Designer: Lawrence Van Etten (1894), A.W. Tillinghast (1925, Redesign), Seth Raynor/Charles Banks (1927, Redesign), Ian Andrew (2016, Restoration)
Location: Elmsford, New York
History: Originally designed in 1894 by Lawrence Van Etten, today’s current course came about in 1925, when the Club purchased additional land at the urging of A.W. Tillinghast. Tillinghast laid out his plans for the new course but was replaced by Seth Raynor the following year before his work could be completed. In 1926, Raynor died and Charles Banks finished his redesign. All three famous architects are given credit for today’s course. In 2016, Canadian Ian Andrew restored the course. Famous early members included Augusta National founder Clifford Roberts and the Turnesa golfing brothers. Knollwood currently owns the following award:
#59 Best Course in New York – Top100golfcourses.com (2024)
Conditions: 8/10, With the exception of greens that have been on the slower side when I’ve played, Knollwood is in excellent condition with lush fairways and thick rough.
Value: N/A, This is a private course.
Scorecard:
Tee Par Yardage Rating Slope
Blue 71 6552 72.1 137
White 71 6225 70.5 133
Gold 71 5671 67.9 126
Red 72 5638 73.3 137
Hole Descriptions: I am of the opinion that Westchester County is the best and deepest golfing county in America, with no fewer than 15 to 20 courses, almost all on the private side, worth playing. When you include several other gems just over the border in Greenwich, CT, the level of high-quality private parkland golf is almost overwhelming. The unfortunate result of having such a surplus of great courses is that it means some awesome courses fly well under the radar. Knollwood is certainly one of these courses. A historic Club founded in 1894 with Tillinghast, Raynor, and Banks architecture, Knollwood is a very fun layout with plenty of excellent land movement, some template holes, and beautiful geometric bunkering. You’re unlikely to have heard of Knollwood unless you’re local or a big time golf architecture nerd, but it is well-worth a play and would be top 10 in most states.
Knollwood begins in somewhat unorthodox fashion with a blind teeshot on the opening hole, a 369 yard downhill par 4. This fairway is on the tighter side and features a big speed slot and overall right-to-left slope towards trees and the driving range down the left. This approach then runs back uphill to a right-to-left sloped green set on the hillside with a deep bunker short left.
The blind par 4 1st – “Arch”
Expect an uneven lie on your 1st approach
The 2nd hole features another somewhat confusing teeshot as a 401 yard sweeping dogleg left par 4. This fairway turns 90 degrees left at only about 230 yards, but thick trees down the left and OB make it difficult to cut the corner here. Those who run through the fairway might find a bunker at 250 yards. This approach runs uphill towards a beautiful, narrow, back-to-front sloped green defended by bunkers on either side and mounds of rough.
The par 4 2nd – “Mound”
The approach at 2
The gorgeous 2nd green is a tough GIR
The par threes at Knollwood are an excellent group beginning with the 129 yard short 3rd hole. Somewhat reminiscent of Engineer’s famous “2 or 20” 14th hole, this beautiful one-shotter features a small, severely left-to-right sloped infinity green sitting on a pedestal surrounded by bunkers short, left, and long and a steep slope of rough right. As short holes should, the penalty for missing this green is severe.
The all-or-nothing par 3 3rd – “Bull’s Eye”
The 4th hole is another fun one as a 396 yard straightaway par 4. Teeing up just behind the 3rd green, this teeshot plays downhill to a very generous fairway lined by a road left and bunkers down the left beginning at 265 yards. Another road crossing the fairway at about 240 yards might give some extreme distance for golfers lucky to hit it. This subtle and difficult-to-read kidney-shaped green is lined by two bunkers right.
The par 4 4th – “Long View”
After crossing the road, you reach the 535 yard 5th hole, Knollwood’s longest par 5 that plays even longer uphill. This hole bends slightly to the left on the teeshot with a tighter fairway lined by trees and the road down the left. This fairway tightens even further on the lay-up with fescue down the right and a well-placed bunker on the left about 140 yards short. Deep bunkers defend this large green short and left and the putting surface slopes left-to-right with two distinct tiers.
The par 5 5th – “Old Glory”
The approach at 5
At 432 yards, the number 1 handicap 6th is one of the standout holes at Knollwood as a slight dogleg right par 4. I enjoy the visuals on this teeshot, with a left-to-right sloped mound of fescue directly in front of the teebox obscuring part of the right-to-left sloped tree-lined fairway. This approach runs uphill over a pair of bunkers 70 yards short of the green to a three-tiered, back-to-front sloped putting surface defended by bunkers on either side.
The intimidating par 4 6th – “Tribulation”
The approach at 6
The 7th hole is a shorter, 383 yard straightaway par 4 with a tight, tree-lined fairway and bunker down the left at 250 yards. This approach then continues downhill to a smaller, back left-to-front right sloped green defended by a water hazard short right. There are a few weaker holes at Knollwood that hold it back a bit, and the 7th is easily the weakest hole on an otherwise great front 9.
Finding the fairway is a must on the tight 7th – “Waterloo”
The water hazard feels out of place at 7 in my opinon
While you certainly feel like you’re at a MacRaynor course due to the geometric bunkering and greens, there are relatively few templates at Knollwood compared to most of their designs. The 8th hole is the first recognizable template as a fantastic 198 yard Redan par 3. This is a very intimidating hole, playing longer uphill over fescue to a perched, diagonal green that slopes towards the back right. Deep bunkers line the green on either side and par is a great score here.
