Representative image Photo: Phillip Capper from Wellington, New Zealand · CC BY 2.0
Eastward Ho!
Chatham, Massachusetts, United States
18 Holes · Par 71 · Private club — no published green fee; play is by member invitation · Links
— About
About Eastward Ho!
Eastward Ho! is a private club in Chatham, Massachusetts, on the Nickerson Neck peninsula of Cape Cod. It was founded in 1922 as Chatham Country Club, and Herbert Fowler laid out the links-style course on glacial moraine, keeping the tumbling ground close to how he found it. Fowler had earlier worked on Royal North Devon, known as Westward Ho! in England, and the club took its new name in recognition of that work. The routing is a figure eight, two loops of nine with the clubhouse in the middle. The course is par 71 by the most recent listings. Keith Foster led a restoration in the 2000s that recovered lost putting surface, since the greens had shrunk over time and were later expanded toward their original size. Several holes have views of the water, and the short par 3 15th is often called the best hole on the course. Eastward Ho! is a members-only club, so an outside golfer will need an invitation from a member to play. No public tee times or green fees exist.
- The club began in 1922 as Chatham Country Club and took the name Eastward Ho! in recognition of Fowler's work at Westward Ho!.
- Herbert Fowler routed the course as a figure eight, two loops of nine with the clubhouse in the middle.
- The course sits on a glacial moraine on Nickerson Neck, with tumbling ground and views of the bay.
- Keith Foster led a restoration in the 2000s that recovered putting surface lost as the greens shrank over the decades.
- The par 3 4th plays along the bay, and the short par 3 15th is often called the best hole on the course.
History of Eastward Ho!
The club was founded in 1922 and opened as Chatham Country Club. Its members hired Herbert Fowler, who had already worked on the old links at Westward Ho! in Devon, England, to build a links-style layout on Nickerson Neck. Fowler arranged the holes in a figure eight around a central clubhouse, working with the glacial moraine instead of moving large amounts of earth. The result is a course with tumbling landforms left by the glacier, and several holes look out over the bay. The club later took the name Eastward Ho! in recognition of his earlier work at Westward Ho!, and the name has stuck ever since. Over the decades the greens shrank. Keith Foster led a restoration in the 2000s that recovered putting surface, and greens have since been expanded toward their original sizes. The club is still private.
Signature holes at Eastward Ho!
The 4th is a par 3 along the shoreline of the bay, with steep drop-offs toward the water. The 15th is a short par 3 with bunkers, and Golf Club Atlas calls it perhaps the best hole on the course. On the front nine, the 1st is an uphill dogleg left that starts the round with a climb. The 18th is a long closing hole that can be played as either a par 4 or a par 5, so the round can finish with a demanding shot. Together these holes show the range Fowler drew from the moraine, from a short test to a long finish.
When to play Eastward Ho!
Eastward Ho! is a private club, so timing matters less than access: you need an invitation from a member first, and your host decides when you play. There are no public tee times at any time of year and no published green fee. The course sits on Cape Cod and has views of the bay, so ask your host how the weather and wind are affecting play on the day you plan to visit.
Playing Eastward Ho!: tips
Eastward Ho! is a private members' club with no public play, so a visit begins with a member's invitation. The address is 325 Fox Hill Road in Chatham, on Cape Cod. Ask your host about caddies, carts, dress and arrival time, since the club does not publish them. The course is a figure eight with the clubhouse in the middle, so ask your host which loop you will start on. There is no published green fee, so the cost of a round is a question for the member who invites you.
— Weather at Eastward Ho!
Approximate conditions · Observed · Open-Meteo
Visit Eastward Ho!
325 Fox Hill Road, Chatham, MA 02633
Chatham, Massachusetts, United States
— FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions about Eastward Ho!
Can the public play Eastward Ho!?
No. Eastward Ho! is a private club. Guests play only by invitation from a member, and there are no public tee times or published green fees.
Why is the club called Eastward Ho!?
It was founded as Chatham Country Club in 1922. The name changed to honor Herbert Fowler's earlier work on the links at Westward Ho! in England.
Who designed the course at Eastward Ho!?
Herbert Fowler designed it as a links-style layout on glacial moraine. Keith Foster later led a restoration in the 2000s that recovered lost putting surface on greens that had shrunk.
What is the layout like?
The course is a figure eight, two loops of nine with the clubhouse at the center. It sits on glacial moraine, so the ground tumbles, and several holes have views of the bay.