Westmoreland CC (Wilson 1954, Finger 1965) in Pittsburgh , PA some history

[Steve_ Shaffer]

Wilson did 18, Finger 9. Now the club has sold the 5 years dormant Finger 9 for 2.4M to renovate/improve facilities and will become an 18 hole Wilson course again:




http://triblive.com/local/westmoreland/12038517-74/club-course-golf

[Steve_ Shaffer]

How did Westemoreland, founded in 1904, wind up with a Dick Wilson course in 1951? Originally a 9 hole course, they bought a nearby farm and built a Donald Ross course in 1921. When a fire destroyed their club house in 1951, they decided to build a new club house AND a new course on another nearby farm and built a Dick Wilson course which opened in 1954. What happened to the Ross course? It was sold to Green Oaks!!!!
http://www.westmorelandcc.com/


http://www.greenoakscc.com/


How many existing clubs have built a new course in a different location in order to build a new club house? 

[JMEvensky]

How many existing clubs have built a new course in a different location in order to build a new club house? 

Ridgeway CC in Memphis did it in 1971. With a clubhouse that needed extensive work, they swapped the existing golf course (in a residential neighborhood) for land in the far suburbs. The developer paid for the new golf course and clubhouse.


With 46 years' hindsight, RCC made a really bad trade.

[astavrides]

How did Westemoreland, founded in 1904, wind up with a Dick Wilson course in 1951? Originally a 9 hole course, they bought a nearby farm and built a Donald Ross course in 1921. When a fire destroyed their club house in 1951, they decided to build a new club house AND a new course on another nearby farm and built a Dick Wilson course which opened in 1954. What happened to the Ross course? It was sold to Green Oaks!!!!
http://www.westmorelandcc.com/


http://www.greenoakscc.com/


How many existing clubs have built a new course in a different location in order to build a new club house? 

Interesting. I didn't know that. Both historically Jewish clubs. I played Green Oaks several times as a kid-never Westmoreland. They are 30 minutes from each other according to google maps. Both about 30 minutes east of Pittsburgh.

[Steve_ Shaffer]

More than likely, the decision to build a new club house and relocate the club resulted in a split in the membership and the dissenters formed Green Oaks. I'm trying to verify this through some research and contacts in Pittsburgh.

[Steve_ Shaffer]

From the West Penn Golf Ass'n website:


The club has a long and storied history with championships conducted by the Western Pennsylvania Golf Association. The club began in Verona, and moved in 1954 retaining the name of Westmoreland Country Club. The original club changed its name to Green Oaks Country Club.
The previous site held four West Penn Opens - 1928 won by Perry DelVecchio, Greensburg, his first of five, tying Jock Hutchison and Roy Vucinich for the most Opens won in a career, both in the West Penn Golf Hall of Fame, and 1953 won by Oakmont’s Lew Worsham, the 1947 US Open champion and another Hall of Fame member.
http://www.wpga.org/nws/2015/150630-westmoreland-cc-great-championship-history-with-wpga.html