Home Course features The Country Club Of Rochester – Walter Hagen’s ‘Home’ Club.

The Country Club Of Rochester – Walter Hagen’s ‘Home’ Club.

11 years ago by Bernie McGuire Comments Off

About a decent par four away from this week’s PGA Championship host venue at Oak Hill is another famed golf course – The Country Club of Rochester.

Having driven past the golf course since our arrival here on Monday we decided to visit the club on the eve to the commencement of the 95th PGA Championship.

Among the few people we met was Michael Morse and his wife, Margie.

Michael was hard not to miss as he was carrying under his arm a handful of hickory shaft clubs.

The club was founded in February 1895, by a group of golfers, members of the Genesee Valley Club, who wanted to form a family club.

They arranged to purchase land on the Brighton Road (East Avenue) near the corner of Elmwood Avenue in the Town of Brighton. A farmhouse on the property served as the first clubhouse until 1902, when it was destroyed by fire.

The first golf course had nine holes, laid out on either side of the Brighton Road. Each hole was given a descriptive name, in the British manner, and these names persist as designations for the guest rooms in the present clubhouse (Hub, Stonewall, Hickory, and Blue Point).

As interest in golf grew, the original course was changed and expanded. Donald Ross, Scotsman, and pre-eminent golf course architect of his time, designed what is essentially the Country Club course that we play today, followed in recent years by Robert Trent Jones and Arthur Hills.

A Master Plan restoration was completed in 2004 by Golf Course Architect, Gil Hanse although as Michael pointed out Gil is not too happy that there is still two large trees, planted side-by-side many years ago, that are still in place to the right of the final green.

Gil is a good friend of www.golfbytourmiss.com.

I mentioned to Michael I was standing outside our dwelling in Crail some months back when a vehicle pulled up and driven by long-time Crail professional, Graeme Lennie. In the passenger seat was Gil who walked over to shake hands.

I was only present at the golf club last night for some 45 minutes but what a marvellous layout of golf holes.

However one of the standout features is a bust of the legendary Hagen.

Hagen won 11 Majors in his career and he is third on the all-time list of Major Champions behind Jack Nicklaus (18) and Tiger Woods (14).

He won the US Open twice, and in 1922 became the first native-born American to win The Open Championship, which was the first of four victories.

Hagen also captured five PGA Championship titles and when he passed away in 1969 he had 45 pGA Tour wins to his credit while he played in six Ryder Cups.

Hagen grew up in Brighton, near the Country Club, where he was first a caddie and later became caddie master and then the club professional. In the Hagen Lounge within the clubhouse, there are memorabilia marking Walter Hagen’s golfing achievements, and The Hagen Lounge perpetuates his name.

One of the pall bearers when Hagen died was Arnold Palmer.

And as Michael and his wife pointed out, the house that Hagen grew up is still present and located near the back of the 17th green.

As you will note in the photographs hereunder the club’s emblem is a Scottish thistle in honour of Donald Ross.

Entrance to the Country Club of Rochester with the club’s logo a Scottish thistle in honour of its roots with the Home of Golf. (Photo – www.golfbytourmiss.com)