Waverly Oaks delivers a truly challenging public golf experience with championship pedigree, smart design, and memorable shot values. While not a national pilgrimage site, it remains a serious standout in the South Shore and a test any golfer would enjoy tackling.
Ask staff about the 'Hollywood East' saga—locals love sharing how the club nearly became a movie studio lot.
Brian Silva’s work at Waverly Oaks stands as an ambitious and strategic use of natural Plymouth hills and hardwoods, transforming 240 acres into a parkland course that rewards thinking players. The routing deliberately avoids repetition, with a flow that capitalizes on elevation shifts for dramatic approach shots and scenic vistas. Silva’s design eschews gimmicks in favor of intelligent bunkering, demanding green sites, and real strategic risk-reward holes for all levels.
Silva considers Waverly Oaks among his finest achievements—a rare public championship with tournament-caliber bones.
At 234 yards from the tips, this demanding par 3 confronts players with a long iron or hybrid and nowhere easy to miss. With a green guarded closely by trouble on both sides, a par feels like a birdie this early in the round.
Play for the safe side of the green and trust a pure long iron rather than forcing a direct attack at the pin.
Anything short or astray brings bogey and worse; misses left or right risk deep trouble.
Generally well-kept fairways and greens, with firm tees; peak season brings premium conditions.
Standard public pace; expect 4.5 to 5 hours on busy weekends.
Championship-caliber challenge in an accessible, serious golf atmosphere.
Standard golf attire recommended.
A solid long iron or hybrid game is a must for the monster par 3s and big par 4s.
Reserve tee times as far in advance as possible, especially for weekend rounds in-season.
Many holes demand placement off the tee; knowing distances to layup areas is an advantage.
Official opening of Waverly Oaks Golf Club, designed by Brian Silva
Named Best New Course by Golf Digest
Subject of local and national golf media due to proposed Plymouth Rock Studios sale
Housing subdivision plans threaten nine-hole course, main championship layout preserved
Mass Golf hosts Net Four-Ball and Women's Mid-Amateur Championships
Massachusetts Four-Ball Championship scheduled
In 2009, the course narrowly escaped being razed for a proposed movie studio dubbed “Hollywood East,” turning Waverly Oaks into a symbol of golf’s battle with development. That drama has only added to the property’s local legend.
Golfers still talk about Waverly Oaks’ brutally long par 3s—most notably the 251-yard 17th—where three truly feels like a birdie and par is cause for fist pumps.
Repeated threats from housing and development schemes have tested the club’s permanence, but each time Waverly Oaks remained, solidifying its place as a South Shore fixture.
Waverly Oaks was almost replaced by a Hollywood film studio in the late 2000s.
Brian Silva, the course architect, personally ranks Waverly Oaks among his best works.
The course is routed over 240 acres of historic Plymouth land.
Several par 3s stretch over 200 yards from the back tees, a rarity for public courses.
The club has fended off multiple development threats, earning its place as a South Shore fixture.
Offers both Nicklaus and Jones courses with a resort feel minutes away.
Prestigious option for those with access, renowned conditioning and atmosphere.
Diverse 27-hole layout nearby, with variety and value.
Fun, friendly executive course for a warm-up or second round.
Plymouth for easy access to Waverly Oaks, Pinehills, and other local highlights.
Courses with the most similar DNA profile — matched by deviation shape across all eight playing characteristics.
Why it matches: There is real overlap here. Stonewall (Old Course) a comparable balance of challenge, variety, and character, making it a compelling counterpart to Waverly Oaks Golf Club.
Why it matches: What links these two? A comparable balance of challenge, variety, and character — a familiar feeling, expressed in Montauk Downs State Park's own setting.
Why it matches: What links these two? A comparable balance of challenge, variety, and character — a familiar feeling, expressed in Cherokee Valley Golf Club's own setting.
Acclaimed private New England course
Praised for strategic design in Maine
Community Sentiment
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