Southward Ho Country Club began in
1923 when a group of gentlemen from Brooklyn and Manhattan who summered in the
Bay Shore area formed the Southward Ho Land Corporation and purchased a stately
residence, several farm buildings and 140 acres of land abutting Montauk Highway in West Bay Shore. The
property was acquired from the heirs of Louis Bossert for $150,000 and a
country club was simultaneously formed. Given its location on Long Island’s
South Shore, the new club was named the “Southward Ho Country Club”, borrowing
the moniker of the famed 12th hole at Carnoustie Golf Links in
Scotland. In short order, a championship golf course was designed and built by
noted golf course architect A.W Tillinghast, who was responsible for many
iconic golf venues such as Winged Foot, Baltusrol, Bethpage Black, Quaker Ridge
and San Francisco Golf Club. A concrete swimming pool was installed, a bridle
path was dug around the perimeter of the property and four tennis courts of a
clay surface were erected. When it
opened in late 1923, Southward Ho
Country Club was described by the Brooklyn
Eagle newspaper as “one of the most notable and attractive additions to the
many delightful country clubs of Long Island”
The property itself was originally
owned and developed in 1874 by insurance magnate Henry B. Hyde, who built a
home of considerable dimension that was designed by Calvert Vaux and was known
as “The Oaks”. Calvert Vaux was a noted architect who ultimately partnered with
Frederick Law Olmstead and built many municipal parks, including Central Park.
Henry Hyde’s only son, James Hazen Hyde, acquired “The Oaks” as a result of his
father’s death 1899, and the country house was thereupon fully renovated and
expanded without regard to cost. Indeed, James Hazen Hyde spared no expense and
even went so far as to build a private
rail station on the north side of the estate so that his many social guests
from Manhattan and Brooklyn could ride the Long Island Railroad directly to the
site of his many lavish parties and celebrated equestrian shows. Unfortunately,
after a six straight years of waste and excessiveness, Hyde’s business and
social empire collapsed and “The Oaks” went on the market for sale. The wood
framed mansion, along with the stables, ponds, barns, and even an
“A.J.Corcoran” windmill that was on the property since at least 1892 , was
purchased in 1905 for $400,000 by Brooklyn Heights lumber tycoon and hotel
owner Louis Bossert. “The Oaks” was used by Mr. Bossert as a summer country
home for his family and as working farm until his death in 1915. Lacking the ability or the interest in
maintaining the estate after Louis passed away, the Bossert heirs ultimately
sold “The Oaks” to the newly organized
Southward Ho Land Corporation in or about 1923.
During the years following the grand
opening party in 1924, Southward Ho thrived. The original “Oaks” mansion that
the Hyde family built was remolded and transformed into a fine clubhouse for
the membership, complete with a series of small bedrooms on the upper floor
that visiting “bachelors and benedicts”
could use during extended stays. A stable
was moved from the north fields and attached to the rear of the club house whereupon
it became a squash court and, later, a locker room and lounge that golfers
quickly referred to as the 19th
hole. Weekend social events and seasonal galas were regularly hosted and well
attended. Southward Ho’s tennis teams had many successful matches against other
clubs in the metropolitan area and the A.W. Tillinghast golf course was the
site of regular tournament play, including several Long Island Open
Championships in the early 1930's that
were widely covered in the New York newspapers. Unfortunately, the depression
that choked the nation slowly but surely took its toll on many private clubs
like Southward Ho, and by 1934, the club could not meet its overhead nor pay
its debt. Bankruptcy proceedings were filed that year. The original mortgage on
the property that was held by Emigrant Savings Bank was foreclosed and the club
was thereupon reorganized under the name “South Bay Golf Club”, albeit as a tenant of Emigrant Savings pursuant to a
lease agreement.
The club continued to operate as the
“South Bay Golf Club” for many years,
albeit with a minimal membership and a shoestring budget. It is reported that
the Tillinghast golf course that once challenged the best of the region’s
professional and amateur golfers had deteriorated into somewhat of a pasture.
Several large fires, one in 1935 and another in the 1940's, significantly
altered the appearance of the once majestic “Oaks” clubhouse. In 1945, Emigrant Savings Bank sought to sell
the club property together with all
improvements and structures. The club itself could not afford the
purchase and rather than see the club disband, one of the South Bay members,
Horace Havemeyer, intervened. Mr. Havemeyer purchased the entire property from
Emigrant for $82,000 and offered the club a 10 year no interest loan with an
option to repurchase on very favorable terms. Given that a bit of a financial
burden was lifted, the club felt new energy and began to pick up the pieces.
Ultimately, and true to his word,
Horace Havemeyer deeded the club back to the membership after the final loan
payment was made to him in early 1955.
In anticipation of the satisfaction of the Havemeyer loan, a special meeting of
the membership was held whereupon it was unanimously determined that the club
would again resume the use of the name “Southward Ho Country Club”. As a
tribute to Mr. Havemeyer and in recognition of his generosity, an invitational
golf tournament was organized for the top amateur players in the metropolitan
area. The tournament, known as the Havemeyer
Invitational, has been held at Southward Ho every year since 1951 and is
widely regarded as one of the best amateur golf tournaments on Long Island.
The 1950's and 1960's marked a
period of substantial expansion for Southward Ho. A horse barn that was sitting
idle on some adjoining farmland to the west was purchased, physically moved and
transformed into a pro shop, named the “Ferguson House” in honor of the club’s
long time golf professional, Alex
Ferguson. A strip of land running north to south along the west side of the 14th,
15th and 16th holes was also bought in 1954 , thus allowing for a much needed
buffer between the golf course and the neighboring housing development that was
being built. Shortly thereafter, the club was fortunate to purchase the abutting
Ellis Estate, consisting of a grand manor house, a carriage barn, several farm
buildings and a tract of grazing land that once belonged to Thomas Adams Jr.,
the owner of the Adams Chewing Gum Co.
As a result, a driving range was built on the grazing land and a modern Olympic sized pool was installed
on the south lawn of the former Ellis manor house. The Pool House, as it is now
called, quickly became a focal point for swim team events and social gatherings
on warm summer evenings. The club’ day
camp, which was formed in the late 1940's and operated out of a small wooden
shack next to the club house, relocated to the Ellis carriage house , now
referred as the Camp House. Tennis at the club continued to be played on the
four original clay tennis courts but several new clay and hard surface courts
were added, as was a platform tennis facility. A grand ballroom with a patio
was added to the existing club house in the late 1960's, giving the club the
ability to host member parties and catered events for up to 250 guests. Membership in the country club was at 100%
throughout the ensuing decades and into the 21st century.
The club’s golf, sporting and dining
facilities have continued to be upgraded and renovated throughout recent years.
The clubhouse was again greatly expanded
in 2016 with the opening of the Tillinghast Grill and the rear patio.
Significant remodeling was performed in the Pool House and to the pool itself
in 2017 and the ballroom was given a complete make over in early 2020. Platform tennis has grown beyond all
expectations and the facility has developed into one of the best in the area.
The golf course has been acclaimed as a classic example of a Tillinghast design
and a well researched restoration of the course is underway.
Now on the cusp of its centennial,
Southward Ho Country Club is proud of its long history and its commitment to
excellence that has been enjoyed by its membership since 1923. The iconic
windmill that serves as the club’s logo continues to stand tall along the 10th
hole as a symbol of the club’s storied past and its everlasting strength. We
are all anxiously looking forward to the next hundred years at Southward Ho.
-Mr. Tom Draycott
Club Historian