Blue Rock Golf Course, an 18-hole par-3 course nestled among the trees in Yarmouth, has been named among the top 10 executive courses in the country, according to editors at Golfspan.com.
“With its meticulously maintained greens and challenging holes, Blue Rock Golf Course is a great choice for golfers seeking to improve their short game,” were the words of the website’s editors who created the list.
The list features courses from all over the country, from Hawaii to Florida, but this Cape Cod course is the only representative from New England, and checks in at No. 5 on the list. According to the website, the course measures at 3,000 yards, and features holes ranging in length from 103-255 yards.
Rarely do acknowledgments like this come as a surprise, but for a golf course that was built in 1962, this was a surprise.
“We received an alert that Blue Rock had been mentioned in a national article, so we clicked on it and lo and behold there it was,” Matt Pitta, director of communications at the Davenport Companies, which owns Blue Rock, said. “This was something we didn’t solicit.”
Pitta says that the independence of the ranking may be the most rewarding part of it all. The Davenport Companies have owned the course since its inception and believe it offers unique opportunities that set it apart.
The course was originally designed by celebrated golf course architect, Geoffrey Cornish. According to Pitta, part of what has helped the course generate such prestige, is the fact that it can appeal to golfers who are new to the sport, while also challenging seasoned players.
“They built a course that has lots of challenging hills, water, sand traps, and it’s really not at all what you’d consider a typical Par-3 executive course, because of all those extra features,”
The course has limitations given the residential neighborhood it calls home, but Cornish found away to create a course that Pitta believes appeals to both amateurs and regular players.
“We tell people, ‘You’re going to use every club in your bag when you play Blue Rock.’ Pitta said.
Pitta said both himself and the company were filled with a tremendous amount of pride after becoming aware of the recognition. He believes it’s only achieved through everyone involved with the course.
“I think that the recognition and the pride is with the entire team,” he said. “There’s no way you would ever get a ranking like this, a national level ranking, without a 100% team effort.”
Pitta highlighted both Superintendent Wes Jones, PGA Pro Jim Campbell, the grounds crew which are collectively responsible for the upkeep of the course, as the true reasons for the Course getting the ranking.
The recognition is the course’s 11th honor since 2011.
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This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: This par-3 golf course in Yarmouth is a hidden gem