SCARBOROUGH, N.Y. – This place has serious curb appeal.
In a landscape that includes a multitude of courses golfers know by name and reputation, Sleepy Hollow Country Club is a unique property. The desire to host an open house of sorts prompted the membership to inquire about the possibility of hosting a USGA championship seven years ago. It was only a matter of time before the contract was signed and planning for the 42nd U.S. Mid-Amateur was under way.
And here we are.
“We take pride in our golf course and our club and wanted to show it off and see how it stands up to some of the best players in the world,” said Mickey Anania, the championship general chair and the former club president who pitched the idea of hosting. “We feel lucky to be part of such a wonderful club and wanted to give back and let people come out here to play it competitively and see it.”
More: Everything you need to know before going to Sleepy Hollow for the U.S. Mid-Am
The 112-year-old club was founded by gentlemen named Astor, Rockefeller and Vanderbilt. It sits prominently on 338 acres above the Hudson River with postcard views from every window of a stately Victorian mansion that is an unparalleled clubhouse.
Even the Headless Horseman logo is visually striking.
The original golf course was laid out by renowned Golden Age designer Charles Blair Macdonald. Alterations were made over time by the likes of A.W. Tillinghast and Robert Trent Jones. Recognizing the result was a challenging but disjointed layout, the club enlisted Gil Hanse and George Bahto to put the ideals and intent of Macdonald back in play.
“There wasn’t a lot of continuity in the course,” Anania said.
The lengthy project concluded in 2017. Reviews of the new sightlines and redesigned greens were overwhelmingly positive and Bill McCarthy, the USGA’s championship director for Mid-Amateur and Amateur Four-Ball championships, was all in from the initial walk-around.
Finding a co-host for stroke play was the next step.
“Mickey and I were throwing around a couple of club names and having some history in this area, I was like, ‘What about Fenway? Would they be interested?’ ” McCarthy said. “He was like, ‘We know some folks over at Fenway, let’s give them a shout,’ and everything just came together.
Sleepy Hollow Country Club (Photo: Tim Schmitt/Golfweek)
“I think without a doubt this is the best combination of courses we’ve ever had for a championship.”
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