Birchwood Country Club

Detailed description of Birchwood Country Club

Birchwood Country Club, is a Private, 9 hole golf course located in Westport, Connecticut.

Birchwood golf course first opened for play in 1900. The course was designed by Orrin Smith.

Located only an hour from New York City, Birchwood has greens that are something special. Fabulously contoured by Orrin Smith, they feature velvet bent, a unique and supremely fine strain of grass. The smoothest putting surface of them all, quality velvet is seldom found this far south, but the grass thrives at Birchwood

Birchwood Country Club plays to a par-36 and a maximum 9-hole distance of 3,157 yards for a course rating is 37.3 and a slope rating of 131.

---Sports Illustrated 10/27/1997 Top 10 Nine Hole Golf Courses in the United States

Hole #1: Par 4, 373 Yards. A downhill dogleg left to a green protected on both sides by substantial trees as well as greenside bunkers. From the tee, a shot favoring the left side will be richly rewarded.

Hole #2: Par 5, 504 Yards. Usually plays into the prevailing wind. The tee shot faces trees on the right and left and a fairway bunker on the left is lurking to make anything but straight costly on the lay up shot. Greenside bunkers protect the large green, and the speed of a putt from the left of the green to a pin located on the right (toward the river) can be very surprising to the unsuspecting player.

Hole #3: Par 4, 334 Yards. Three is straight away, and probably the easiest on the course. It is well trapped in front, but a good iron shot will take them out of play. Again, be aware of the speed of the putts that go toward the river.

Hole #4: Par 3, 135 Yards. The short downhill par three is to a long narrow green. The pin placement on this green makes a great deal of difference how it will play. The "back nine" tee placement makes this a very different hole, because of the angle of approach and it can be very treacherous.

Hole #5: Par 4, 370 Yards. Plays long to an elevated green, which slopes from left to right and back to front. You do not want to be above this pin.

Hole #6: Par4, 413 Yards. Plays long because the landing area is uphill and eats up all but the most solid drive. There is also a slight rise in front of the green, so you better take an extra club to make sure you get there.

Hole #7: Par 3, 173. YardsA par three that is guarded by bunkers, both right and left. Members are sure these bunkers have ball magnets under the sand, as they tend to swallow up many shots to this innocent looking green.

Hole #8: Par 4, 362 Yards. The most beautiful hole, especially in the late afternoon with the sun setting behind the elevated green. The entire hole is before you on the tee. Trees on the left, and a small creek on the right frame the fairway. For the shot to the green, you can use the specimen redwood tree as a target, but it is easy to leave it short. Not a bad option to a front pin. This is the only hole on the course that goes from east to west, and is usually played into a crosswind.

Hole #9: Par 5, 483 Yards. The home hole is a par 5 that requires some golf management. A good tee shot favors the right side. (From the top of the landing area take a peek to your left. You will catch a glimpse of the roof of the Westport Country Playhouse, and the steeple of the Congregational Church. You will not see a trace of Downtown Westport, which lies between). A second shot must be kept well to the left, as the green is guarded with a significant tree on the right that cuts off most of the right side on approach. Be sure to hit enough club to the elevated green.