Westchester Hills Golf Club will begin a significant redesign and renovation of its 108-year-old golf course on October 5 under the direction of golf course architect Rees Jones. Jones created and will oversee implementation of a new golf course master plan shared with members by club president Mark Stagg.
Often referred to as “The Open Doctor” for his design work on golf courses that have hosted major championships, Jones said the redesign work will include:
- the expansion of 14 greens,
- the creation of new greenside pitching swails,
- reshaping fairways,
- renovating all of the course’s bunkers and strategically adding new bunkers,
- and installing a new state-of-the-art irrigation system.
Additional course features, influenced by Jones’ notable designs worldwide, will further enhance the golf course.
“We are very excited to start this project,” Jones said. “Our vision is to liven a classic-style golf course while upgrading the course’s playability and maintenance standards. The club improvements over the past few years have been marvelous. The members at Westchester Hills strive for excellence and we are proud to be included in their success and help build on that to improve the overall playing experience. The golf course’s existing features and our master plan design will take the Hills golf experience to a new level, maximizing existing features, while adding new ones.”
Previous upgrades to the clubhouse and pool “resulted in significant growth of the member base,” according to GM Josh Lowney. “We look forward to collaborating with Rees Jones to further our vision of a premier world-class private club for our members,” he said. “By the spring of 2022, we will deliver to our membership a significantly enhanced world-class facility and widely recognized track. The pride of Westchester Hills is our members and we are thrilled to improve a classic golf course for their everyday play.”
“The time is now to improve this great course and club,” Stagg said, “and we are excited to be working with Rees Jones to create an amazing experience for our members.”
Jones has worked on seven U.S. Open venues, nine PGA Championship venues, six Ryder Cup venues, two Walker Cup courses and one Presidents Cup venue. His notable original designs or redesigns include courses at Baltusrol Golf Club, Bethpage State Park Black Course, Congressional Country Club, and Torrey Pines Golf Course.
Founded in 1913, Westchester Hills is best known for a course originally designed by Peter Clark and inspired by Donald Ross. The club also features a practice range and two chipping and putting facilities, among other amenities. It is managed by Troon Privé.
