Richmond County Country Club (RCCC) is a private
country club
A country club is a privately owned club, often with a membership quota and admittance by invitation or sponsorship, that generally offers both a variety of recreational sports and facilities for dining and entertaining. Typical athletic offe ...
in
Staten Island, New York
Staten Island ( ) is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Richmond County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located in the city's southwest portion, the borough is separated from New Jersey by the Arthur Kill and the Kill Van Kull and ...
. The club includes a golf course, tennis courts, an aquatic facility, and two clubhouses. The golf course and the main clubhouse have impressive views of
New York Harbor, the
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...
, and the
New Jersey highlands. For more than a century Richmond County has been the only private county club in
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
and is one of the oldest in the United States.
History
Richmond County Country Club was organized on April 18, 1888 by
Clarence Whitman, W. Henry Motley,
Adolph J. Outerbridge, Gugy M. Irving, Wethered B. Thomas, and
Eugene H. Outerbridge. The club was officially incorporated in 1891. Richmond County Hunt Club had formed in 1887, and some of their members established RCCC to provide a place where people could socialize while participating in
fox hunting and other sports that would eventually include
golf
Golf is a club-and-ball sport in which players use various clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a course in as few strokes as possible.
Golf, unlike most ball games, cannot and does not use a standardized playing area, and coping ...
and
lawn tennis
Tennis is a racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent (singles) or between two teams of two players each (doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket that is strung with cord to strike a hollow rubber ball cove ...
. For years Richmond County Hunt Club operated in close affiliation with RCCC sharing social activities and facilities.
RCCC was founded in the same year as The Saint Andrews Golf Club in
Hastings-on-Hudson, New York
Hastings-on-Hudson is a village in Westchester County located in the southwestern part of the town of Greenburgh in the state of New York, United States. It is located on the eastern bank of the Hudson River, approximately north of midtown Manh ...
.
St. Andrew's is one of the founding members of the
United States Golf Association
The United States Golf Association (USGA) is the United States national association of golf courses, clubs and facilities and the governing body of golf for the U.S. and Mexico. Together with The R&A, the USGA produces and interprets the rules ...
(USGA) and is considered the oldest continuously operating golf club in the United States.
In 1901 RCCC had four classes of membership: Resident, Non-resident, Associate, and Summer. Summer members were permitted to join for 5 months only without an initiation fee. Resident and Non-resident membership had an initiation fee of $30, with the annual dues of $50 for Residents and $25 for Non-residents. Summer members paid dues of $35.
Original location
RCCC's original location was on the grounds of the former
Vanderbilt estate, near Ocean Terrace and Little Clove Road on Staten Island, utilizing property that was owned by the Wittemann family. A two-story Victorian house was used as the clubhouse. When the club incorporated in 1891 it had over 60 members. In 1906, after the club moved,
Charles Rudolph Wittemann established Wittemann Aeronautical Engineers and built the world's first commercial airplane manufacturing plant at the location.
Golf
Golf began at RCCC in 1894 led by club members George Hunter, George Armstrong, and James Park. The three members, who were all
from England, had played golf at Harbor Hills Golf Course in New Brighton, which had opened in 1878, while visiting the island the previous year. At the time, Staten Island was a retreat for people living in the
New York metropolitan area
The New York metropolitan area, also commonly referred to as the Tri-State area, is the largest metropolitan area in the world by urban landmass, at , and one of the most populous urban agglomerations in the world. The vast metropolitan area ...
. Hunter and Armstrong were members at St. Andrew's, and had participated in one of the two "
National Amateur Championship" that were conducted in 1894. Hunter, Armstrong, and Park designed a 9-hole course near the clubhouse, and Hunter donated a golf championship medal to the club. This medal has been awarded every year to the winner of the RCCC club championship qualifier since 1895, and remains one of the oldest commemoratives used continuously in American golf.
In 1897, RCCC moved to its present location in
Dongan Hills (also known at the time as Garretson), near
Todt Hill
Todt Hill ( ) is a hill formed of serpentine rock on Staten Island, New York. It is the highest natural point in the five boroughs of New York City and the highest elevation on the entire Atlantic coastal plain from Florida to Cape Cod. The summi ...
, to accommodate the rising interest in golf. Member and property owner
George Cromwell allocated land that was north of Four Corners Road on which the club built a nine-hole golf course. A year later, nine more holes were added on land rented from Cromwell that was routed away from the original nine. The new nine became known as the Meadow Holes. It was noted in the
New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
in 1898 that Albert E. Paterson won the opening day tournament with a score of 83.
