back nine is rightfully famous, beginning with the semi-blind par-4 10th and the intimidating uphill par-3 11th, and ending with one of the greatest flourishes in American golf: a 17th that climbs straight up the property's central hill, and a finisher that vaults back down. All four are must-see golf holes. - Garrett Morrison
Read more about Essex in our Club TFE Course Profile: Essex County Club
Additional Golf
September 21 - Cape Arundel Golf Club ($275/person) - Less than 90 minutes north of Essex County Club is Cape Arundel Golf Club, a Walter Travis original that boasts some of the best green complexes in the country. The day ahead of our event at Essex, we're making the trip to Kennebunkport for a loop around this amazing Maine club. Tee times begin at 10:00 a.m. For more on Cape Arundel, check out Garrett Morrison's Club TFE Course Profile.
September 23 - The Kittansett Club* (See note below) - After a day at Essex, we're heading to the south shore of Boston to visit Kittansett, another Donald Ross original that overlooks Buzzards Bay in a beautiful seaside setting. Tee times begin at 1:00 p.m. and includes lunch ahead of the round. For more on The Kittansett Club, check out Garrett Morrison's Club TFE Course Profile.
September 24 - Boston Golf Club* (See note below) - To round out the trip, we're visiting Gil Hanse's Boston Golf Club for a full day of golf. Hanse's design is one of the best modern designs in the country and it's rare that outsiders have the chance to see the layout. We'll play 18 holes, stop for lunch, and then head out to the short course to round out the day. Tee times begin at 10:00 a.m.
*Two-day trip to The Kittansett Club and Boston Golf Club is $1,100/person. Caddie fees are also required for both rounds and are to be paid by the individual to the caddies on the day of play
Course Overview
Under the stewardship of superintendent Eric Richardson and architect Bruce Hepner, Essex County achieved a rare feat: a true restoration of a Donald Ross design
Essex County Club
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