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
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
100 GREATEST/BEST IN STATE SCORES
Shot Options
Character
Challenge
Layout Variety
Fun
Aesthetics
Conditioning
Reviews
Review
“A wild ride through hilly terrain with plenty of eye-catching elements of classic design."
Read More2023
Review
“Fantastic routing over rolling hilly terrain. Big bold green complexes with huge deep bunkering. Any fan of Raynor/Banks will love this under the radar gem."
Read More2023
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"
Read More2023
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"
Read More2023
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. "
Read More2023
Review
“Underappreciated amongst the many giants in Westchester County, Whippoorwill is a memorable Charles Banks design located on hilly, rough terrain. The course starts gently with three pretty easy holes near the clubhouse before crossing the road and opening an unbelievable stretch from 4-9. These holes are rugged and extremely isolated and it's shocking that someone built them in the 1920s. The par 5 6th hole plays over a plateau and then downhill with different levels and rocky outcroppings culminating in a world-class green. It is one of the most memorable and best par fives you'll ever see and offers the golfer numerous options. The 7th and 9th holes play directly uphill on the approach and are quite unique in their own right while the 8th hole is a gorgeous Biarritz adjacent to a natural waterfall. While the back 9 is more traditional, there are still some standouts with the 14th in particular being an excellent 440 yard par 4 with two fairways. The conditioning at Whippoorwill also stands out, playing remarkably firm for a course that just received a lot of rain and is in the mountains. The fun and character here both run extremely high as well. New York is a very competitive golf state, but Whippoorwill holds its own and should be an extremely coveted teetime."
Read More2022
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.)"
Read More2021
Review
“Whippoorwill has one of those courses you won't forget. Topography is wild and has some unique holes. Cool place!"
Read More2018
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