The “Redan” 8th is arguably the best hole at Knollwood and one of the best par threes in Westchester
The front 9 closes with a solid 513 yard straightaway par 5 that runs uphill. Golfers should swing freely here, as this fairway is generous with the only danger being a right crossbunker at 280 yards. This fairway progressively narrows on the approach with trees down the right and a left bunker about 110 yards short of the green. The most interesting feature of this hole is a narrow, back-to-front sloped green lined by bunkers on either side.
The par 5 9th – “Half Way”
The 9th green with 17 in the background
The 10th hole is an interesting 401 yard slight dogleg right par 4 with a semi-blind teeshot to a generous fairway. This entire hole slopes hard left-to-right on the side of a hill with two bunkers down the right between 210 and 245 yards. This approach plays shorter downhill to a beautiful, left-to-right sloped green defended by a bunker left and short right. It is one of the best approaches on the course and a difficult one when you consider the cant of the fairway.
The par 4 10th – “Hillside”
The approach at 10
It sort of feels like the architects ran out of space a bit at Knollwood, and the result is a weaker stretch of holes from 11-14 that are shorter and feel cramped. The 11th is the first of these holes as a 214 yard par 3 with a right-to-left sloping green lined by bunkers on either side. It is not an easy hole at this length, but is easily the least interesting of the great par threes at Knollwood. At its length, I feel like Ian Andrew missed an opportunity to create a Biarritz here.
The par 3 11th – “Bee Line”
The 12th hole runs along the edge of the property as a tight, short 329 yard par 4. A slight dogleg left, this hole is lined by OB left the entire way and also defended by a right bunker at 225 yards. This hole does contain an interesting, two-tiered, back-to-front sloped green lined by bunkers on either side and tight lies long.
The par 4 12th, appropriately named “Land’s End”
The 13th hole “Glen” is another quirky, strange short par 4 at 363 yards. This teeshot is nearly completely blind and downhill to a straightaway fairway that turns hard right around 255 yards. A bunker lines the inside corner of the dogleg and the fairway is quite tight after this point. This green is on the flatter side and lined by bunkers on either side.
Tall trees down the right at 13 block a direct route to the green and should be removed to give the golfer better options
The 13th green
At 301 yards, the 14th hole is a true, reachable par 4 with the green only about 260 yards away from the teebox around the left corner. Golfers who don’t go for the green will have to lay-up down the right and should be careful to avoid bunkers down the left beginning around 195 yards. While enticing to reach the green here, it is very narrow and small with a much better angle from the right. This green is lined on either side by deep, rectangular bunkers and features a front left swale on its surface.
The par 4 14th – “Vista”
After a few weaker, short holes, Knollwood reaches a more expansive part of the property on the 15th and finishes with four extremely strong holes. The 15th is a 390 yard uphill dogleg right par 4 with a teeshot over a valley to a fairway that slides right the entire way. This hole plays longer than the scorecard and unless you can reach the left bunker at 250 yards, you’ll likely have a blind second shot. This approach continues uphill to a severely left-to-right sloped green surrounded by a crown of rough.
The excellent par 4 15th – “Overlook”
The beautiful 15th green
The 16th hole is Knollwood’s rendition of an “Eden” template playing downhill at 191 yards. An excellent par 3, this hole features beautiful bunkering with a moat of deep bunker long, left, and right as well as several other bunkers defending it short. This green features a tricky back left plateau and mostly slopes left-to-right with the land.
You won’t be able to see the wonderful bunkering at 16 from the back tees
A closer look at the 16th green
A 534 yard par 5, the 17th hole features tremendous land movement as a dogleg left par 5. This teeshot plays uphill and semi-blind over bunkers and a plateau to a fairway that bends left. About 110 yards short of the green, this slab of fairway ends with a valley of rough before another fairway rises towards the green. This green slopes both left-to-right and back-to-front with large bunkers on either side.
The par 5 17th – “Long Tom”
The approach at 17
Knollwood’s official closing hole is its toughest and most famous as a lengthy 473 yard dogleg right par 4. One of the best closers you’ll find anywhere, this teeshot is heroic and plays downhill over a creek to a diagonal, left-to-right sloped fairway. The further you venture right, the more you’ll have to bite off, as a creek runs down the right side the entire way. This approach then plays slightly back uphill and over another hazard to another slab of fairway leading to the green. This putting surface is narrow and undulating, with bunkers on either side. This is a very challenging hole with lots of opportunity to make a crooked number.
The epic par 4 18th – “Raymond”
The difficult closing approach
I’d be remiss if I didn’t talk a bit about Knollwood’s awesome Bye hole that offers another chance to settle up bets or make an ace. At 117 yards, this short par 3 plays over water to a severely back-to-front sloped green defended by a string of bunkers short and another long left.
I wish more clubs had a 19th like Knollwood!
General Comments: Knollwood is a true country club with a large clubhouse, dining, pool, and tennis courts for its members. Practice facilities include a narrow range along the 1st hole and practice green in front of the clubhouse. The headquarters of the Metropolitan Golf Association (MGA) are located at Knollwood.
Knollwood’s range
Verdict: A historic hidden gem in Westchester designed by the likes of Raynor, Tillinghast, and Banks, Knollwood features excellent bunkering and greens, plenty of quirk, and one of the best closers you’ll find anywhere. It is definitely underrated and is well-worth your time.