CLUB HISTORY

The "Ridge", now Ridge Road in Rochester and the Town of Greece, New York, is home to Ridgemont Country Club. That ridge was the shoreline of ancient glacial Lake Iroquios, now Lake Ontario. That ridge grew from an Indian trail to a log-paved wagon road to a bustling modern commercial artery.

But Ridgemont itself has remained the peaceful oasis as the town has grown around it and past it to the west. The clubhouse was a new mansion to the James Upton family in the early 1840's, surrounded by apple orchards supplying his grain and fruit business. In a way, James and Mary Upton are still at Ridgemont; their individual oil portraits adorn the living room named in their memory.

As it was in the beginning...
The growing significance of Ridge Road to commerce led a group of visionary real estate developers to establish a golf course in 1928, serving the ever-expanding Eastman Kodak Company vicinity. With little golf knowledge within the committee, a house and golf manager was hired to steer the early days; and by late 1928, the membership goal of 132 had been met. By ãDecoration Dayä in 1929, nine holes were playable as promised, followed in the following two seasons by the second nine as shown on the 1930 plan. Apple trees gradually gave way to new plantings of evergreens, and it was beginning to look and feel like a real golf course.

Formative years...
The early thirites were years of struggle in the wake of the market crash and ensuing hard times. The membership limit was raised to 350, and necessary improvements to the mansion's heating plant, dining room and shower facilities were accomplished. A proshop appeared in 1931, and by 1937 a pump house was in operation pumping much needed irrigation water for tees and greens from the creek running through the course.

The war years of the forties with severe labor shortages found Ridgemont members organized in groups, each assigned to an entire golf hole to mow and maintain. Thursday night family dinners of beef stew somehow got us through the food stamp era, with many members working as waitresses and dishwashers. The big advance to the development of the golf course came in 1955, with the establishment of a full-course watering system, and its required reservoir pond lead to the most golf picturesque hole on the property. Early 1961 saw the opening of a new dining room wing on the old mansion overlooking a new swimming pool.

By the time of great celebration at the "Ridgemont Roots" 50th anniversary party in 1978, Ridgemont Country Club had become a fully active golf and dining facility worthy of the pride exhibited by its members.

The modern era...
But of course Ridgemont's progress did not stop there. Boards of Governors of the past 20 years, together with many planning committees and house, golf and greens professionals, have advanced the facility to even greater heights.

A revision of the back nine golf layout has greatly improved the challenge and the beauty of the course, while at the same time providing room for a full-scale practice range. New and enlarged bar and deck facilities have produced a clubhouse among the best in the area, and a completely new Golf Center and proshop has left little to be desired by the current members. A new state-of-the-art and automatic watering system keeps all of Ridgemont's grassy areas plush and beautiful, a pleasure to play. And yet, with all the modern improvements at Ridgemont, the flavor of the 1840's mansion is maintained and ãthe charm of years lingers, as noted in an 1995 newspaper article. The best is yet to come.

Watercolor rendering of the 18th fairway.

Club house entrance today.

This text was researched and written by:
Earl M. Robertson,
January, 2001