The Club:
In 1885 the initial purchase of land that would become part of Rhode Island Country Club was made by Charles Merriman. The land stretched from Washington Road to Middle Highway and from the current 3rd green to the canal. Originally known as Nayatt Country, it was a simple nine-hole layout with a modest clubhouse located where the third green lives today.
In January 1911 the Rhode Island Country Club was incorporated by 27 founders including Charles Merriman. The club’s goal was to build the finest possible course and they reached out to Donald Ross who was a very well-respected designer. The course opened on July 4th, 1912. Other than a few new tees, bunkers and a couple of rebuilt greens, that layout is still in play today. Donald Ross maintained a relationship with the club throughout his life and recommended thefirst General Manager they would ever hire. In 1938 a hurricane swept through the region damaging the golf course. Donald Ross returned to make recommendations to the course and would help with the construction of the new 17th and 18th greens.
In 1950 the first clubhouse burnt down taking with it priceless archives, but through great effort new club histories were produced in 1951 and 1961 by the members as they located and preserved some of the lost history. The entire archive of drawings by Olmsted are available. Through the years, the club has undergone several renovations to both facilities and the golf course. The most recent having been completed in 2021 offering significant improvements to the the clubhouse amenities including a new dining room, members bar, camp room, fitness room, and two golf simulators.