THE HISTORY OF THE MISQUAMICUT CLUB - WATCH HILL, RHODE ISLAND
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.
Of course, it wasn't always an easy ride, and as was the case with many clubs in America, Misquamicut struggled through the Stock Market Crash of 1929 and then the Depression and World War II. Member resignations sometimes outstripped new admissions. Tennis courts were abandoned and golf course maintenance deferred. The beach pavilion was demolished by hurricanes in 1938 and 1954, and then rebuilt, while the golf course had to be restored after fairways were flooded and greens and tees destroyed during those same storms. Now, there are the day-to-day difficulties of running an increasingly complicated enterprise that currently employs 180 people and produces annual revenues of roughly $6.5 million as it caters several months a year to some five hundred members and roughly one thousand of their spouses and children. But the Club has found a way not only to survive those travails but also to thrive.
This is the story of the Misquamicut Club. The book recounts how the Club was started and came to be what it is today. And it offers a deep and detailed look not only at the unique association but also at the community in which it is based as it describes how its members work tirelessly to ensure it remains a special and prosperous retreat - and a place their children and grandchildren can enjoy for years to come.
THE HISTORY OF THE MISQUAMICUT CLUB (Founded in 1895) is the recently released (July 2017) bookEpic of this historic club. Written by John Steinbreder with principal photography by L.C. Lambrecht. Designed and produced by Larry Hasak and William Green of Legendary Publishing and Media Group. Steinbreder is an award-winning journalist and author of twenty books. He currently works as a senior writer for the weekly digital magazine called Global Golf Post. He also contributes to Masters.com, the official website of The Masters golf tournament that is owned and operated by the Augusta National Golf Club. Steinbreder has written for several prominent print publications over the past three decades, including the New York Times Magazine, Departures, Forbes Life, Time, Golf Digest, and the Wall Street Journal. Over his career, he has received numerous honors from the Golf Writers Association of America and the International Network of Golf.
Legendary Publishing and Media Group Video ? L.C. Lambrecht Golf Photography