The Saint Andrews Golf Club (NY)

It has been a dream come true to develop this Master Plan for The Saint Andrew’s Golf Club and follow in the footsteps of American golf legends, John Reid, Willie Tucker, who created Mount Hope, James Braid and Jack Nicklaus, who made the course what it is today. The opportunity to create this plan for the most historic golfing grounds in the country has been the most important project of my life. Over the last year, the committee and I have put a lot of thought, time, research, and hard work into developing this plan for the course, and we are excited to present the Master Plan to the membership. This booklet outlines our goals, plans, and the process we have gone through to improve the golf course at Saint Andrew’s Golf Club for the next 100 years by returning to its roots.

After spending over 20 days on-site, I have developed a deep appreciation for the beautiful and diverse property, dedicating myself to creating a comprehensive master plan for the golf course. I have extensively researched the history and distinctive characteristics of the course, including its natural and man-made features. It pays tribute to the natural beauty and history of The Saint Andrew’s Golf Club, while also improving the course to make it more enjoyable and playable for future generations of members. Working closely with a dedicated team of committee members, we are sure the Master Plan will enhance the historic golfing grounds for the benefit of the modern membership. Throughout the process, the club’s important place in the history of golf has been top of mind. The plan restores and incorporates some of the original features back into the course we all enjoy so much. I firmly believe that using

Saint Andrew’s incredible property and rich history as our guide, the Master Plan will enhance the golf course so it is more enjoyable, meets its potential as a fun, but challenging golf course to play every day, and help it properly represent its important place in history as the oldest golf club in the country and a founder of the USGA.

The Saint Andrew’s Golf Club has some of the most passionate memberships I have ever worked with. The committee’s dedication to this project has made it enjoyable. Throughout the process and over the past year of planning, this diverse committee has impressively considered every aspect of the membership, ensuring that every facet of the membership was thought of and reflected in this plan. Every level of golfer has been carefully considered, as have the infrastructure needs, conditions, and other key long-term goals of the club. We presented the initial design concepts through a series of walkthroughs and then meticulously refined this master plan to serve as the long-term road map for all future course renovations. The club is considering a series of phased projects where the plan can be implemented over time. The specifics are still being determined, but I eagerly anticipate a hands-on role, personally shaping the features in our Victorian Age revival when construction projects are planned.

Regardless of the timeline we complete the work, this master plan serves as the foundation for the club and will be implemented as funds become available.

During the development of this master plan, hundreds of hours have been spent analyzing how to convert the current Jack Nicklaus design back into a golf course that looks and strategically plays like a golf course from 1888 while also improving the conditions. While the property has changed, we have delved into the course’s design evolution, tracing it back to 1902 when the club moved to Mount Hope and considered numerous solutions to improving the club’s oldest holes while addressing and some of the newest holes on the west side of the road. We considered a small handful of re-routing options and believe we have settled on the best option, which preserves the best parts of the course, solves the biggest issues with flooding and everyone’s least favorite hole #9, and will give the members the best all-around golf facility they could have hoped for. The Master Plan takes into account how the course is played by all skill levels, its daily maintenance requirements, its day-to-day conditions, and its resilience in the face of heavy rainstorms, ensuring the golf course will play and function better for the next generation of members.

The golf course and master plan have undergone thorough analysis and critique by our dedicated group of members and our exceptional professional and superintendent. This once-in-a-generation master plan is aimed at enhancing the golf experience for the entire membership in a lasting manner. This historically based Victorian Revival, which is a part renovation and part restoration, will make The Saint Andrew’s Golf Club more authentic, as well as enjoyable and engaging for the entire membership.