In 1914, Donald Ross redesigned and expanded the Bass River Golf Course into 18 holes using the natural beauty of the Bass River as a backdrop. His creative genius bore fruit in a most uniquely designed layout where the front nine has three par-3s and the back nine has three par-5s.
Oddly enough, like the Links Nine at Bayberry Hills, Bass River’s front nine opens and closes with par-3 holes. The first hole is 204 yards long, with bunkers left, right and well short of the hole. Typical of Ross designs, these bunkers trick the eye into thinking that the hole is shorter than it really is. The second hole is a short par-4 where the green is placed atop a plateau with a big bunker in the front and is exposed on all sides to the wind.
The third hole is the course’s longest par-4 at 425 yards and plays into the prevailing wind. The green is small and sloping with no room long. The 9th hole is Bass River’s signature hole. The 169-yard par-3 plays over part of the Bass River. The prevailing wind forces the tee shot to be aimed out over the water. The green is severely sloped back to front with bunkers right and left.
The par-4 11th hole requires two strong shots to reach the green. The tee shot must be struck through a slot of trees to a flat landing area. The second shot plays over a deep valley to a green cut into the side of a hill. This is perhaps the course’s most difficult hole. The green is not very deep.
A favorite hole is the short and strategically placed par-4 17th. The 328-yard hole offers only one real defense: a very small two-tiered green protected by deep bunkers right, left and behind. If the pin is on the top tier, you cannot miss long. Making birdie is possible, but you must hit it close.
