Westchester Country Club

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A view looking towards the sportshouse

The starter's shack

The Westchester Country Club (or Westchester Biltmore Country Club) was founded by John McEntee Bowman, who hired Walter Travis to design two golf courses in Rye, New York as a luxury resort hotel. The West Course was designed for championship play and has hosted PGA tournaments since 1963. The South Course was originally designed for women and higher handicap golfers. Around 1997, the South Course was reconstructed with longer tees, new sand and grass bunkers, water hazards, and some new greens. The South Course is now more competitive with the West Course to accommodate low handicap golfers.

The 16th hole of the West Course

Westchester Country Club hosted its first PGA tournament in 1963 with the Thunderbird Classic. The Thunderbird was also held in 1964 and 1965. There was no PGA tournament at Westchester Country Club in 1966, and starting in 1967 the West Course has annually hosted the Westchester Classic stop on the PGA Tour. (The tournament name has changed several times since then due to sponsorship switches, and is now called The Barclays.) On January 14, 2008, an article in the Journal News announced the PGA Tour's desire to terminate its affiliation with Westchester Country Club. The Barclays will NOT be held at Westchester Country Club in August, 2008. The decision was made primarily because of Tiger Woods' refusal to play in the tournament in 2007 and the tournament's subsequent low TV ratings and low attendance. On Saturday, January 26, 2008, a compromise agreement was made between the club and the PGA Tour at a Town Hall Meeting at the club. The PGA will pay WCC $1.1 million to move the tournament from Harrison to Ridgewood Country Club in Paramus, NJ, for the 2008 event. The 2009 event will be held at Liberty National Golf Club in Jersey City, NJ, and the event will return to WCC for a final time in either 2010, 2011, or 2012.

[edit] Notable members of Westchester Country Club From the Past and Present

Ralph Branca, professional baseball player. Threw the pitch of the "Shot Heard 'Round the World" in 1951 playoff game between Dodgers and Giants
Robert Merrill, baritone at Metropolitan Opera House, sang national anthem at Yankee Stadium
Ernie Anastos, WNYW TV anchorman
Scott Shannon, radio disc jockey and the official voice of the Sean Hannity Show
Mark Simone, radio/TV personality
James Nicholas, MD, orthopedic surgeon, team physician for New York Jets. He operated on Joe Namath.
Paul Woolard, former President of Revlon
Jules Alexander, sports photographer
John Daly, moderator on TV show What's My Line?
Mario Gabelli, founder and CEO of the eponymous Gabelli Asset Management
David Hartman, American television personality
John Mara, New York Giants owner
Kenneth Chenault, CEO of American Express, on Board of Directors of IBM
Earl G. Graves, CEO of Black Enterprise magazine
Ezio Pinza, opera singer
Richie Powers, Eyewitness News Sportscaster, NBA referee
Gary Sherlock, former president and publisher of Gannett Newspapers
Frederic Salerno, President of Verizon Telephone Company
James P Wilson, CEO, WM Chassis
Robert Diamond, CEO, Barclays Capital
Albert Pirro, husband of former Westchester County District Attorney Jeanine Pirro
Generoso Pope, Sr., publisher, owner of Colonial Sand & Stone, and the first person of Italian descent to become a self-made millionaire in the United States
John N. Mitchell, Attorney General during Nixon Administration
Howard Hughes, Legendary eccentric multi-millionaire, aviator, business tycoon
Ed Sullivan, Television host and newspaper columnist
Johnny Carson, Television Personality
William D. Fugazy, Travel Agency and Limousine Mogul. Chairman of Ellis Island reconstruction and various Italian-American charities.
Jimmy Roberts, NBC Sportscaster
Kenneth Cole, fashion designer
Michael Anthony Perry, Chairman, Opus Advisory Group