Hardest Public Golf Courses in Rhode Island
The hardest public golf course in Rhode Island is Newport National Golf Club in Middletown, with a slope of 139 and a course rating of 74.1 from the BLACK tees (7,102 yards). It is a public course, open to all golfers. Next are Green Valley Country Club (slope 137) and Richmond Country Club (slope 133).
4 hardest public courses in Rhode Island, by slope
Every course here has had its public access checked against a named source.
| Rank | Course | City | Access | Slope | Course rating | Tee | Yards | Access checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Newport National Golf Club | Middletown | Public | 139 | 74.1 | BLACK | 7,102 | Nov 2026 source |
| 2 | Green Valley Country Club | Portsmouth | Semi-private | 137 | 72.8 | Blue | 6,744 | Nov 2026 source |
| 3 | Richmond Country Club | Richmond | Public | 133 | 72.7 | BLACK | 6,748 | Nov 2026 source |
| 4 | Triggs Memorial Golf Course | Providence | Municipal | 132 | 72.3 | BLUE | 6,588 | Nov 2026 source |
How this list is built
Each course is ranked by the highest slope rating from its men's tees. Women's ratings are used only where a course publishes no men's rating. Only regulation 18-hole courses are included; nine-hole courses are left out.
Only courses whose public access Stymie has checked against the club's own site or another named source are listed, and private clubs are left out. That is why this list differs from the hardest golf courses in Rhode Island, which ranks every rated course.
Courses are checked in order from the highest slope down, and the list stops at the first course whose public access has not been checked yet, so nothing here skips over an unchecked course. Courses that were checked and could not be confirmed as open to the public are left out. 24 golf courses in Rhode Island have a slope rating on file, and Stymie has checked access for 7 of them so far.
Semi-private courses limit public tee times. Call ahead before you plan a round.
Rhode Island public course FAQ
What is the hardest public golf course in Rhode Island?
Of the Rhode Island courses Stymie has checked for public access, Newport National Golf Club in Middletown has the highest slope rating: 139 from the BLACK tees, with a course rating of 74.1. Green Valley Country Club is next at 137. Courses are checked from the highest slope down, so no unchecked course ranks above the ones listed.
What is the hardest municipal course in Rhode Island?
Triggs Memorial Golf Course in Providence, with a slope rating of 132 from the BLUE tees. It ranks No. 4 on this list of checked public courses.
Can anyone play Newport National Golf Club?
Yes. Newport National Golf Club is a public course, open to all golfers. Stymie checked its access in Nov 2026 against newportnational.com. Tee-time policies change, so confirm with the course before you go.
How is difficulty measured?
By slope rating, which measures how much harder a course plays for a bogey golfer than for a scratch golfer. It runs from 55 to 155, and 113 is standard difficulty. Each course is ranked by the highest slope from its men's tees, and only regulation 18-hole courses are included. Course rating, the score a scratch golfer is expected to shoot, is shown alongside.
More Rhode Island golf
- Hardest golf courses in Rhode Island, private clubs included
- Easiest public golf courses in Rhode Island
- Every rated course in Rhode Island
- All Rhode Island golf courses