Sankaty Head
Sankaty Head
-
Course Type
Private -
GOLF Top 100 Courses in the U.S. Rank (2024-25)
92 -
Year
1923 -
Architect
H. Emerson Armstrong -
Par
71 -
Yardage
6,730
Course Overview
According to panelist Roger Hoit: “Magical, mystical, whimsical, beautiful, fun — a day at Sankaty Head on the idyllic island of Nantucket is all of those things and more. Sankaty is course for everyone. It’s highly playable from the stress-free forward tees but also a stiff test from the back tees, especially in the prevailing southwest breeze, as players learned at the 2021 U.S. Mid-Amateur here. Jim Urbina did a wonderful job with a 2017 restoration of the original Emerson Armstrong design. Highlights include the 4th hole, a 520-yard reachable par-5 where a well-positioned drive sets up the opportunity to go for the green. The Sankaty Head lighthouse dominates the horizon for the second shot that requires navigating fantastic bunkering, including a trench bunker over the green. Another standout is the par-4 15th. The approach to this 410-yard hole is my single favorite shot on the course as it plays uphill with the iconic clubhouse and lighthouse looming on the horizon. Sankaty Head is one of the game’s great one-hit wonders as it was Armstrong’s only design.
