New Bedford’s first organized golf was the nine-hole Hawthorn course (1897) by Boston professional William Campbell. In 1902, the newly incorporated Country Club of New Bedford opened a new nine at Smith Mills in Dartmouth, laid out by David Findlay on terrain of hillside, ledge, marsh and stream. By 1915 the course was overtaxed, and in 1917 the Board “consulted well known designer Donald Ross about” expansion to 18; the minutes record “no further action,” apparently because the club did not own enough land and the First World War soon intervened.
In early 1922 the club acquired an additional 38 acres across Slocum Road and, on March 28, 1922, publicly announced the hiring of Willie Park Jr. Construction proceeded through 1922–1923, and the present 18-hole course was reported “coming along nicely” as of September 4, 1923, when most of the new holes were already in use. The club’s historical account further notes that Park’s greens and general layout have “remained relatively untouched” for nearly a century. There is no record in club minutes of Ross returning to work on the new 18 after his 1917 consultation.
Unique Design Characteristics (and the absence of Ross-built features)
Because Ross’s 1917 engagement never advanced beyond consultation, no confirmed Ross construction survives in the field. The features that define New Bedford today—routing, green forms, bunker placement—are those of Park. Three hole-specific examples illustrate this:
No. 5 (par 5, 518 yards Black) punctuates the outward nine and is the only three-shotter on the card, consistent with Park’s common pattern of a single par-5 outward and a tighter inward test. The scorecard confirms the yardage and par distribution (36 out/34 in).
No. 15 (par 3, ~133 yards Black) plays to a perched, “volcano-style” green that repels anything imprecise. Contemporary player descriptions and imagery repeatedly single out the fifteenth’s push-up target as emblematic of Park’s exacting short holes at CCNB.
No. 16 (par 3, ~131 yards Black) follows immediately, a back-to-back Park one-two of short par-3s that compress scoring chances and swing potential late in the round. The sequencing, with mid/long two-shotters bracketing two tiny targets, reflects Park’s taste for varied pacing on compact properties.
Greens throughout tend to be canted and defended by modest, strategically sited bunkers rather than sprawling sand complexes, a presentation consistent with period photographs and modern images on the club’s hole-by-hole gallery. While some observers have historically attributed “Ross-like crowns” to the putting surfaces, the club’s own documentation identifies Park as architect and emphasizes continuity of his green contours since 1923. In short: where visitors discern false fronts or fall-offs, they are encountering Park’s shaping, not a later Ross overlay.
Historical Significance
Within the region, Country Club of New Bedford is notable as one of the scarce Willie Park Jr. courses in New England and as the stage for a continuous August Four-Ball tradition that began in 1931 and remains the club’s signature event. The club also figures in equipment history: member Phil Young’s mis-rolling putt on the 18th green in 1930 led to the X-raying of golf balls with fellow member Fred Bommer of Acushnet—the origin story of the Titleist brand and the practice of X-raying every ball. These episodes are well-documented in the club’s historical narrative.
The club’s own written history explicitly addresses authorship: previous claims that the course was “a Ross” have been superseded by minutes and period documentation showing Ross’s involvement as a 1917 consultant only, with Park hired in 1922 to build the 18. This clarification has filtered into modern course directories and media write-ups, which now recognize the routing and greens as Park’s work.
Current Condition / Integrity
The routing and greens are described by the club as having remained “relatively untouched” from their original forms, and the present par-70, 6,456-yard specifications are verified on the scorecard. The course carries a notably firm rating/slope from the championship markers (71.7/137), reflecting its compact corridors and Park’s green defenses rather than sheer length. Out-of-bounds features—stone walls, neighboring roads, boundary fencing—provide additional positional interest on holes like 6, 8, 9, 14 and 15, as detailed in event Local Rules.
Renovation activity: In September 2024, the club notified members of a special meeting “to discuss the course renovations scheduled for the Fall of 2024.” Construction updates in 2025 from contractor NMP Golf reference a “major renovation” at New Bedford and direct followers to architect John Sanford for design leadership, indicating an active effort to refresh infrastructure and refine Park’s features. (Neither the club nor the contractor has, as of the latest public posts, released a full published scope; typical first-phase work at comparable clubs includes bunker and tee programs, tree management, and selective green surround adjustments.) Verification from the club’s master plan and construction documents would further clarify scope and fidelity to Park’s original drawings.
Given the absence of documented Ross construction, the integrity question is straightforward: what matters is the fidelity to Park. On the evidence presently available—club history emphasizing continuity of the greens; scorecard and imagery consistent with a Park par-70 sequence; and the club’s public embrace of Park authorship—the course retains a high proportion of its 1923 DNA, with ongoing work aimed (by all indications) at sympathetic renewal rather than wholesale alteration. Primary-source confirmation (original Park plans, early aerials, and green survey notes) would allow a finer-grained audit of survivals hole by hole.
Sources & Notes
Country Club of New Bedford — “History” page. Includes Hawthorn/Hawthorn Farm account (1897–98), 1902 Dartmouth move and David Findlay nine, 1917 consultation with Donald Ross (“no further action”), 1922 land purchase, 1922 hiring of Willie Park Jr., and September 4, 1923 progress note; also Four-Ball history and Titleist origin anecdote. Country Club of New Bedford official site.
Country Club of New Bedford — “Course” page & scorecard images. Verifies par (70), total yardage (6,456 Black), ratings/slopes, hole-by-hole par distribution, and identifies Willie Park Jr. as course architect on the printed card. New Bedford Guide (local feature). “Historic New Bedford golf course turns 100 years old” (Sept. 4, 2023). Reiterates construction period for the present 18 (1922–23) and the claim that layout and greens remain close to original Park forms. New Bedford Guide.
Mass Golf Local Rules sheet for a 2023 event at CCNB. Documents boundary/OB features relevant to several holes (e.g., stone walls and fencing at 6, 8, 9, 14, 15, 18). Mass Golf (PDF).
Club communication: “A Special Meeting of the Membership” (Sept. 24, 2024). Announces fall 2024 course renovations. Country Club of New Bedford official site (News).
NMP Golf posts (May 2025). Contractor statements that “major renovation” work is underway at New Bedford, crediting John Sanford (Sanford Golf Design) as architect. NMP Golf (Facebook).