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Westchester Hills Golf Club
White Plains
Westchester Hills Golf Club began 100 years ago, in 1913, when a lawyer and real estate developer named Robert Farley bought a large piece of land in White Plains (then known as Gedney Farm) and turned it into an exclusive hotel and golf course. Hollywood screen stars Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks were among the hotel’s early guests.
The club was started with only 27 members. Guests played for a whopping $1 fee. In 1924, the hotel burned down while singer Eddie Cantor was there. Cantor survived the nine-hour fire, but not much else did. That fire did not affect the original clubhouse, but the club felt that a new fireproof clubhouse was prudent, and a new one was built in 1926.
We recently completed a large project to improve the club and see it into the next century. The project included a renovation of the clubhouse.
Before joining the club, my wife, Carrie, and I had our wed- ding reception at Westchester Hills. We now spend a lot of time enjoy- ing the club with our sons Brian and Stephen. The club’s slogan is “fore the joy of it,” and that says it all for us.
—Steve Buckley, Board Member and Co-chair of Centennial Committee, Westchester Hills Golf Club
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1. Much of the Westchester Hills golf course is built on the former estate of Daniel B. Safford, whose large mansion was converted into the first clubhouse in 1913. The club was initially known as the
Gedney Farm Country Club. (This photo cour- tesy of White Plains City Archives)
2. Lou and Bob Landry (in center) are seen here with friends during a Mixed Member-Guest
tournament in 1968. The Landrys are still active members of Westchester Hills.
3. From 1984 to 1987, in cooperation with several nearby clubs, Westchester Hills co-hosted an LPGA
tournament called the MasterCard International Pro-Am. This photo includes former club pres- idents Bill Healey (left), Frank Bensel, Sr. (right), and current professional golfer Frank Bensel, Jr. (second from right).
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4. Bud Treacy took a proud stance on the course in the 1960s.
5. In 1993, the club enjoyed a visit from baseball legend Yogi Berra. Longtime club employee Oscar Salazar
accompanies him in this photograph.
6. A great array of auto- mobiles set the stage for this 1960s photo of two golfers on the ninth green.
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