The Stanwich Club

The 18th green at The Stanwich Club

There was a time not that many years ago when the cities of Greenwich and Stamford were quiet villages. But the population explosion of the 1950s changed that rather emphatically. Sparked by the exodus of business and industry from New York City, the coastal towns of Connecticut grew at a rate faster than they were able to handle. Among the areas affected was recreation. The need for new private clubs in the area was apparent.

One piece of property that interested the groups looking to expand the golf landscape in the area was that of the Hekma Estate, also known as Semloh Farm, which was bordered by North Street and Stanwich Road, west of the Merritt Parkway. Purchased in 1909 by Edwin T. Holmes, Semloh (which is Holmes spelled backwards) grew into a magnificent estate and farm. There were several lakes on the property, a greenhouse, and fifteen fountains spotted throughout extensive gardens. The pastures – today’s fairways – were used for grazing cattle.

After Holmes’s death, the property was purchased in 1930 by Jacob Hekma. Hekma put a considerable amount of money into Semloh, which was considered a model farm in every respect. Hekma’s widow continued to live on the estate after his death in 1949, and the farm and its pastures were kept in good condition. When she died in 1960 Semloh consisted of 330 acres. But the estate was tied up in litigation at the time the Greenwich C.C. group was contemplating a new home, and since no other suitable site was available, that club stayed put.

Undaunted, the Round Hill and Greenwich groups met for further discussions, forming the Northwich Development Company in 1962. Their intent was to purchase and develop Semloh Farm, with a country club and golf course as the centerpiece. Informal talks had already taken place before Northwich summoned golf architect William Gordon to inspect the site and make recommendations. Gordon was most impressed, telling the group, “If you let this property get away from you – you’re crazy.”

On October 16, 1962, the Northwich group completed the purchase of some 270 acres from the Hekma estate. Northwich, in turn, sold 186 acres including the clubhouse and four other buildings to The Stanwich Club, which had been organized that summer. The name chosen for the club had been part of the local lexicon for nearly 250 years, ever since a 1732 settlement of that name in the vicinity of the Mianus Gorge. The old Holmes manor house, with Long Island Sound in sight eight miles away, was converted into the Stanwich clubhouse.

William Gordon and his son, David, were hired to design The Stanwich Club. Prior to joining the Toomey & Flynn organization in 1923, Gordon had built courses for architects such as Donald Ross, Devereux Emmet, and Willie Park, Jr. However, the Stanwich members may have been more impressed by the fact that Gordon had been a central figure in the revisions at both Shinnecock Hills and The Country Club carried out by Toomey & Flynn.

Construction of the golf course began in September of 1963, with some holes built from reclaimed swampland. The course opened for play on July 11, 1964.

Long, tight, and relatively flat, with trees lining all 18 fairways, The Stanwich Club is truly an imposing test of golf. Perhaps its most memorable features are the Gordon-style greens, which are the fastest in the Met Area, canted severely from back to front and bunkered tenaciously at their front corners, and the lakes and streams which come into play on eight holes.