The Wianno Club: A Members-Only Paradise in Osterville

After buying a home on Cape Cod, your social life and entertainment options will surely be on your mind. After all, you'll want to enjoy your new surroundings as much as possible.

The good news is that the Cape has various private clubs that come with a built-in social circuit and provide plenty of fantastic activities for the entire family.

The Wianno Club in Osterville is one such venue, as it has all of the amenities you'll need to enjoy your summers to their fullest. Keep in mind that the club is only open between Memorial Day and the middle of September, but that's more than enough time to take advantage of its offerings.

Here's what you should know about the Wianno Club in Osterville, Massachusetts.

About the Clubhouse

Before learning about the Wianno Club's amenities, you should learn a bit about its history.

For starters, the main clubhouse building dates back to 1888. The building was originally the Cotocheset House, a resort hotel for the East Coast's elite before World War I. In 1916, the Wianno Club purchased the hotel and other land where its golf course now sits.

The main clubhouse is now on the National Register of Historic Places and one of the region's last remaining 19th-century hotels. It's also the most recognizable building in the Wianno Historic District.

The Golf Course

The resort's golf course also opened in 1916 but was only nine holes at that time. This original course was designed by Donald Ross, a member of the American Society of Golf Course Architects. While some of those early elements remain, the course is now 18 holes and has a much different layout. Gilbert Hanse oversaw the course's most recent renovation in 2012.

The course itself is a par 70 featuring 5,900 yards of length from the back tees with a 70.4 rating and a 125 slope rating. The par-five eighth hole is the longest at 537 yards, while the 455-yard fourth offers incredible views over North Bay.

Remember that the golf course's clubhouse is separate from the main one, as it sits on Parker Road.

Dining Options

Naturally, you'll want to enjoy a meal or two anytime you're spending time at the Wianno Club and, luckily, there are plenty of options to go around.

For starters, there's the Main Dining Room, an upscale restaurant with room for up to 150 people. The Main Dining Room is reserved for formal dining and has an incredibly diverse menu for members to try.

For a more casual experience, there's more dining at the Sea View Room. This venue also has a diverse menu and is the most popular place to eat at the Wianno Club because of its more laidback atmosphere. This room has space for 140 people.

The third indoor dining venue, the South Terrace Room, seats 68 people, and special events and parties often occur in the Ballroom, which has space for 220 people.

If you'd prefer to eat outdoors, the Beach Snack Bar overlooks Nantucket Sound and has space for 100 people. The club occasionally puts up tents on the lawn, as well, creating a pop-up outdoor dining venue that can accommodate up to 400 people.

There's a golf course restaurant, too, if you want a meal and a drink after playing your round.

There's at least one restaurant open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner seven days per week in the summer at the Wianno Club, and the venue opens for Thanksgiving and Christmas meals, as well.

Beaches, Watersports, and Other Activities

Since the Wianno Club sits right on Nantucket Sound, it makes sense that the venue would have beach access. Wianno Beach has lovely ocean views and stairs heading down to the water from the main clubhouse, making it easily accessible.

The ocean isn't the only place to spend time on the water at the Wianno Club, as the group also has a private beach on Crystal Lake. This beach is the place to be if you have kids because there are lifeguards on duty and a dock for jumping into the water.

Other activities at Crystal Lake include kayaking and paddleboarding. There are members-only tennis and pickleball courts nearby, too, giving you even more opportunity to spend your days outdoors.

If you want to get some exercise, you can partake in the club's boot camps or fitness, yoga, and Pilates classes. There's even a children's club where you can leave your kids with a trained professional for the day while you golf, play tennis, or relax on the beach.

Access and Memberships

At this point, you're probably wondering how you go about getting a membership at the Wianno Club, and that's where things get a little tricky. The only way to get in is to know a member and receive a guest invitation to the venue.

From there, you can inquire about membership availability, but you'll probably have to spend a bit of time at the club before you're accepted. Its members own the club, so making friends and socializing with people who are already there gives you a better chance of being welcomed.

If you're visiting as a guest, make sure you follow the dress code and other house rules, such as the no cellphone policy, at all times.

Part of the Cape Cod Community

Moving to the Cape puts you in the heart of a vibrant community with plenty of activities for the entire family. If you can become a member of the Wianno Club, it makes the process easier because all of your activities will be at a single venue.

Even if you don't become a member of this private club, however, you'll still have no trouble finding ways to spend your time on Cape Cod.