Fishers Island Club

Fishers Island Club occupies a remote spit of land off the Connecticut coast, reachable mainly by ferry, and is widely considered Seth Raynor's masterpiece. Hired in 1925 to route the course for a planned resort community laid out by Frederick Law Olmsted Jr., Raynor found dramatic seaside ground for his ideal holes. He died of pneumonia in early 1926 before the work was finished, and his associate Charles Banks completed the course, which opened that year. The layout is a showcase of Raynor's template holes, including Redan, Cape, Short, Biarritz, and Punchbowl, the last often praised as one of the finest holes in American golf. Playing in many directions along Fishers Island Sound, the course uses wind as its chief defense and rewards firm, fast conditions. The club has kept the design remarkably intact, avoiding tree planting and restoring original green sizes, and it ranks among America's very best courses.