Westchester Hills CC turned back the clock last month to the 1920s. In a special one day event, members and guests put on their plus-fours and flapper dresses, grabbed their hickory-shafted clubs, and did their best imitation of golfers in the Jazz Age by hitting replica gutta-percha balls in a nine-hole tournament.
The idea came from head pro Brian Giordano, who has competed in tournaments using wooden shafted mashies, niblicks, and brassies restored by his father, another hickory golf aficionado. It ties in nicely with his interest in the early history of Westchester Hills. Recently Brian uncovered evidence that Walter Travis, 1920’s era famed architect, worked on the course, taking the original flat greens and adding the contours that befuddle members and guests to this day!
The tournament format was nine holes of alternate shot with two-person teams. Greens superintendent Aaron Crouse had recently completed aerating the course, so golfers faced conditions similar to what would have been the norm in 1920. Ken and Ellen Fiorella won the event and celebrated at a Roaring 20s dinner that featured items from the menu at Westchester Hills during that era.
