….. by Bernie McGuire
In visiting Segregansett Country Club for a first time, and seeing the sign indicating the club was founded in 1893 had me immediatately thinking this must be one of the oldest golf clubs in the United States.
Though what took me to Segregansett was its connection with Francis Ouimet, the then 20-year-old amateur who remarkably captured the 1913 US Open by defeating two of the greats of the game.
The Segregansett club is located some 45 miles south of Boston and close to the town of Tanton and both in Massachusetts.
The oldest golf club it’s not though that claim is debatable as a Wikipedia check reveals the Savannah Golf Club was established in 1794 while Foxburg, established in 1887 and located in Foxburg, Pennsylvania is the oldest in terms of continuous use while another website Golf NRX says the Oakhurst course, and also in Pennsylvania, to be ‘the first organised golf club in America and there’s the Chicago Golf Club course believed to be oldest 18-holes in the U.S.
However, Segregansett Country Club can boast being the 6th oldest operating course in Massachusetts.
Segregansett Country Club – Image GolfByTourMiss
No matter, the late 1890s seemed to be a boom time for golf with the emergence of so many golf courses in the New York, Massachusetts and the New England region of the States.
What cannot be questioned is that Segregansett was home club to Ouimet, winner in his first appearance of the 1913 US Open at closeby Brookline and the 19th hosting of the championship, having been encouraged by the then USGA President, to enter the championship while Ouiment arranged for 10-year-old Eddie Lowery to be his caddy.
After 72 holes of regulation play the championship ended on the Saturday in a three-way tie, Ouimet and Harry Vardon (Then a five-time Open Championship winner), and the pipe-smoking Ted Ray (Winner a year earlier of the 1912 Open Championship at Muirfield). Under the rules, it was then to be decided over an 18-hole playoff the next day.
Despite the rainy conditions, Ouimet shone comfortably breaking clear of still a three-way tie through nine holes of the play-off to then par all inward half holes for a stunning one-under tally, beating Vardon who walked from the course bogey and double-bogey to lose to the youngster by whopping five strokes while Ray one back of Vardon and six back of Ouimet.
Ouimet’s victory was widely hailed as a stunning upset over the strongly favoured pair of Jersey-born British pros, who were, at the time, regarded as the top two golfers in the world. Ouimet because the first amateur to win the U.S. Open while the biggest crowds ever seen in American golf followed the play-off, and his achievement making front-page news across the country.
Of note, Ouimet remains one of only three amateurs in the now 128-year history to win the US Open.
In 2005, the Walt Disney-backed moved ‘The Greatest Game Ever Played’, and starring the then also 20-year-old Shia LeBeouf as Ouimet, was released to wide acclaim.
If I can copy what is on the Segregansett Golf Club website it says: “Seggy’s beginning was as Highland Golf Links, a 3-hole course on Highland St. in Taunton, some three miles from today’s current location.
“At a meeting in 1893 with several Taunton area gentlemen interested in Golf, a decision was made to move the Club to a parcel of land at our present location on Gulliver and Winthrop St (known today as Rt. 44).
“The land owned by Samuel Gulliver and George Crane was leased for five years at $125.00 per year! The original 9 holes were designed by A.H Findlay (See below short history of Scottish-born Alexander Hamburg Findlay, born at sea ship in 1866 while parents were bound for Gibralta, and who once held the course record at the famed Montrose Club to the north of Dundee. Findlay became a good friend of Harry Vardon and worked up until his retirement for Wanamaker’s Department Store along with designing 25 golf courses in the US between 1887 and 1931) and modified by Joseph Ohlson during the building process.
“The Segregansett River flows through and around the property on its journey to Narragansett Bay, and hence the course name of Segregansett Country Club.
The Segregansett River very much in play in tackling the Segregansett course – Image Segregansett CC
“The course property also sits on both City of Taunton and the Town of Dighton land area”.
