The unspoiled woodlands and waters of Carnegie Abbey have a long history as rich as the soil underfoot. These plentiful hunting and fishing grounds nurtured the Narragansett Indians for thousands of years. Narragansett Bay is second only to the Chesapeake in its abundance of shellfish, and its shores were also a source of glass-like quartz and shale used for arrowheads-many of which have been found here during Carnegie Abbey's archaeological surveys and subsequent construction. The Narragansett called this place Aquidneck, "Isle of Peace," and shared it with the osprey, songbirds, deer, raccoon, waterfowl, turtles, and trout that still flourish here.

In time, English settlers arrived and discovered the same wealth of natural resources and temperate climate, and thrived here. In the summer of 1778, as the Revolutionary War raged across the colonies, the terrain that now serves as the Club's golf course was the site of the Battle of Rhode Island. Today, this historic event is commemorated in holes dubbed Bloody Run, Patriots' Stand, and Hessians' Hole.

Over the course of the nineteenth century, America's transformation from pastoral frontier to industrial power brought the splendor of the Gilded Age to nearby Newport, but left the "Isle of Peace" undisturbed. A Benedictine monastery established here in 1900 remains owner and steward of this coastal preserve of unsurpassed beauty.

"Benedictine Monks have traditionally seen stewardship of their land as a serious responsibility given to them by God. In that same spirit, we, the monks, have entrusted a portion of our land to the Carnegie Abbey Club with steadfast confidence that they will respect this beautiful piece of God's creation and make it even more spectacular."

"Carnegie Abbey's respect for this land and the tribal heritage it represents has preserved its past, embraced the present and will protect its future."

Carnegie Abbey Club members can be proud to partake of a golfing and sporting experience that embraces and honors the history of this unique property. Modern-day descendants of the Narragansett tribe have been employed to construct many of the architectural features of the Golf House, Lodge and The Lookout, using their traditional stone building skills. And the golf course has been sympathetically designed by renowned Scottish links architect Donald Steel to complement both the historical features and the natural topography of this splendid place.