Private Clubs

"The Misquamicut Club 100 Years 1895-1995" (SOLD)

Watch Hill, Rhode Island

9 1/4" x 6 1/4"

VG

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Created in the cottage colony of Watch Hill, Rhode Island, in 1895, the Misquamicut Club boasts a rich and remarkable history. It was established and subsequently nurtured by members of some of the most prominent families in America, among them the Procters of Cincinnati (of Procter & Gamble fame), the Ballantines from Newark (where they ran a major brewing concern), the Swifts from Chicago (where they were giants in meat packaging), and the Mellons of Pittsburgh (with banking, coal, and aluminum their primary interests). The Club quickly became a place of note in the greater golf world by hiring as its first professional a sixteen-year-old Scot named Willie Anderson, who went on to win four U.S. Open championships, a feat equaled in later years only by Bobby Jones, Ben Hogan, and Jack Nicklaus. In addition, the Club turned to one of the game's most-celebrated players, Willie Park Jr., to lay out its first course, a sporty nine-hoper. The next year, Anderson expanded that to eighteen holes, and the Club later brought in Tom Bendelow, Seth Raynor, and Donald Ross to craft the renowned golf course that exists today. Along the way, a spacious and comfortable Clubhouse was constructed, tennis courts added, and a Beach Club created all of which helped Misquamicut become the popular family-oriented retreat it is today.