The sliver of a state known as Rhode Island, the smallest in the US, is dominated by the huge natural estuary known as Narragansett Bay. It defined the maritime vibe that dominates here and nowhere is that ethos stronger than on the archipelago, nicknamed Aquidneck, the area that is home to the towns of Newport, Middletown and Portsmouth.

The first nine-hole golf course in the country was constructed in Newport in 1890 to serve the 19th-century tycoons who built luxurious waterfront mansions here; and so it’s only appropriate that the newest local landmark should be a golf club – or rather, the luxury golf community known as Carnegie Abbey.