EAST PROVIDENCE -- For those of us who struggle to make pars at Wannamoisett – which is just about every golfer whose handicap isn't in single digits – it can be discouraging to watch the Northeast Amateur.

All those flat-bellied kids with silky smooth, yet tremendously powerful, swings, able to make shoulder turns that would put an overweight codger such as I in traction. A "Who's Who" of college golf stars, all of whom hit drives amazing distances down the fairway, irons that seem laser-guided toward the flagstick, and putt with the confidence that every one – whether from 4 feet, or 40 -- is going in the hole.

For those of us of a certain age (i.e., mine, which is over 18, by quite a bit) and handicap (i.e., mine, which is under 18, but not by much) Wannamoisett is long, tough, and intimidating.

Once we pay tribute to the brilliance of Donald Ross, who sandwiched this endlessly entertaining, always fascinating, and, for us mere golfing mortals, extremely challenging, par-69 into a mere 105 acres of what once was farmland in what is now suburban Rumford, we also must admit that it's just too darned hard.

Michael J. Fay, who co-founded the Donald Ross Society, describes Wannamoisett as a "miraculous design" in his wonderful book about Ross courses, "Golf, As It Was Meant To Be Played."

He then adds: "After playing the course about 20 times, I have reached the inescapable conclusion that Wannamoisett is an Indian word that means double bogey." Assuming you can reach the green in regulation – hardly a guarantee, given the number of lengthy par-4s, amply protected by thick rough and deep bunkers – a 3-putt, or worse, always is a possibility.

"Wannamoisett beats players over the head from the first tee onward," Fay wrote. "The green speeds are typically 10 on the Stimpmeter, but for tournament play the greens are double-cut and rolled, which produces speeds that are difficult to measure. Add to this challenge the herd of dead elephants burned under these surfaces, and putting can be a problem for even the best players."

The best players in the state gathered at Wannamoisett for the State Amateur in 1994 and were totally overwhelmed. The medalist that year, Chuck Wojtowicz, was 9-over for 36 holes.

Which is why I wrote that: "Appropriate golf attire at Wannamoisett isn't bright colors and vibrant plaids. It's black leather. Anyone playing there ought to take the woods and irons out of their bag and replace them with whips and chains.

"We're talking major masochism here. We're talking pain. We're talking suffering. We're talking humiliation. All of which were endured by those attempting to qualify for match play in the Rhode Island Amateur."

The course is better now than it was then, thanks to a marvelous restoration by renowned course architect Ron Forse, who specializes in Ross designs. Work was done on all 110 bunkers on the course, including the addition of 11 new ones. A total of nine new tee boxes were built, making the second, ninth, 14th, and 17th holes even longer.

Combined with all the recent rain, which has resulted in rough that, in the words of club champion, and Northeast participant, Ben Tuthill is "wet, long, and nasty," the course is also as tough as it has ever been.

Except that these darned kids, including 17 of the top-ranked amateurs in the U.S. of A., are making it look easy.

It may be a bit of a reach to say they're making Wannamoisett seem like Firefly. Then again, given yesterday's scores, it may not be.

There were 33 players under par yesterday – 33! Five players shot 5-under 64, including tournament leader Adam Long, a senior at Duke from Lake St. Louis, Missouri, who, with a 67 in Wednesday's opening round, set a 36-hole scoring record of 131.

Another 13 players shot even-par 69, meaning that more than half the field of 84 shot par, or better.

That's mind-boggling. And, viewed from a certain perspective, exciting. Or, the way I look at it, discouraging.

These talented kids make a hard game look easy. They make a difficult course seem easy. There are future pros among them, so it's appropriate to say of them, as the PGA Tour does in touting its players: "These guys are good."

They're also appreciative of how good a golf course Wannamoisett is, and how prestigious a tournament is the Northeast Amateur.

"When you look down the list of guys who have played here and gone on to play on the PGA Tour, it's easy to see why, historically, this tournament is one of the best," said David Holmes of the University of Tennessee, who followed up his opening round of 65, which was good for a share of the lead, with a 69 yesterday that left him in a 7-way tie for fourth.

"Plus," he said, "I love the golf course."

Which is why, if you love golf, you ought to head over to Wannamoisett today and tomorrow to watch the Northeast Amateur. Even if, in some ways, it can be discouraging.

jdonalds @projo.com