Country Club of Rochester

The Country Club of Rochester, founded in 1895, is one of the oldest golf clubs in America. The Country Club of Rochester was founded by a group of golfers, members of the Genesee Valley Club, who wanted to form a family club. A farmhouse on the property served as the first clubhouse until 1902, when it was destroyed by fire. The club's first golf course had nine holes, each hole given a descriptive name, in the British manner, and these names persist as designations for the guest rooms in the present clubhouse (Hub, Stonewall, Hickory, and Blue Point). The club's 18-hole golf course renovation in 2004 was voted No. 2, for best new remodels by Golf Digest magazine. On three occasions, the USGA has recognized the club through its sponsorship of the course for the U.S. Women's Amateur Championship (1962) and U.S. Women's Open Championship (1953 and 1973). Sports activities today feature golf, tennis, swimming, skating, hockey, platform tennis, fitness workouts, and cross-country skiing. An era of equestrianism, which included riding, polo, drag hunting, a widely acclaimed horse show, came to an end when the club stables were closed in the late 1950's. The Country Club of Rochester is located in Rochester, N.Y.