Wykagyl Country Club

Infobox_Golf_Facility
golf_facility_name = WYKAGYL COUNTRY CLUB


imagesize = 300px
caption =
location = Wykagyl, NY, USA
establishment = 1898
type = private
holes = 18
tournaments = HSBC Women's World Match Play Championship
website = http://www.wykagylcc.org/
designer1 = A. W. Tillinghast & Donald Ross
par1 = 72
length1 = 6,702 yards
rating1 = 73
record1 =

(PGA). Wykagyl is considered one of the premier "classic courses" in the country.

The club is private and application for membership is by invitation only.

History

The course was initially designed by Lawrence Van Etten and was completed in 1905. It quickly became famous for both its beauty and the cruelty of its hilly terrain. English golf pro Harry Vardon dubbed the 18th hole, also known as "cardiac hill," as "one of the greatest" he ever played.cite web|url=http://goliath.ecnext.com/coms2/gi_0199-1361130/Wykagyl-Country-Club-s-recipe.html|title=Wykagyl County Club's Recipe for Success] Over the years Wykagyl has attracted a number of prominent golf pros including Walter Hagen, George Duncan, Bobby Jones, Ben Hogan, Sam Sneed, and Byron Nelson.

The design of the golf course has evolved over the years, although the greens on the 1st, 7th, 9th, and 16th holes remain essentially unchanged from the original design. In the 1920s, several holes including the 5th and 6th were redesigned by Donald Ross, one of the most noted architects of the period. A. W. Tillinghast made additional changes in the 1930s, eliminating holes and improving others. cite web|url=http://www.sportsnetwork.com/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=sportsnetwork&page=golf-m/misc/course_reviews/wykagyl.htm|title=Course Review:Wykagyl Country Club] In 1994, golf course architect Arthur Hills did a complete overhaul of the course to keep it in line with championship standards, such as being over convert|6600|yd|m long, with a 72 par. [cite web|url=http://www.wykagylcc.org|title=Wykagyl Country Club] Most recently, Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw completed structural renovations aimed at preserving the rugged character of the course. [cite web|url=http://www.linksmagazine.com/golf_courses/united_states/new_york/wykagyl_country_club_golf_course.aspx?ht=wykagyl%20wykagyl|title=Classic Courses:Wykagyl Country Club]

According to the club's website, in 1895 the first U.S. Open Championship was held at Wykagyl, and was won by a professional at the club, Horace Rollins. In 1916 the first organizational meeting of the Professional Golfers Association was held at Wykagyl. [cite web|url=http://i.pga.com/pga/images/events/2006/anniversary/pdf/April_Newsletter.pdf|title=Newsletter|publisher=PGA|month=April|year=2007] In 1944 Wykagyl hosted its first notable charity event to benefit the American Red Cross, the 1944 New York Red Cross PGA Tournament. The tournament ranked as one of the top events of 1944, as no U.S. Opens were held from 1942 through 1945 and no Metropolitan Opens from 1941 through 1948. The 1949 Goodall Palm Beach Round Robin at Wykagyl was the first golf tournament to be broadcast by a television network. In 1977 the club hosted its first professional event, the LPGA Talk Tournament. Beginning in 1990, the Japan Airlines Big Apple Classic became a regular annual event at the club. Although the sponsors and names of the tournament changed over time, the venue remained constant for the next 17 years. In 2007 Wykagyl was the site of the HSBC Women's World Match Play Championship.

Major tournaments held at Wykagyl

Course detail

References

External links

* [http://www.wykagylcc.org/ Official website]