The early course totaled 5,175 yards, "with bogie figured at 77" and covered about 90 acres.
The golf course's signature hole was the same hole as the current signature hole, the short par 3 third hole with a drop of over 100 feet from the tee to the green.
In 1901, Paterson, who held the Hunter Medal at the time, was the owner of the amateur course record of 80 and
Harry Vardon
Henry William Vardon (9 May 1870 – 20 March 1937) was a professional golfer from Jersey. He was a member of the Great Triumvirate with John Henry Taylor and James Braid. Vardon won The Open Championship a record six times, and also won the ...
held the professional record of 71. At the time, the golf course scorecard looked as follows:
''Scorecard note: Bogey is considered PAR.''
The
New York Tribune published a description of each hole, highlights of which included:
*The 1st hole is known as "''The Bay''" on account of the fine view of the water. The ground slopes slightly to the right and the only notable hazard is a road 235 yards from the tee, which much be carried on the second shot. The green is terraced at the back and to the right, making judgment necessary in approaching it.
*The 3rd is one of the distinctive features of the course, and though jocosely dubbed "''Wee Drop''", is in reality a descent of 100 feet in 112 yards.
*On the 9th the bunker is only 85 yards out, but a road must be crossed on the second shot, and the bogie of 5 must be regarded as a fair one.
*16th Now comes the longest hole on the course, "''The Highlands''", 480 yards from tee to green.
*18th The home hole is only 144 yards long, but it requires the accurate play to cover it successfully in 3, the bogie figure. The first 50 yards is over an abandoned mine dump. A line of trees skirting the road will catch a slice, but a straight drive of 125 yards will lay the ball on the green, and will enable the player to equal bogie.
On October 13, 1901, the New York Tribune described RCCC's location as "a 10 minute ride on the
Midland Railway
The Midland Railway (MR) was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1844. The Midland was one of the largest railway companies in Britain in the early 20th century, and the largest employer in Derby, where it had its headquarters. It ama ...
from the
St. George ferry. Three-quarters of a mile away is
Midland Beach, in plain view from the clubhouse, and the trolley service has been thus proved excellent for members running down from
Manhattan
Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...
for an afternoon's outing on the links."
In 1908, the original nine holes north of Four Corners Road were abandoned and sold as home sites, and the club bought additional land from which an 18-hole golf course on Todt Hill Road would be completed. In 1916, the current course layout was designed by
Robert White, the first President of the
Professional Golfers' Association of America. In 1947, White was a founding member of the
American Society of Golf Course Architects
The American Society of Golf Course Architects (abbreviated as ASGCA) is a professional organization of golf course designers in America. Founded in 1946, its members are actively involved in the design of new courses and the renovation of existi ...
.
In 1956 the 1st and 18th holes were par threes. The holes were laid out in 1916 to replace the longer 1st and 9th holes of the 1898 course. The par threes were created to eliminate the need to hit shots over Todt Hill Road. But golfers were still required to walk across the road to play the 2nd hole (today's 4th hole) and at the completion of the 17th hole (today's 3rd hole). In the 1950s, increased traffic was becoming an issue and the land used for both holes on the clubhouse side of Todt Hill Road was sold. The par threes were replaced by the current 11th and 12th holes. The land sale created some distance between RCCC's clubhouse and the golf course so a modern facility was built at the course to support all golf activities.
The club's 124-acre golf course adjoins the domain of the
Staten Island Greenbelt. The 10th and 11th holes skirt the mapped right-of-way, but never built, portion of the
Willowbrook Parkway which was cancelled in the 1970s due to its impact on the Greenbelt. In 1989, the State of New York substantiated its commitment to the Greenbelt by purchasing the golf course, and then gave RCCC a 99-year lease for the land at a cost of $1 annually.
In 2006, RCCC began working with golf course architects
Ron Prichard
Ron Prichard (born 1945 or 1946) is an American golf course designer and restorer. His original designs include the TPC at Southwind, Memphis, Tennessee, now home of the FedEx St. Jude Classic. However, he is perhaps better known for mastermindi ...
, and Tyler Rae. With their help RCCC created a master plan that included deepening bunkers, expanding greens, and adjusting mounding. In 2018, the 17th and 18th holes were redesigned to lengthen the course and to take advantage of the golf course's topography capturing views of earlier versions of the golf course.
