Rees Jones, Inc.

Golf Course Design & Architecture

Rees Jones, Inc.
Westchester Hills Golf Club
White Plains, New York
Image: TPC Danzante Bay
Course Type
Private
Design Role
Renovation
(2022)
Co-Designer
Bryce Swanson

Client Course Description

Westchester Hills Golf Club dates all the way back to 1913 when it was designed by the first Head Pro, Peter Clark, with the assistance of architect Donald Ross. The course features fairways lined with mature trees, rolling hills, and contoured greens.

Designer Notes

We are working on a phased in approach to making improvements to the golf course based on a Master Plan. Work is ongoing.

The renovations, which began in October 2021, involved multiple changes to every hole on the course to increase visual aesthetics and enhance playability for golfers at all levels of the game. Greens, fairways, and chipping areas were all expanded, new tees were added, and all the bunkers were renovated. Players who were accustomed to Westchester Hills’s famously small, fast greens surrounded by deep rough now face an additional 20,000 sq ft of putting surface and 50,000 sq ft of closely-mown chipping areas around the greens, creating many additional options for short-game play.

The club also addressed turf conditions throughout the facility by installing XGD drainage on all the greens and a new irrigation system that includes 12 miles of pipe, 1,250 sprinkler heads, and 54 quick connects. The new system will allow vastly greater efficiency of water use.

The golf course isn’t the only feature at Westchester Hills to be upgraded. The project began with the addition of a new practice putting green designed by Jones. The 6,700-sq-ft green is surrounded by fire pits and farm fencing, a subtle nod to the club’s history as part of Gedney Farms.

“The membership at Westchester Hills is thrilled to see the completed result at our club, says Mark Skagg, Club President. “With so much going on at the club — including a pool renovation, elevated dining experiences, and significant membership growth — the course redesign is the finishing touch to achieving member satisfaction for years to come.”