In the whole wide world of golf, we live in a truly special place. When we walk our fairways, we’re following in the footsteps of every outstanding golfer the game has ever known. Harry Vardon, Bobby Jones, Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Sam Snead, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods—the list of greats is endless. When we stand on the tee of one of our many fine courses, we’re seeing the handiwork of the top golf architects in the world. Charles B. Macdonald, Seth Raynor, and Donald Ross are just a few of the immortals who designed our courses, as well as the most well-known of all—A. W. Tillinghast—not to mention modern design stars like Jack Nicklaus and Pete Dye.
The year 2013 is a special one for golfers in our special place, so we’re celebrating it in Westchester Magazine/Hudson Valley Golf. What’s the event? This year marks the 125th anniversary of the establishment of the game in America at St. Andrew’s Golf Club right here in Westchester.
That’s just one of the many notable events in golf history that occurred here. Most of us know about the five (soon to be six) US Opens held at Winged Foot, but did you know the very first US Open was held in Westchester as well? You’re surely aware of the 40-plus-year history of the PGA Tour at Westchester Country Club, but did you know the Westchester Classic (one of its many names over the years) started at nearby Apawamis? Or that the very first PGA Championship in America was played at Siwanoy? Or that the mighty Masters was conceived in the grill room at Knollwood?
Our golf history is full of less-ground-shaking events, too—like the decision by a Yonkers judge that overturned a law prohibiting golf on Sunday, and a club established by women golfers (including the wife of the founder of St. Andrew’s!) in 1895. We don’t have nearly enough pages to cover the entire glorious history of golf in Westchester, but you’ll find quite a bit of it in “Happy Birthday to Golf in America.”
History teaches us that nothing ever stays the same. You’ll notice a few changes in the magazine this year—hopefully ones you’ll like. We’ve added a new section, 91FORE!, to highlight people and events in the local golf world. There’s also a renewed emphasis on Your Game that includes fitness tips (this year it’s about beer!), top-notch instruction, the latest golf gear, and accessible places to play. We’ve also expanded our travel coverage into a new section, Golf Getaways, which takes you to New Jersey, California, Florida, and even Ireland.
It may not be a historical event, but I’m celebrating this year, too. It’s my 10th anniversary at Westchester Magazine/Hudson Valley Golf—the absolute best job any golfer could ever have.