Newport National Golf Club - Orchard Course

The Orchard Course at Newport National is Arthur Hills's 2002 design in Middletown, Rhode Island, roughly a mile from the Atlantic on what was originally a 200-acre landscape nursery. Hills built 7,244 yards par 72 with a 74.4 rating and 138 slope, creating the course that's now deemed the #1 Public Access Course in Rhode Island by Golf Digest and the #1 Public Access Course in all of New England by New England Golf Monthly. The Orchard plays fairly flat by regional standards, the Rhode Island terrain near the coast doesn't offer dramatic elevation change, but wind more than compensates. Thick gnarly fescue frames most holes, creating the links-style visuals that match Newport's Scottish-influenced golf culture. Hills kept green complexes strong for a flat course: firm, multi-tiered, and defended by deep bunkering that rewards precise approach angles. Newport National's Orchard Course is ranked #7 in Rhode Island for 2025-26 by Golf Digest. For a Rhode Island or Cape Cod itinerary, it's the public-access marquee round. Pair with Newport Country Club (private, but occasionally accessible through a hotel concierge stay-and-play) and the Cape Cod National or Blue Rock rounds for a full New England coastal trip.