Whippoorwill Club

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Courtesy of the club

Overview

Found on an incredibly undulating and varied piece of land, Whippoorwill Club is one of the finest courses in Westchester County. Originally a nine-hole Donald Ross design that sat on the clubhouse side of Whippoorwill Road, Charles Banks was given a piece of land on the other side where holes 4-9 and 12-14 currently reside. The modern course is chock full of interesting design features—from deep bunkers to green complexes that rival many of the other great courses in the area.

About

Holes 18

Length 6630

Slope 144

Facility Type Private

Year Opened 1928

Designer Donald Ross/Charles Banks

Awards

Ranking history:

Best in State: Highest ranking in 2023-'24.
Current ranking: 28th.
Previous ranking: 29th.

Panelists

Ratings from our panel of 1,900 course-ranking panelists

4.3

100 GREATEST/BEST IN STATE SCORES

Shot Options

7.0222

Character

7.0832

Challenge

6.9467

Layout Variety

7.1764

Fun

7.0951

Aesthetics

6.9735

Conditioning

7.075

Reviews

1 / 5

Review

“Aesthetically, this course is a treat. The front nine in particular with its links like holes surrounded by mature trees is not only pretty, but something one does not see elsewhere. The back nine, with fewer trees, actually looks more natural and is still attractive"

2023

2 / 5

Review

“Bunkers are strategically placed in and around fairways to dictate shot direction or provide risk/reward opportunities, while most of those around greens are typical Banks bunkers: deep and penal. While on paper the course is relatively short, due to the terrain I found it to play considerably longer than the stated yardage. That said, there are some holes where big hitters will undoubtedly need to use hybrids or irons off the tee to keep the ball in play. The bottom line here is that this is a unique venue"

2023

3 / 5

Review

“In essence, it feels like an old links course one would find in the UK except that it is placed in a parkland setting. This is particularly so on the front nine which is more heavily treed. The layout variety is excellent, although I did find that most tee shots seemed similar, as did many greens surrounds (deep side bunkers, severe rear fall offs, rough) Most holes are straight (especially on the back nine) although they can play differently due to hazards. Shot options are varied, primarily because of the severe terrain. "

2023

4 / 5

Review

“Immaculately kept course that opens and closes well. The middle stretch however (including the Biarritz par 3) will challenge even the low handicap golfers no matter the tees. That said, this is an often overlooked course in jam-packed Westchester County (which sports Winged Foot, Sleepy Hollow, Hudson National, Westchester, etc.)"

2021

5 / 5