Donald James Ross designed courses that follow the site’s natural contours. As a result, holes tend to fit the land instead of forcing changes. Ross also used bunkers to shape decisions off the tee and into the green.

Donald Ross created hundreds of courses, and from that collection, these are three of his most notable designs listed below.

Pinehurst No. 2

Pinehurst No. 2 is defined by its sloped turtleback greens and fairways bordered by sand and native wiregrass, and it remains closely connected with the tournament history and players who have competed there. Opened in 1907, it plays to a par of 70 and measures 7,588 yards.

The course is built around its greens. They are raised, sloped, and difficult to hold, so approach shots have to land in the right spot. If they don’t, the ball often runs away, which turns every miss into a short-game problem.

It has also hosted more major golf championships than any other course in the United States, including the back-to-back U.S. Open and U.S. Women’s Open in 2014 and the U.S. Open in 2024.

A round at Pinehurst commonly begins at the 91st Hole practice area and concludes at The Deuce, forming a full day around the course and clubhouse.

Agawam Hunt

Agawam Hunt is a country club located on 130 acres in Rumford, Rhode Island, near Providence’s East Side, Downtown Providence, Barrington, and Seekonk.

In 1920, Donald Ross designed the club’s first full 18-hole course on the same site as the earlier Metacomet layout in Rumford.

While it hasn't hosted a global professional event on the level of the U.S. Open or the Masters, it has remained active on the competitive calendar through regional and state-level tournaments.

For example, the course is a recurring venue for Rhode Island Golf Association championships, placing it in regular rotation for top amateur events in the state. It has also served as a host site for U.S. Open qualifying rounds, which ties it to the pathway that leads into major championship fields.

Augusta Country Club 

Augusta Country Club sits beside Augusta National Golf Club, the site of the Masters Tournament. The two properties share a boundary in areas where Rae’s Creek runs through the landscape. In fact, Augusta Country Club is the only nearby course where golfers can play a shot that carries Rae’s Creek in a way that connects to the same stretch of water that shapes play around Augusta National’s Amen Corner on holes 11, 12, and 13.

The course has its own place in tournament history. From 1937 to 1966, it staged the Titleholders Championship, a leading event in women’s professional golf during that period. More recently, the club was involved in a major change to the Augusta area golf landscape.

In 2017, it sold part of its property to Augusta National, which helped create space to extend the back tee on the 13th hole for the Masters.

Written by

Aditi Singh

Edited by

Siddharth Shirwadkar