What has been difficult in enjoying writing the feature article is sourcing the origins of the name ‘Segregansett’ and here, I am going to take the easy way out – see hereunder.
Members at the 1903 Annual Meeting voted to join the Massachusetts Golf Association, making Segregansett one of the charter members.
The next change in the club history was in 1908, when the 158-acre Gulliver Estate was purchased by the Club for $3800.00. At the Board meeting held on November 12, 1909, the Board of Governors voted to open the membership to any person within a ten-mile radius.
Welcome to Segregansett Country Club – Image Segregansett Country Club
On May 13, 1912, the Board voted to authorize the Treasurer to purchase land in Dighton, MA owned by George Wilbur for $300.00. The land was adjacent to the old third hole. (We know it as the twelfth hole.)
The years 1912 through 1921 were not very historic though a Henry Carlow donated the land behind the old fifth green and sixth tee presently the 14th green and 15th tee.
Great overhead image Segregansett Country Club clubhouse and surrounds
At the Board Meeting held on May 7, 1924, the members voted to construct two tennis courts at a cost of $2250.00.
On April 14, 1925, 150 feet along the old seventh and eight fairways (presently the 16th and 17th fairways) was purchased for $450.00 from the Stiles and Hart, Co., a brick maker in Taunton.
Image – Segregansett Country Club
The first discussion of adding nine more holes occurred on November 25, 1925.
Land for the new third hole was part of the seventy acres purchased from the Laneway Farm for $50,000.00
Image – Segregansett Country Club
On January 9, 1965, the Taunton Daily Gazette reported that Segregansett Country Club was about to take their biggest step since 1893, by adding nine holes to the existing nine holes. Seventy acres were purchased from Laneway Farm for $50,000.00. The Laneway Farm area was once the summer home of James Gamble, of the famous Proctor and Gamble Soap Company.
Segregansett Country Club went to a twelve-hole course, then to an eighteen hole course between the years of 1965 and 1974. In June of 1977, an electrical fire that started in the kitchen, caused extensive damage to the Clubhouse. Many historical records that were stored in the office were lost at that time.
Segregansett Country Club – Image GolfNow
There was another serious fire in February 1985 and set by local teenagers. This fire destroyed most of the Club. The Club was rebuilt by 1987 leaving very little of the original structure.
Then in 1993, Segregansett celebrated one hundred years with a full year of events. A pond was dug on the right of the second fairway for the new irrigation system. This pond is known as the Centennial Pond.
Ted Koala – The world’s most travelled Koala head cover
Where you’ll usually find Ted Koala – Ted doesn’t do nine holes
Short history of Scottish-born A.H Findlay
Scottish-born golf designer Alex Findlay – Original designer of the Segregansett Country Club
Alexander H. Findlay was born in 1866, was raised in Scotland, and as a child, he was given golf clubs by his mother, with which he instantly fell in love. He went on to break every course record in and around his hometown while teaching his brothers and friends about golf.
In 1887, at the age of 24, a neighborhood friend invited the young Findlay to join him in America, telling him in letters about the country’s beauty, terrain, and opportunity. Findlay came to New York City, and when he asked where the nearest golf course was, the residents of the Big Apple laughed.
Findlay went to Nebraska and met up with his friend as a rancher, and once again, he recognized that there weren’t any golf courses, so he built one. His first course was situated on the Merchiston Ranch in Nance County.
A few years later, word spread about a game of chasing a small white ball around a field to a railroad baron named Henry Flagler, who would hire Findlay to build golf courses near his rail line. Flagler needed an attraction for people up north to visit Florida, and this new game of golf became the right tool.
Findlay developed Florida courses that include the oldest, The Breakers at Palm Beach. He also made courses in Montana, Texas, and New England. Findlay earned the title, Father of American Golf, for his contribution and love for the sport. He died in 1942 at the age of 76, having developed more than 130 courses across America.
- Thank you to all at Segregansett Country Club for the warm welcome and the wonderful opportunity to visit the club to play the course.
