Powelton Club facts for kids
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| Club information | |
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| Coordinates | 41°31′28″N 74°00′57″W / 41.52444°N 74.01583°W |
| Location | Balmville, NY, United States |
| Established | 1882 |
| Type | private |
| Total holes | 18 |
| Website | http://www.powelton.com/ |
| Designed by | Devereux Emmet |
| Par | 70 |
| Length | 6,007 yards (5,493 m) |
| Course rating | 69.3 |
The Powelton Club is a special place located in Balmville, New York. It sits just north of the city of Newburgh. This club is famous for being one of the oldest golf courses in New York State. It's also one of the ten oldest in the entire United States! The club started out as an archery club. Since 1999, it has been recognized as a historic site. This means it's an important place that helps tell the story of the past.
Contents
Club History: From Archery to Golf
The land where the Powelton Club stands today has a long history. It was once known as Powelton Farm. Later, a resort hotel called Powelton House was built there. Sadly, this hotel burned down in 1870.
Early Days: Archery and Tennis
Organized fun activities became popular in the late 1800s. People started the Powelton Archery Club in 1878. Just one year later, the club built tennis courts. These courts are still used today! In 1882, the Powelton Lawn Tennis Club officially started. It was one of the first tennis clubs in the U.S. It was also one of the first clubs recognized by the United States Lawn Tennis Association.
Adding More Sports and Golf
About ten years later, the club leased more land. They built a new clubhouse. Soon, other sports like baseball, bowling, and croquet were added. Club stories say that the first five golf holes appeared very quickly after that. This was only four years after the first American golf course was built. No one knows who designed these first golf holes.
Expanding to Nine Holes
In 1897, the club bought more land. This allowed them to create a full nine-hole golf course. A club member named James Taylor designed these new holes. By 1903, the club covered about 57 acres. Balmville was a pretty area along the Hudson River. Wealthy business people from Newburgh built large, fancy homes there.
The Eighteen-Hole Course
After World War I, the club wanted an even bigger golf course. They decided to expand to a full 18 holes. In 1921, they hired Devereux Emmet. He was a very famous golf course designer in the New York area. Emmet started his work in 1923 after the club got more land. The new 18-hole course opened in 1926.
This new course was much more challenging. It included sand traps and trees. The trees helped separate the fairways and offered shelter. The grass on the fairways was also special golf grass, not just for grazing animals. The land was reshaped to make the game more exciting.
Changes and New Construction
The course's new design faced a challenge very soon. In 1927, the state decided to build a new highway, US 9W. This highway would take part of the club's land. Emmet quickly redesigned three holes to fit the new road.
Around the same time, a swimming pool was added. It was built north of the clubhouse. Sadly, the clubhouse burned down in 1929. A new clubhouse was designed by Francis L. Abreu. This new building, made of whitewashed brick, opened the next summer.
Modern Updates and Interstate 84
The tennis courts were updated in the 1950s. They were resurfaced with clay, and another court was added. The club stayed mostly the same until the 1960s. Then, the state needed more land for Interstate 84. This highway was being extended to the nearby Newburgh-Beacon Bridge. The club worked hard to keep as much land as possible. This saved the golf course from another big change. Today, the club property is about 100 acres.
The clubhouse also had some renovations. A small addition was built in a similar style. A wading pool was added too. About 30 years later, a two-story addition was built on the north side of the clubhouse. This created a new meeting room and lounge.
Oldest Buildings
Two of the oldest buildings on the property are the groundskeeper's building and a barn. Both date back to 1865. They are the only original buildings left from the old Powelton Farm. All these historic buildings and sites, except for the wading pool, add to the club's important history.
See also
