Ridgewood Country Club was designed by noted golf course architect Devereaux Emmet. Garden City CC, in New York; Riddell Bay in Bermuda; and The Congressional Golf Club in Bethesda, MD were also done by him. The original nine holes at Ridgewood, today’s back nine, opened for play 1921. The second nine was completed in 1922.
The routing of Interstate 84 necessitated a major redesign in 1961. Goeffrey Cornish was brought on for this work. The club sits prominently on property once occupied by the, internationally acclaimed, Ridgewood Stock Farm. This horse breeding facility and land were purchased by a group of local businessmen around 1920. They raised $100,000 by selling $250 shares of stock to 400 investors. The remnants of the old half oval track can be found today where it sweeps around the first hole to the old maintenance building and returns through the 13th green. The cart path at the 13th hole is the actual track. Here it takes a turn behind 18 green, connecting it to the right hand side of the first fairway.
This historic, private, 300 member equity golf club offers an 18 hole challenging 6,570 yards, par 71 tract (Course Rating 72.5, Slope Rating 138). It’s variety of holes and routing over hills, depressions, areas of meadow, and sudden elevation changes in make for an interesting round of golf. Combine Ridgewood’s narrow fairways to its true, fast undulating greens. Balance these features with some well placed bunkers, natural hazards and a meandering stream that crosses the course in a number of places. A variety of holes further enhances the lay out while adding to the difficulty of play. There are numerous sand bunkers and grass bunkers throughout the entire course and a lake that comes into play at the 10th hole. The combination of these features belies its relative shortness. A host of the greatest have played Ridgewood including Walter Hagen, Tommy Armour, Gene Sarazen, and “Danbury Boys” Mark Calcavecia and Kenny Green. Green learned to play the game at Ridgewood. It has served as the sight for the Connecticut Sate Open in 1995 and 2006.
Major sweeping renovations, as part of a master pan, are being completed in stages. Renowned architect Roger Rulewich and his Golf Group were hired to do the design and shape. All the green surrounds have been reworked from the green out. The green complex at the 15th hole was expanded and rebuilt; the greens on the 3rd, 4th, 5th, 13th, and 16th holes were enlarged. New back tees were added at the 2nd, and 3rd holes, while all the tees at the 7th are new. All green side bunkers and land forms have been reshaped, except at the 7th, 9th, 10th, and 18th holes. The fairway of the par 4, 11th hole has been modified to enhance the approach strategy. The green surround of the 11th was also redone. All tees at the 12th hole have been rebuilt, the hole has been lengthened and a dramatic, challenging fairway bunker was added. The green surrounds at the 13th and 14th holes have been redone. A new tee complex was rebuilt at the 16th and the green extended as well. A new tee at the 17th lengthens the hole from 215 to 235 yards.
The initial phase of this comprehensive renovation master plan was completed in 2006 with funds allocated and approved by the members. It was funded as a five year plan but scheduled and done in three years.
“The club wanted to keep up and be membership competitive with other area clubs. They felt some changes were needed but didn’t realize how much until Roger Rulewich and the Golf Group came in. At the time the plan was initially presented, to the members, there were many who questioned why make any changes. After all, at the 1995 Connecticut Open, only one player had broken par and that was on the final day. You don’t know what you don’t have until you have something new,” said David Kerr, Superintendent, in his 21st year at Ridgewood.
“When the bunkers were redone it became obvious that the changes were, not only, dramatic but also made for a better playing golf course. Members quickly embraced aesthetic appeal created by the design changes and love what the improvements have done to the playability as well,” added Kerr.
“The contour of the greens were considered good as they were and, in fact, many of them were. Some, however, were too severely sloped for the size of the green. By splicing into existing greens, we created a seamless addition allowing us to keep existing greens, enlarge them to accommodate present day speed, and address the need for more cup locations,” added Dave Fleury, Design Associate and Shaper.
Additional work planned for the next stages include: 7th- complete the reconstruction of greens complex, including the green which will bring the stream into play; 9th- rebuilding of entire greens complex, including the green and the addition of significant mounding on left hand side of hole to block the parking lot; 10th- additional work at the par 3 island green 185 yd hole may likely include a complete rebuilding of the green complex and making the green smaller; 11th- future work might include the addition of a back tee; 18th- major work is likely to include rebuilding the hole from tee to green, lengthening it, and adding a strategically placed pond offering an attractive visual from the 18th green, the 1st hole, and the clubhouse; Also in the future, it is hoped that the practice facility including driving range, target greens, practice bunkers, and chipping area will be reworked.
“The work by Roger Rulewich and Dave Fleury at Ridgewood is impressive. They have softened a lot of lines and delivered an appropriate design with dramatic changes that enhances play and is relatively easy to maintain,” offered Kerr in summation.
Established in 1996, The Roger Rulewich Group, a golf course design and construction firm based in Bernardston, Massachusetts, is considered among the best in the industry. Roger and the Group have provided design and construction services worldwide, on more than 170 courses. Their work includes Fox Hopyard, Silver Spring , Rock Rimmon, Rolling Hills, Quinnatisset, and Yale in Connecticut; Saratoga National, Albany CC, ad Anglebrook in NY; Crumpin-Fox and Ipswich in Massachusetts; Adare Manor, Ireland; Celtic Manor, Wales; Playa Grande, Dominican Republic; Tuckers Point, Bermuda; Valderama, Spain; The Robert Trent Jones Trail, Alabama. Roger Rulewich, chief architect and principal, spent 34 years as a design associate with Robert Trent Jones Sr, 21 as senior designer. The Rulewich team includes Roger Rulewich Partner and Designer; Partner, Design Associate and Shaper David Fleury; and Marshall Victor, President . For more information about The Roger Rulewich Group contact Dave Fleury at 800- 465-3668; Info@rrulewich.com or visit www.rrulewich.com
