County’s depression-era black-owned golf club memorialized

A golf course operation that turned out not to be a viable business was honored for having made a mark in history when Westchester County Executive George Latimer hosted a ceremony on March 20. The ceremony took place at the Hudson Hills Golf Course in Ossining, which is owned and operated by Westchester County. A memorial plaque was dedicated commemorating the Rising Sun Golf & Country Club, the first black owned and operated golf and country club in Westchester County. The club was operated on the land where Hudson Hills stands today.

According to various histories of the property, The Rising Sun Golf & Country Club was established in 1936 and was the premier black owned and operated golf and country club in the New York City area. The 18-hole golf course was as well-equipped as any of the white owned golf courses of the time. The club was on the property of the former Sunset Hills Golf Course that had been opened in 1926 by George W. Hampton of Florida.

During the Great Depression, Hampton’s golf course suffered and he sold it to the Rising Sun Golf Holding Group. This group was comprised of prominent black men who lived in Westchester. They managed to operate the golf course for one season. A new black investment group attempted to restart the club as the Beaumont Golf and Country Club but was unsuccessful. A new group of white investors took over the golf course and the property struggled under several different owners until it closed in 1982 and the land was sold for development. IBM developed plans for a research center at the site. In 2004, IBM sold the property to Westchester County. Today, the Hudson Hills Golf Course occupies the land.

“The creation of the Rising Sun Golf & Country Club in the 1930s is just one example of the fortitude of our black residents,” County Executive George Latimer said. “These gentlemen persevered with their venture despite constantly facing a multitude of obstacles from those who clearly wanted it to fail. I have boundless admiration for these ground-breaking entrepreneurs. It is my privilege to memorialize this extraordinary feat and moment in our history.”

According to Deputy County Executive Ken Jenkins, “The gentlemen who founded the Rising Sun Golf & Country Club exhibited amazing vision, ambition and optimism. Their mission was to lift the club members’ aspirations, expand their athletic endeavors and create social solidarity. Although the club’s life was woefully short, I am proud to honor their incredible efforts and celebrate their place in history.”

Ossining Village Historian Joyce Sharrock-Cole characterized the new memorial plaque as “another tremendous step in documenting in perpetuity the contributions of black people in our county and acknowledging their perseverance to accomplish their mission despite the insurmountable obstacles they faced to do so during the Great Depression.”