Golf in Providence

Carved through dense pine trees according to the vision of New England course designer Donald Ross, Triggs Memorial Golf Course artfully incorporates the natural terrain into a scenic, 18-hole layout. The course begins with three long par 4s—demanding par 4s have become the course's calling card—making it a daunting layout for slow-starting swings and jet-lagged 9-irons. Relatively short par 5s offer stick-flickers scoring chances to compensate for some of the more difficult holes, provided they can keep their drives out of the fairway bunkers and dense tree lines that flank most fairways. Flat terrain eases golfers into the round on the front nine, and more hilly terrain awaits on the back nine to complicate club selection and force the occasional above- or below-the-feet lie. Small, well-bunkered greens loom at the end of each fairway, requiring precise approach shots to keep balls on the green. After rounds, golfers can head to Yogi's Grill, where a menu of sandwiches, wraps, burgers, and 13 beers slake appetites that haven't been spoiled by handfuls of savory greenside sand.

Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole, par 72 course
• Course rating of 72.0 from the farthest tees
• Slope rating of 124 from the farthest tees
• Three tee options

Perched along the historic Palmer River, where steamships used to chug along to the ocean’s embrace, the tree-spotted links of Wampanoag Golf Course invite players to swing their way through nine holes designed by golf course architect Aljenon Barney in 1932. Golfers swing their way through the 110 acres of bucolic greenery, where subtle slopes facilitate walking or somersaulting from hole to hole, and gas-powered carts ferry club-swingers who loop the course twice over to play a full 18. Players are challenged with forced carries over water hazards on holes 7, 8, and 9 and must use deft club selections throughout to avoid excessive sunbathing in the course’s populous sand traps. After breaking a sweat, golfers can lounge in the shade of a patio, munching on sandwiches and sipping complimentary coffee before summoning camel transports for a renewed attack on hole six's sandy moat to the green.

Who said golf was a rich man's game? We didn't. It was a filthy, lying cyber-bully.

Staffed by experienced coaches and computers who’ve sworn allegiance to the three laws of golfing robotics, GolfTEC’s motion sensors and high-speed cameras monitor swings and break down each individual’s form on a high-definition video display to get results. Sensors chirp with approval whenever they detect the perfect stroke or an especially witty golfing joke. GolfTEC’s certified personal coaches will point out flaws and strengths while providing golfers with tips on how to permanently improve their game from tee to green through a detailed, diagnostic gameplan.

At Mulligan's Island Golf & Entertainment, 60 covered hitting stalls look out onto 11 acres of target areas, a sprawling configuration that helped earn the facility a spot on Golf Range Magazine's 2011 list of top 100 ranges. Golfers can use the driving range's 20 heated stalls to practice during off-season months without worrying about cooler temperatures stiffening their swings, or they can invest in lessons that use digital teaching methods such as computerized swing analysis to lower handicaps. A USGA-rated course tests participants with nine holes of regulation-size golf, while an 18-hole pitch-and-putt short course and two mini-golf courses help golfers calibrate aspects of their short game. The practice mecca also tests swings at 10 batting cages that feed baseballs and softballs at adjustable speeds to suit both little leaguers and professionals fishing for compliments.

A family-friendly atmosphere at the Airport Golf Fun Center lets guests of any age unwind with games of mini-golf or hone their skills with long shots on the driving range. Putt past obstacles, undulating turf, and ball-swiping seagulls on the 18-hole mini-golf course. Beautifully landscaped, the course winds past a plethora of ponds, water falls, and baffling water rises. Golfers can also refine regular-sized skills on a short game practice area outfitted with a putting green, sand trap, and purse-lipped fans. The 45-stall range lets clubsmen unsheathe drivers for full-fledged shots from tee-boxes dressed with real grass or artificial turf.