Staten Island Amateur
The Staten Island Amateur was first played in 1899 and was conducted each year at either RCCC or Fox Hills Golf Club, which had opened in 1900, through 1926. Through those years almost all participants were from one of the two clubs, and those who had duel memberships declared which club they were representing when submitting their application. The tournament has been played each year at RCCC since 1950.
Bill Britton
William Timothy Britton (born November 13, 1955) is an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour for fifteen years during the 1980s and 1990s.
Britton was born and raised on Staten Island, New York, and attended Monsignor Farrell ...
a tournament winner on the
PGA Tour
The PGA Tour (stylized in all capital letters as PGA TOUR by its officials) is the organizer of professional golf tours in the United States and North America. It organizes most of the events on the flagship annual series of tournaments also ...
played in the championship twice before turning pro and won each time, defeating his brother Bob both times.
Clubhouse
In 1897, George Cromwell, who would soon become Staten Island's first
borough president, assisted with the club's purchase of an estate on Todt Hill that included a large stately home. RCCC's clubhouse, known as the Alexander House, is a rare surviving
antebellum mansion on Staten Island. It was built on 36 rolling acres in the 1840s or 1850s and originally attributed to Agatha Mayer (or Meyer). When the club bought the house, one side featured large stone retaining walls while the other side of the house had extensive grass lawns. The residence was owned by Junius Alexander who named the house “Effingham” after his family origins in
Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
. Mr. Alexander, who made money on
Wall Street and through his railroad connections, lived with his family in the home from 1878 until his death in 1893 enjoying the views his property gave him of New York Harbor.
Tennis
Lawn tennis was growing in popularity in the 1890s. Americans had been introduced to the sport on Staten Island in the 1870s by
Mary Ewing Outerbridge
Mary Ewing Outerbridge (February 16, 1852 – May 3, 1886) was an American woman who imported the lawn game tennis to the United States from Bermuda.
Biography
Mary was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Bermudians Alexander Ewing Outerbridge ...
, a woman from a well known
family in Bermuda, who had two brothers who were RCCC founders. One of these brothers, Eugene Outerbridge, was part of a small group of men who came together to establish the
United States Lawn Tennis Association
The United States Tennis Association (USTA) is the national governing body for tennis in the United States. A not-for-profit organization with more than 700,000 members, it invests 100% of its proceeds to promote and develop the growth of tennis ...
in 1881. In September 1880, the first American national tennis championship had been organized and played at the Staten Island Cricket and Baseball Club (now known as the
Staten Island Cricket Club). In 1899, RCCC members took advantage of the lawns that surrounded the clubhouse to create quality grass tennis courts. In the early part of the 20th century RCCC summer members included
International Tennis Hall of Fame
The International Tennis Hall of Fame is located in Newport, Rhode Island, United States. It honors both players and other contributors to the sport of tennis. The complex, the former Newport Casino, includes a museum, grass tennis courts, an indo ...
member
Robert "Bob" Wrenn, a winner of four United States singles tennis championships and future president of the United States Tennis Association; his brother,
George Wrenn
George Lawson Wrenn (July 2, 1875 – July 29, 1948) was an American tennis player active in the late 19th century and early 20th century.
Tennis career
Wrenn reached the all-comers final of the U.S. National Championships in 1900 (beating his ...
; and
Arthur E. Foote
Arthur Ellsworth Foote (January 3, 1874 – August 27, 1946) was an American tennis player active in the late 19th century.
He was born in New Haven, Connecticut, the son of Sherman Frisbie Foote and his wife, Mary Hutton Rice. He attended Hillh ...
, a winner of the New England tennis championship.
Today, RCCC's Tennis Pavilion includes eight
Har-Tru
A clay court is one of the types of tennis court on which the sport of tennis, originally known as "lawn tennis", is played. Clay courts are made of crushed stone, brick, shale, or other unbound mineral aggregate depending on the tournament.
...
courts; a spa-like lounge, and a Pro Shop staffed with
United States Professional Tennis Association
The United States Professional Tennis Association (USPTA) is an organization which offers certification and professional development for professional tennis teachers and tennis coaches.
The organization has approximately 13,500 members in the Uni ...
(USPTA) professionals.
Fox hunting
RCCC was originally established to maintain a pack of hounds and to hunt fox, and quickly became one of the top hunt clubs in the area. But as the popularity of golf and tennis grew, and homes started to be built around Staten Island, fox hunting became impractical and was ceased in 1915. RCCC sent the club's English fox hounds to New Jersey where they were given to Monmouth County Hunt which had been operating since 1885.
