Designer: Bota/Thoren (1961, Front 9), Richard Holley Sr. (1970s, Back 9)
Location: West Kingstown, Rhode Island
History: Known as “The Gem of South County,” Laurel Lane opened as a 9-hole course in 1961 and added the back nine in the 1970s. It is currently semi-private.
Conditions: 4/10, Laurel Lane features average to slightly below average conditioning with serviceable fairways and teeboxes and very slow, but true greens.
Value: 7/10, With plenty of discounts and solid rates already, you’ll be able to play here for under $40 most times of the week.
Scorecard:
Tee Par Yardage Rating Slope
Blue 71 6177 69.1 120
White 71 6010 67.4 116
Gold 71 5118 63.6 108
Red 71 4966 68.1 118
Hole Descriptions: Designed by different architects a decade apart, the two nines at Laurel Lane are so divergent that it honestly feels like you’re playing separate courses at times. The front nine is relatively flat, open, and featureless while the back is extremely tight, hilly, and wooded. Overall, the course is fairly rudimentary without many bunkers or variety within the greens. It is a slightly below average public course for Rhode Island and there are better options nearby.
Laurel Lane’s opening hole is the number 1 handicap as a 414 yard straightaway par 4. This is the longest par 4 on the course, but not the hardest in my opinion. This teeshot plays downhill from an elevated teebox to a generous fairway lined by OB right. This green sits in a hollow in the forest and runs back-to-front.
The 482 yard 2nd hole is a short dogleg right par 5 with a sharp dogleg occurring at only about 205 yards. While cutting the corner is possible, running through this fairway is to be avoided due to thick rough and sporadic trees. From the dogleg, this hole continues straight towards a circular green that slopes both back-to-front and left-to-right defended by bunkers short.
Although not short at 189 yards, the extremely boring 3rd hole is a very rudimentary par 3 playing level in an open field to a circular green running back-to-front. It is one of several very weak par threes at Laurel Lane and a hole anyone with no golf architectural background could make with little effort in a backyard.
The 4th hole is another straightaway hole as a 371 yard par 4 featuring a generous fairway lined by fescue. This green also runs back-to-front and is slightly elevated.
After four holes beginning in pretty much an open field, Laurel Lane diverges quite a bit on the 353 par 4 5th. This hole is tight and tree-lined and features a blind teeshot sure to strike fear in a higher handicapper’s heart. Once you find the fairway, this approach remains rather claustrophobic to a smaller green that runs both back-to-front and right-to-left.
The 6th hole continues in the forest and is sure to be one of the more memorable holes on the course. At just 241 yards, this par four plays uphill and very tight and also features an 170 yard forced carry over a pond. This is sure to be another difficult teeshot for higher handicappers but allows longer hitters a chance to reach this green in one. This green is perched and diagonal, sloping back-to-front.
You emerge from the forest back into the open field and reach the 7th, a straightforward 212 yard par 3. This is essentially a longer version of the 3rd hole with no danger besides a back-to-front sloped green.
Likely the best hole on the opening side, the 8th hole is a 385 yard dogleg left par 4. Golfers will need to take out driver here, as this fairway is generous and the dogleg doesn’t occur until about 275 yards with a trio of bunkers down the left at this point. This circular green again is rather featureless and runs back-to-front.
The 379 yard 9th hole is an epitomization of the front side playing flat and dead straight with a generous fairway. The only real danger off the tee here is a pair of bunkers down the left at about 275 yards. This green is fairly flat and is defended by a bunker short.
The tenor of the course changes on the back nine beginning with the 400 yard par 4 10th. This is a challenging dogleg right featuring a blind teeshot and very tight landing area with a speed slot. This green is surrounded by marshland on three sides and runs back-to-front.
The 11th hole turns back around but is a shorter par 4 at 318 yards. This hole plays uphill the entire way featuring another semi-blind teeshot over a plateau. This approach plays to another large, back-to-front sloped green defended by bunkers on either side.
There’s a real lack of variety at the beginning of the back nine as the 12th hole again runs parallel and is essentially a mirror image of the 10th as a short, semi-blind dogleg right at 329 yards. This green is sort of sequestered in the woods and slopes right-to-left.
A fourth consecutive tight dogleg par 4, the 13th hole is perhaps the most claustrophobic of the bunch at 345 yards. Those who can’t hit a high cut from this teebox well-back in the woods will need to lay-up to avoid running through this fairway. This approach is one of the most compelling on the course playing semi-blind uphill to a relatively flat green.
The 14th hole is your 7th straight par 4 but the last you’ll see on the course. At 390 yards, this is a longer hole playing longer uphill the entire way. There’s not really much to this hole, as it plays straight lined by OB on either side. This large green is defended by a bunker left and slopes back-to-front.
After a long walk, you reach the 15th hole, an 169 yard par 3. By far the best one-shotter on the course (not much competition), this is an attractive hole playing slightly downhill over a tree-lined valley. Picking the right club off the tee is essential here as two deep bunkers (a grass and sand) guard the front of a shallow, back-to-front sloped green while going long is a brutal up-and-down.
The 16th hole is an interesting 480 yard par 5 that is certainly reachable for longer hitters. Playing from an elevated teebox, this hole initially is generous and straight but narrows with trees down the right encroaching around 250 yards. The course’s driveway runs down the left the entire way and I wonder how many cars are hit annually. This approach plays uphill to a back-to-front sloped green defended by a pair of bunkers short left.
The 17th hole is somewhat of a throwaway par 3 at 172 yards. Like the uninspiring one-shotters on the front, this hole is dead flat and features essentially no danger surrounding a back-to-front sloped green.
Laurel Lane’s closing hole is its longest and arguably most difficult as a 548 yard par 5. This hole is not only lengthy but also exceedingly tight with a narrow landing corridor lined by trees. At about 310 yards, a pond runs across this fairway and the hole turns left and uphill towards the clubhouse. This pond is one of the few strategic hazards on the course and certainly makes you think on your second shot. This approach is one of the best on the course to an elevated, two-tiered, back-to-front sloped green defended by a bunker short and false front. Par is a strong score here.
General Comments: Although I haven’t used the range when I played, Laurel Lane has a large range and is one of the few in the state you can use driver on. Pace of play has been strong when I’ve played.
Verdict: Located in an highly saturated area of public courses, Laurel Lane offers strong value and good practice facilities. The design itself is overall fairly rudimentary at times playing flat and open while at others playing very tight and cramped. There are better public courses in the area I would play before this one.
Worldgolfer's Golf Course Reviews 
Good round we had. Sounds like Evan has a better collection than you.
Yours truly,
John and George
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