Shennecossett began in 1898 when Thomas Avery laid out four holes across his farm at Eastern Point; within a few years the course expanded to nine. By 1913–1914, hotel magnate Morton F. Plant had purchased the property adjacent to his Griswold Hotel and extended the layout to a full eighteen for resort play, though available sources do not name a professional architect for this pre-Ross phase.
Donald Ross’s involvement is documented by the Town of Groton, which reports that he redesigned the course in 1916 and returned in 1919 to reroute three holes. That timeline comports with contemporary accounts that the club sought to elevate tournament standards; Shennecossett hosted Connecticut Open events in 1915 and 1916 and, soon after, multiple Connecticut Amateurs, suggesting a period emphasis on competitive suitability. Surviving municipal summaries mention the two Ross phases explicitly (1916 redesign; 1919 rerouting), but no original Ross plans or correspondence are publicly accessible online.
Through the 1920s Shennecossett operated as a prominent resort course, attracting exhibitions by Walter Hagen, Bobby Jones, Francis Ouimet, and Babe Didrikson among others; Alex Smith—two-time U.S. Open champion—served as professional and teacher, further linking the club to elite golf of the period.
In the late 1960s the Town of Groton acquired the property and opened it for public play (the town notes public access from April 10, 1969). In 1997 a land exchange with Pfizer relocated part of the course footprint and allowed waterfront expansion; architect Mark Mungeam designed the new holes created on the reclaimed shoreline acreage.
Unique Design Characteristics
The clearest surviving expression of Ross’s work at Shennecossett is the par-3 4th, a short, uphill “volcano/anthill” green that sheds shots on all sides. Contemporary and retrospective descriptions single out the extreme domed putting surface and demanding elevation change; a municipal brochure highlights this as emblematic of the course’s historic character, and period photographs confirm the dramatic, perched target. In practice, the 4th’s challenge is not length but trajectory: the play demands a precise, high-spinning approach that holds a green falling away in every direction.
Several inland holes likely retain Ross’s green sites and internal contours even as bunkering has evolved; the pre-waterfront core (front nine and early back nine) remains the best hunting ground for Ross details. Modern sources agree that today’s shoreline holes—15 through 17—are not Ross originals but 1997 Mungeam additions created during the Pfizer land swap, changing the late-round cadence from inland corridors to dramatic, open-water vistas. There is also evidence that at least one additional hole on the modern card (commonly cited are Nos. 8–9) reflects post-Ross work or heavy alteration; the exact mix varies by source (see Uncertainty).
Shennecossett also carries a quirky, site-specific trait on the 2nd hole, where the scorecard calls out local treatment of the adjacent railroad tracks—an artifact of the corridor’s long coexistence with transportation infrastructure and a reminder that Ross’s routing had to negotiate such fixed edges.
Historical Significance
Within Ross’s body of work, Shennecossett represents the adaptation of a mature resort course into a more exacting test for state-level competition during the mid-1910s. While not among his most publicized commissions, the course formed part of a New England cluster that leveraged coastal winds and tilted greens to produce resistance to scoring without great length. The 4th became locally notorious—ranked by Connecticut professionals in the 1990s as a top par-3 in the state—and the club’s parade of exhibitions by Jones, Hagen and others reflected the Griswold Hotel era’s aspiration to elite golf. Shennecossett’s subsequent conversion to a municipal facility broadened public access to a Ross-influenced layout at a time when most of his Connecticut work remained private.
Current Condition / Integrity
Routing integrity is mixed. The Town’s account and modern course histories indicate that much of the inland routing and a number of green sites remain traceable to Ross, but the 1997 land swap produced a three-hole shoreline sequence (15–17) by Mark Mungeam that is emphatically modern in origin; some sources also identify the current 8th and 9th as non-Ross or substantially altered. On balance, the most intact Ross features are found on the early holes, with the 4th green the signature survivor.
Shennecossett is actively managed as a municipal property with periodic capital work. Recent Town capital-improvement documentation references a master plan prepared by the Mungeam Cornish firm and notes near-term projects such as fairway bunker renovation and tee expansions on Holes 3, 6 and 7—work that, if executed sensitively, can enhance conditioning without eroding historic character. The Town also engages the National Golf Foundation for operational and planning guidance.
The contemporary amenities—pro shop services, practice green, and the Par Four Restaurant—reflect the course’s role as a community venue. Yardage and par remain consistent with mid-century expectations rather than modern championship scale, which helps preserve the playability of Ross’s inland greens and angles even as the waterfront holes provide a late-round set piece.
Citations and Uncertainty
Two date attributions merit caution. First, while the Town of Groton states that Ross redesigned Shennecossett in 1916 and rerouted three holes in 1919, some secondary compilations list a 1926 Ross redesign. Without access to original Ross drawings, contracts, or club minutes, the safest synthesis is that substantial Ross work occurred in 1916 with a follow-up rerouting by 1919; any 1926 claim likely reflects either a late adjustment, a misreading, or conflation with other area work.
Second, sources differ on which modern holes are definitively non-Ross. All agree that 15–17 are 1997 Mungeam creations tied to the Pfizer land exchange, but accounts vary on the 8th and 9th: some list both as non-Ross, others only the 9th.
Sources & Notes
Town of Groton, “About Us – Shennecossett Golf Course” (municipal history summary: 1898 origin; 1916 Ross redesign; 1919 rerouting; 1969 public access).
Explore More Groton, “125 Years: a Golfer’s Gem” (community history feature; early Avery/Plant timeline).
Top 100 Golf Courses – USA, “Shennecossett GC” (course profile referencing Dunn, Great Donald Ross Golf Courses Everyone Can Play; notes on 1916/1919, Pfizer land swap, and non-Ross holes).
Wikipedia, “Shennecossett Golf Course” (aggregated data for length/par; lists 1926 Ross date—cited here as a conflicting claim—and state championship hostings). Use with caution; verify against primary sources.
Town of Groton CIP materials (National Golf Foundation recommendations; Mungeam Cornish master plan; near-term projects on Holes 3, 6, 7).
Shennecossett official scorecard/gallery (local rules reference to railroad tracks on Hole 2; routing map).
Links Magazine, “Ross, the Builder” (illustrative description of the Shennecossett 4th as a short, uphill par 3 with a domed green—used here to characterize the surviving feature).
Worldgolfer.blog, “Review: Shennecossett Golf Course” (secondary account of 1997 land swap and attribution of new Holes 9 and 15–17 to Mark Mungeam). Secondary; cross-check recommended.
Shennecossett Golf Course main pages (public tee access; shoreline setting; amenities; Par Four Restaurant contact).