Club culture
Dress code
To maintain its standards as a privileged and exclusive establishment, the club, like many other older clubs, has a strict dress code with a detailed schedule of rules on what may be worn where and when.
Course description
![Todt_Hill_Richmond_County_CC_golf_Staten_Island_NY](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bd/Todt_Hill_Richmond_County_CC_golf_Staten_Island_NY.jpg)
RCCC's golf course routing is out and back, i.e. once you leave the 1st tee you will not return to the clubhouse until you reach the 18th green. There is a half-way house near the 10th green and the 13th tee. The course has a number of elevation changes with the front 9 eventually working its way close to the top of Todt Hill, the highest point along the American
Atlantic seaboard
The East Coast of the United States, also known as the Eastern Seaboard, the Atlantic Coast, and the Atlantic Seaboard, is the coastline along which the Eastern United States meets the North Atlantic Ocean. The eastern seaboard contains the coa ...
south of the
State of Maine. The 10th tee offers a wonderful view of the surrounding area.
The golf course has small to medium size greens, some of which have multiple plateaus. The rolling topography and the course's proximity to New York Harbor make for some interesting putting challenges - first time players of the course will claim that some putts defy gravity and break uphill.
Club member
Ernest Flagg
Ernest Flagg (February 6, 1857 – April 10, 1947) was an American architect in the Beaux-Arts style. He was also an advocate for urban reform and architecture's social responsibility.
Early life and education
Flagg was born in Brooklyn, New ...
was considered one of the world's leading architects while he lived on Staten Island. He owned a large amount of land on Todt Hill, especially near the grounds of RCCC. Flagg was noted for his unique designs in which he used serpentine rock that was quarried from Todt Hill. The remains of one quarry can be seen below you as you move from the 2nd green to the 3rd tee. Many of the homes near RCCC, along Todt Hill Road and Flagg Place, were built using the quarried serpentine. St. Charles Seminary, a large mansion like structure near RCCC's main clubhouse, was Flagg's home.
Course scorecard 2017
Notable members
*
Howard Randolph Bayne
*
George Cromwell
*
John Eberhard Faber, Jr.
*
Ernest Flagg
Ernest Flagg (February 6, 1857 – April 10, 1947) was an American architect in the Beaux-Arts style. He was also an advocate for urban reform and architecture's social responsibility.
Early life and education
Flagg was born in Brooklyn, New ...
*
Arthur E. Foote
Arthur Ellsworth Foote (January 3, 1874 – August 27, 1946) was an American tennis player active in the late 19th century.
He was born in New Haven, Connecticut, the son of Sherman Frisbie Foote and his wife, Mary Hutton Rice. He attended Hillh ...
*
James Tayloe Gwathmey
James Tayloe Gwathmey, M.D. (September 10, 1862—February 11, 1944) was an American physician and the first president of the American Association of Anesthetics (now the International Anesthesia Research Society). A pioneer of early anesthetic de ...
*
Eugenius Harvey Outerbridge
Eugenius Harvey Outerbridge (March 8, 1860 – November 10, 1932) was a businessman and promoter of patent fiberboard, and the first chairman of the interstate agency known then as the Port of New York Authority. The Outerbridge Crossing, a Por ...
*
Cornelius Vanderbilt IV
Cornelius Vanderbilt IV (April 30, 1898July 7, 1974) was a newspaper publisher, journalist, author, and military officer. He was an outcast of high society, and was disinherited by his parents when he became a newspaper publisher. He desired to ...
*
Clarence Whitman
*
Charles Rudolph Wittemann
*
George Wrenn
George Lawson Wrenn (July 2, 1875 – July 29, 1948) was an American tennis player active in the late 19th century and early 20th century.
Tennis career
Wrenn reached the all-comers final of the U.S. National Championships in 1900 (beating his ...
*
Robert Wrenn
Robert Duffield Wrenn (September 20, 1873 – November 12, 1925) was an American left-handed tennis player, four-time U.S. singles championship winner, and one of the first inductees in the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
Biography
Wrenn w ...
References
External links
* Map sources: main clubhouse - ; golf clubhouse - {{coord, 40, 34, 59.2, N, 74, 06, 47.1, W, display=inline
Official website
Golf clubs and courses in New York (state)
Sports venues in Staten Island
Clubs and societies in New York City
1888 establishments in New York (state)