Sleepy Hollow CC- hole 16
History
Sleepy Hollow Country Club was founded in 1911.
The club was blessed with a beautiful site overlooking the Hudson River.
They engaged C.B. MacDonald ( & Seth Raynor) to build the course, which opened in 1913.
In the late 20's A.W. Tillinghast expanded the course to 27 holes.
In 2008 Gil Hanse ( & George Bahto) very successfully renovated the course to cater for the modern golfer.
Championships
Sleepy Hollow hosted the 2002 U.S. Women's Amateur Championship
Course
Sleepy Hollow CC- hole 5
C. B. MacDonald was known as the 'grandfather of American Golf', as a player and more particularly as a golf course architect.
He teamed with engineer Seth Raynor to build some of America's great courses ( The National GC, Chicago GC etc).
MacDonald travelled to the U.K. to study the famous links courses and came back with 22 template holes which became the core of his courses design work.
MacDonald used the strategies from these outstanding holes without actually copying them.
His use of 'template holes' had a huge impact on golf in hte USA.
Sleepy Hollow boasts a number of template holes including:
- hole 1 (Leven)
- hole 3 (Eden)
- hole 7 (Redan)
- hole 8 (Road)
- Hole 9 (Knoll)
- hole 12 (Double Plateau)
- hole 15 (Punchbowl)
- hole 16 (Short)
Sleepy Hollow CC- hole 12 "Double Plateau'
Sleepy Hollow is one of the more photogenic courses I have played.
With views over the Hudson River as a background it is hard to focus on the golf.
As good as the course is, that is hard to believe!
For the first timer a caddie is essential- the lines of play are not immediately obvious on some holes, and there are some blind hazards in play.
And in the middle of the round one encounters some undulating terrain where it is imperative that you do have some inkling about the position of the hazards as much as the greens themselves
Gil Hanse has taken a grand old course, and made it grander.
The template holes are true to concept, yet with some Gil Hanse flair.
The par 3’s in particular are very impressive- with carries over a deep gully, a lake, and then there is the picture postcard 16th hole surrounded by sand and with dramatic views of the Hudson River.
My only real concern was the greens!
While they were generous in size, they were slick and running.
And combined with the speed, the inner contouring of the greens made putting a challenge.
Notable holes include:
Hole 3 (Eden), a spectacular par 3 over water to an elevated green- it’s all carry!
Sleepy Hollow CC- hole 3
Hole 6 (Lookout), a tricky, undulating par 5 routed around the ridges of the hill
Hole 7 (Redan), a longer downhill par 3 to a ‘redan’ green- play left and watch the ball run around and down- or just go straight at it!
Sleepy Hollow CC- hole 6
Sleepy Hollow CC- hole 7
Hole 10 (Lake)- a delightful mid length par 3 over water
Sleepy Hollow CC- hole 10
Hole 15 (Punchbowl), a strong downhill par 4 with wonderful views, and an interesting green!
Sleepy Hollow CC- hole 15 green
Hole 16 (Short)- a short downhill shot to a huge green surrounded by a moat of sand. It is all downhill, and has one of THE most dramatic, beautiful backgrounds in golf (see pic top of page)
Sleepy Hollow is one of the most impressive courses in the New York area.
It has all the services, magnificent views of the river and beyond, and a gorgeous course revitalised by Gil Hanse.
It is a joy and indeed a privilege to play there
Golf Tours
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