Golf Course Information

Description

Incorporated in 1914, Sunnybrook was organized by six "crusaders" who defected from the Philadelphia Cricket Club in 1913. These six gentlemen were Samuel Y. Heebner, William Findlay Brown, George C. Thomas, Charles T. Cowperthwait, James A. Janney, Jr. and Joseph S. Clark.

The new group purchased the original Sunnybrook tract on July 7, 1913. This land was a farm lying between Mill Road and Haws Lane, west of Church Road in Flourtown. The founders of the new club were determined to have a small, proprietary golf club. They did not want a crowded course and the other problems associated with a large membership and country club atmosphere.

The charter for the club was finally procured March 7, 1914, and the Donald Ross designed course opened on Decoration Day, 1915. The old farmhouse located north of the beautiful 13th green served as the original clubhouse. One of the founders commented at this time, never in our lives was a more congenial and convivial band of sports gathered on frequent occasions for merry parties. A new and larger clubhouse was opened on Decoration Day, 1928. There followed many years of pleasant experiences at the same location.

The old Sunnybrook possessed some excellent golf holes  the 5th and 6th, long par fours, parallel to each other, both crossing the stream for which the club was named; the beautiful 13th with the same stream wandering across the fairway and along the right edge up to the green, with lovely willow trees alongside; the par three 16th hole with its two-tiered, treacherous green.

In 1954, a combination of circumstances (not the least of which was the impending new Route 309 which obliterated the famous 5th green) caused the club to seek a new location.

A beautiful 135-acre site was found  the old William Disston farm, which was purchased in December 1954. The new course was designed by William Gordon and his son David. Earlier in his career, William had supervised course construction for Willie Parks, Jr. and Donald Ross. He started his own company shortly after Rosss death and developed a national reputation with work such as Saucon Valleys famed Grace Course. In 2000 and 2001 the golf course received an architectural upgrade, under the direction of the nationally recognized design team of Hurdzan and Fry.

A new modern clubhouse was opened February 15, 1956. The course was first played June 16, 1956. In August 1989 Sunnybrook acquired some additional peripheral acreage abutting the golf course in order to protect the integrity of the course. On September 30, 2001 an additional 33 acres of land was acquired extending the southern boundary of the Club. This acquisition was accomplished in cooperation with the Montgomery County Lands Trust and the Preservation Alliance of Philadelphia and provides a permanent open space conservation easement on the property.

Over the years, Sunnybrook has hosted the United States Golf Association Senior Mens Amateur Championship (1971) and the USGA Ladies Amateur Championship (1978) as well as a number of local and state tournaments. Sunnybrooks own annual Silver Putter Tournament is, of course, one of the areas most famous tournaments.

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