2025 Rhode Island golf course review of Cranston Country Club

• Cranston Country Club is a popular, playable course in Rhode Island, but its ease of play may be a drawback for some golfers.
• The course conditions were generally good, but the slow greens detracted from the experience.
• While the iconic island green hole is memorable, the course lacks challenging risk-reward opportunities.

CRANSTON – Of all the golf course reviews I’ve done, none filled me with dread more than writing about Cranston Country Club.

It’s hard writing about a course that so many people hold in such high regard. This isn’t just any golf course – this is Cranston, a spot where so many people learned to love the game.

Like any other Rhode Islander, I have a few rounds under my belt there, but I haven’t played it on a regular basis in more than a decade. At some point I can only listen to so many people tell me how great a course is without telling me why.

I went for a round on July 2, and while the weather could have been better, it didn’t take away from the day. Cranston showed me what it was, what it could be and why it’s possible to enjoy the course even if it’s not your favorite.

Here’s what I found.

How playable is Cranston Country Club?

Cranston Country Club’s playability is off the charts. Whether you’re a beginner or single-digit handicap, you’re not going to have a difficult time getting around the course.

And therein lies the problem.

It’s assembly line golf. It’s simple and easy, designed to handle a ton of traffic and get people on and off as fast as possible. There aren’t many golf courses in Rhode Island that can handle a high school state tournament in the morning and still fill out a tee sheet in the afternoon. There are other courses that might pump out close to the same number of rounds, but they’re not run nearly as well as Cranston.

Cranston is an institution in Rhode Island, and it’s not hard to find golfers who swear it’s the best public course in the state. Most of those people won’t play anywhere else, because they don’t think it’s worth it. They don’t know what they’re actually missing.

My biggest gripe with the course is its design. It’s too playable. The round I played on July 2 didn’t require a lot of thought. The fairways are massive, and you’re basically swinging stress free off every tee.

There’s a lot of reasons why this could be the case. The course is more than 50 years old, and technology has changed the game, rendering some courses irrelevant. Cranston doesn’t have the length for the modern game, and the course suffers.

Risk-reward is a thing, but there’s not a lot of that at Cranston. I’m not a bomber, but I can still put it out there fairly well. I hit three drivers on the front and four on the back, one of which – No. 11 – I wanted back the second I hit it. There was no reward, only risk, for hitting it on the rest of the holes, so the 3 hybrid did the rest of the heavy lifting.

What are the conditions like at Cranston Country Club?

I went out early on July 2. It had rained the night before, and a light rain hit for a few holes during the round, so I wouldn’t say I got to experience Cranston on an A-plus-conditions day.

The thing I liked most was penal rough. Too many courses don’t have the irrigation to grow rough that affects the ball, so it was good to see rough that made you work – and I had to work more than I didn’t. The fairways were equally impressive, and while there were some soft spots, I assume it was from the overnight rain and not a persistent problem.

I don’t know what to make of the greens. It was clear that weather had prevented a morning cut, and they were still moist when I left my 15-foot birdie putt 4 feet short. It ended up being a theme of the day – the greens ran true, but they were the slowest I’ve played anywhere this summer.

Everyone wants firm, fast greens, but that’s hard to do at courses with absurd traffic unless they have a massive budget. Fast greens can slow play down, and that’s what Cranston needs in its day-to-day operations.

This all being said, the course would be completely different if they could run the greens hard and fast. There are all sorts of quirky shapes and breaks to the greens, but you don’t get to experience them, because you’re spending the day trying to pound the ball to the hole. I’d love to see Cranston find a way to firm them up, run them at 11, and let chaos ensue.

What are the best holes at Cranston Country Club?

Is there a more recognizable and iconic golf hole in Rhode Island besides Cranston’s famed island green?

There are better holes in the state. The third hole at Wannamoisett Country Club is a “better” par three, but I’d be willing to bet more Rhode Islanders can identify No. 8 at Cranston than No. 3 at Wannamoisett. I played it at 154 yards, and while it’s a stock swing, stock goes right out the window when there’s water short, long and left. I managed to knock it on and two putt for par.

I’m not sure what would be second or third on the list. Your feelings about the 510-yard par 5 13th hole depend on how you hit the tee shot. Trying to hit that shot over the water seems inviting, but I played it safe (helped by a tee shot in the treeline left) and managed to escape with par.

The best par 4 has to be No. 2. At 365 yards it’s not lengthy, but there’s OB left, and when you’ve got a case of the pulls, that tee shot is a nightmare. I was hoping to draw the hybrid off the tee, hit it dead straight and got blocked out by the tree that protects the right corner. Next time it’ll be a full-send driver and hope it’s not yanked.

How much does it pay to play Cranston Country Club?

Of the reactions I received while playing the course – I post three-hole updates during rounds on my Instagram page – the biggest was the cost.

According to its website, 18 holes with a cart Monday through Friday will run you $79, and it’s $57 to walk. On the weekends, that’s $89 with a cart and $67 to walk.

Those aren’t Newport National prices, but that makes Cranston Country Club the second-most-expensive public course in the state, and it shouldn’t be.

What else makes Cranston Country Club a course to play?

I’ve heard plenty of people boast about how great the course is, and while I’ll argue that point, I’ve also heard plenty of people talk about how great the food is at the course’s restaurant.

That’s something I won’t argue about.

I’m not sure what else they’ve got in their bag, but I haven’t had a better buffalo chicken wrap anywhere in Rhode Island. They had a steak sandwich on the menu that sounded incredible, but one sandwich and perfectly cooked French fries got the job done after the round.

The stories I’ve heard about the dinner menu are also impressive. Cranston hosts a ton of gatherings and weddings, and I’m sure it won’t be hard to find people who can confirm that the kitchen brings the heat with those meals as well.

Should you play Cranston Country Club this summer?

Yes.

Cranston Country Club is an institution, and one could argue that it has influenced the sport in Rhode Island more than any other club (although I’m sure Triggs would have a say as well).

Like any other Rhode Island institution, it has its flaws. You’re playing Cranston because it’s the course where your grandfather taught you the game, or the place where you and your buddies first picked up clubs, or the spot where you broke 100 for the first time.

There are other courses to play, but I’ll head to Cranston Country Club once a season for the same reasons I go to Twin Oaks every year – I know what I’m getting into. It’s going to take a long time. It won’t blow me away, but it won’t be bad.

It’s safe – and that’s OK.