Country Club of Buffalo

The Country Club of Buffalo (Buffalo, New York) is a golf club and course which was incorporated on February 11, 1889.

It was located at the intersection of Elmwood Avenue and Nottingham Terrace, near the present day Delaware Park and SUNY – Buffalo State College. Noted architect E.B. Green designed the first clubhouse, which opened in August of 1889. The club relocated in 1899 to make way to the 1901 Pan-American Exposition. The clubhouse became the Women’s Center during the Pan American Exposition.

In 1900, The County Club of Buffalo acquired land at the intersection of Main Street at Bailey Avenue at the City of Buffalo’s border with the Town of Amherst. The club began construction of a golf course at that time and constructed a clubhouse on the site in 1901. George Cary, who also designed the Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society (a National Historic Landmark), designed the clubhouse. The 18-hole golf course, tennis courts, and a polo field were completed in 1902. In 1910, A.L. Pfitzner, a pilot from Curtiss, made the first airplane flight in Western New York from the club’s grounds. In 1910 and 1911, Walter J. Travis renovated the course in anticipation of attracting a major golf tournament. The Country Club of Buffalo hosted the 1912 U.S. Open, which was won by John J. McDermott with a score of 283

The City of Buffalo purchased the club in 1925 for $800,000.00 and the site was renamed Grover Cleveland Park to honor the former Mayor of Buffalo, Governor of New York State and President of the United States Of America. The County of Erie now owns and operates the challenging 18-Hole golf course, known as Grover Cleveland Golf Course.

The Country Club of Buffalo began the acquisition of a new property in 1922, and completed its relocation to its present location of 250 Youngs Road in Williamsville, York in 1926. The 6,600 yard (from the back tees), Par 72 Donald J. Ross, ASGCA designed golf course also opened in 1926. The course rating is 71.8 and it has a slope rating of 127 on Bent grass. Timothy P. Minahan, CCM manages the course as the General Manager. The clubhouse, which overlooks the eighteenth green, was designed by Duane Lyman and opened in 1927.

The present course has hosted the United States Women’s Amateur Championship in 1931, the Curtis Cup in 1950, the Carling Cup Matches in 1960, and the National Junior Girls Championship in 1962.

External links

*http://www.erie.gov/parks/grover.asp
*http://www.ccofbuffalo.org
*http://www.buffaloah.com/a/archs/ebg/ebg.html