Laurence Lambrecht
Laurence Lambrecht
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Laurence Lambrecht
Laurence Lambrecht
Laurence Lambrecht
Laurence Lambrecht
Derek Duncan
Eastward Ho!
Chatham, MA • Private
Overview
This is Herbert Fowler's most engaging 18-hole design. Routed on an isthmus in the Atlantic on Cape Cod, with each nine looping out and back along the ocean’s edge, the course’s rugged topography was splendidly used to pose challenges in stance, lie and depth perception. It’s golf’s equivalent of a spine-tingling, neck-twisting roller coaster ride along a waterfront. If you come upon a flat lie at Eastward Ho!, it’s likely a tee box, a fact that can put some golfers off who lack a sense of humor and appreciation for links golf. Keith Foster’s renovation in the early 2000s made giant strides in uncovering the spectacular landscape through serious tree removal, and in 2024 Kyle Franz took Eastward Ho! over the finish line by opening up the remaining sightlines, expanding fairways so the ball runs as much laterally as propels forward, reclaimed over 28,000 square feet of green surface, and introduced open sandscapes that hide cart paths and alleviate the search for balls in the fescue roughs. The most striking change is the expansion of the front of the green at the par-3 fourth hole to create a staggering Biarritz putting surface, one of the most majestic in the world.
About
Awards
Ranking history:
Second 100 Greatest: Ranked since 2013.
Previous ranking: 102nd.
2025-'26 ranking (highest): 101st.
Best in State: Ranked inside the top 5, 1997, 2009. Ranked seventh, 2015-'26. Ranked ninth, 2011-'14. Ranked inside the top 10, 1989-'91, 1995, 1999-2003. Ranked inside the top 15, 2007.
2025-'26 ranking (and previous): 7th.
Panelists
Ratings from our panel of 1,900 course-ranking panelists
100 GREATEST/BEST IN STATE SCORES
Shot Options
Character
Challenge
Layout Variety
Fun
Aesthetics
Conditioning
Reviews
Review
“Eastward Ho! is back and better than ever. New bunkers, added distance and strking sand scrapes accompany a still-spectacular piece of land on Cape Cod. One of the few links-like venues in America, Eastward Ho! presents a unique and fun experience with plenty of challenge."
Read More2025
Review
“Kyle Franz’s recent renovation added length, difficulty, and numerous new options in setting up the course - from the expanded greens to new tee boxes (and tee box placements) to bunkers that altered plan of attack from tee to green. (Punctuated by the course’s optional par four or par five setup for the 18th hole that now leads each day’s golfer to face the whims of that morning’s grounds crew in playing either a par 71 or 72 setup, just as original architect Herbert Fowler had intended.) The renovation also saw a return to an even more naturalistic look and feel to the course that both amplifies EH’s coastal setting while reintroducing waste areas and native grasses to the landscape. A standout change was expanding the green at the par-3 fourth hole to Fowler’s original intent, blending what was once fairway into a new Biarritz that presents numerous setup options."
Read More2025
Review
“Played Eastward Ho post renovation. Most of the work involved bunkers and expanded green surfaces. Both significantly improved the playability, visual character and challenge to the course. This is a delight to play. Rolling terrain with wide fairways invites all types of challenges with the lies. At least 5 blind shots to greens. Favorite hole #14 the Quarry hole. Par 3's all of high quality and varying lengths. Do not find many courses next to the ocean with this much elevation change. Conditioning was exceptional."
Read More2025
Review
“Brilliant golf course at Eastward Ho, now maxed out for firmness, length, and challenge with the recent Kyle Franz restoration/renovation. EH has some of the wildest land movement within its fairways on the East Coast, and some of the best ocean views as well. While it will always remain behind the top few courses in Mass, there will surely be some who rank EH #1 in the state!"
Read More2025
Review
“one of the most stunning courses in the country"
Read More2025
Review
“Dramatic Land Movement, firm and fast conditions. Ground game is huge. Scenery hard to mach"
Read More2025
Review
“The renovation came out beautifully. Several new green complexes made formerly boring holes into really intriguing greens (like hole 9 for example). the 4th green may have been a little over done but there are now more pinnable positions to play which should provide more variety for daily member play. We played into a e/ne wind which is unusual this time of year, so the most difficult holes also played into the wind. New tee boxes bring some length to the course which is needed when land-constrained by the ocean. Removal of all cart paths was a great move as well as some were in play or hogged land now occupied by fabulous new teeing areas (see 7 and 8). The playability of bunkers was inconsistent, some had too much sand, others too little...Balls that shouldn't plug (ricochets) did, which was unfair and not fun to the player. Balls at rest were also being blown off the green, and wind speeds were not terrible (10-15 mph). Aesthetically one of the best in the country and beautiful walk."
Read More2025
Review
“Recent changes have upped the level of this course again. It has a wonderfully natural feel"
Read More2025
Review
“Windswept course with dramatic elevation changes that are not normally found in a seaside setting. One of the strongest tests in Massachusetts that is worth a visit if you get the invite."
Read More2024
Review
“Since the renovations to Eastward Ho! Have been made and settled in, the course plays exactly how it looks and how it should. Mr. Frank did such an unbelievable job with his renovation that unless you’ve played Eastward Ho! A good amount the changes look and feel as though they have been there since the start. Changes to several par 3s have made them easier and harder both at the same time depending on pin position. Absolutely a must play and see as it always have been"
Read More2023
