Philadelphia Cricket Club
Encyclopedia
The Philadelphia Cricket Club, founded in 1854, is the oldest country club
in the United States. It has two locations: Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia
, and Flourtown, Pennsylvania
.
expatriates while studying in the University of Pennsylvania
. It was one of the founding members of the United States Tennis Association
(USTA), hosting the women's singles championship (today the U.S. Open
) for many years, and its original golf course was the site of two U.S. Open
golf
championships.
The Philadelphia Cricket Club has two locations: one 40°03′52"N 75°12′31"W in Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia
where the main offices are located, along with the tennis and squash facilities and the eight-lane, twenty-five meter swimming pool. There is a short, nine-hole golf course there as well. The second location 40°06′31"N 75°13′25"W is ten minutes away in Whitemarsh Township, near Flourtown
, which holds two 18-hole golf courses.
Originally, the cricket team did not own any grounds to play on and used various venues as available. This changed in 1883, when grounds and a clubhouse were donated by Henry H. Houston
. The team was disbanded in 1924 as the club's other sports became more prevalent, but cricket was revived in 1998.
Throughout this time, swimming, golf, tennis, and squash have also thrived at the country club. It is highly dedicated to the growth of juniors in these sports. In 2006, for example, the junior swimming team placed fourth at the Country Club Swimming Association of Greater Philadelphia's League Championships led by the William Penn Charter's high school swimming coach Kevin Berkoff.
. The club hosted the inaugural U.S. Women's National Singles Championship in 1887, and continued to host the event until 1921, when it moved to Forest Hills
. The Women's National Doubles Championship (which started in 1889) and Mixed Doubles Championship (which started in 1892) were also held at the club until 1921. These events later combined with the men's singles and doubles championships to form the U.S. Open
.
championships in 1907 and 1910, won by Alec Ross
and Alex Smith
respectively. Today, this course has been reduced to a 9-hole layout. Despite the reduction, the 7th, 8th, and 9th holes are the same layout as they were played during the 1907 and 1910 U.S. Open
championship.
U.S. Open Champions and Scores
Course Scorecard
was opened. Tillinghast was a world famous designer. Some of his famous course designs include The Black Course at Bethpage State Park
, which has hosted the U.S. Open
twice, as well as Winged Foot, which has also hosted the U.S. Open five times. The Wissahickon course is one of the few remaining courses designed by Tillinghast that has had minimal changes over the past 80 years. The name "Wissahickon" comes from the Lenape word for "Catfish Stream." The Wissahickon Creek runs adjacent to the course. Lorraine Run, which eventually dumps into the Wissahickon Creek
, runs through the Wissahickon Course. An abandoned Reading Railroad track runs through the course, along the 9th and 11th holes. Although the track was ripped up several years ago, the train bridge over Lorraine Run still stands. The Wissahickon Course has hosted several local tournaments. The course is dedicated to A.W. Tillinghast, who was a Philadelphia native.
Course Scorecard
. The course was designed by Michael Hurdzan and Dana Fry, who wanted to combine some of their own ideas with some of the classic Tillinghast ideas. Just like the Wissahickon Course, a train track runs through the middle of the golf course. Although this line is active, and golfers pass through a tunnel (which was constructed well before the golf course) twice each round. The course is dedicated to Willie Anderson
, a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame
, who at one point, early in the 20th century, was the head golf professional at the club.
Course Scorecard
Country club
A country club is a private club, often with a closed membership, that typically offers a variety of recreational sports facilities and is located in city outskirts or rural areas. Activities may include, for example, any of golf, tennis, swimming or polo...
in the United States. It has two locations: Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia
Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Chestnut Hill is a neighborhood in the Northwest Philadelphia section of the United States city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.-Boundaries:Chestnut Hill is bounded as follows:...
, and Flourtown, Pennsylvania
Flourtown, Pennsylvania
Flourtown is a census-designated place in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States, with a ZIP code of 19031. Flourtown is adjacent to the Philadelphia neighborhoods of West Oak Lane, Mt. Airy, and Chestnut Hill...
.
History
It was founded in 1854 by a group of EnglishEngland
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
expatriates while studying in the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
. It was one of the founding members of the United States Tennis Association
United States Tennis Association
The United States Tennis Association is the national governing body for the sport of tennis in the United States. A not-for-profit organization with more than 700,000 members, it invests 100% of its proceeds to promote and develop the growth of tennis, from the grass-roots to the professional levels...
(USTA), hosting the women's singles championship (today the U.S. Open
U.S. Open (tennis)
The US Open, formally the United States Open Tennis Championships, is a hardcourt tennis tournament which is the modern iteration of one of the oldest tennis championships in the world, the U.S. National Championship, which for men's singles was first contested in 1881...
) for many years, and its original golf course was the site of two U.S. Open
U.S. Open (golf)
The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour...
golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
championships.
The Philadelphia Cricket Club has two locations: one 40°03′52"N 75°12′31"W in Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia
Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Chestnut Hill is a neighborhood in the Northwest Philadelphia section of the United States city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.-Boundaries:Chestnut Hill is bounded as follows:...
where the main offices are located, along with the tennis and squash facilities and the eight-lane, twenty-five meter swimming pool. There is a short, nine-hole golf course there as well. The second location 40°06′31"N 75°13′25"W is ten minutes away in Whitemarsh Township, near Flourtown
Flourtown, Pennsylvania
Flourtown is a census-designated place in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States, with a ZIP code of 19031. Flourtown is adjacent to the Philadelphia neighborhoods of West Oak Lane, Mt. Airy, and Chestnut Hill...
, which holds two 18-hole golf courses.
Originally, the cricket team did not own any grounds to play on and used various venues as available. This changed in 1883, when grounds and a clubhouse were donated by Henry H. Houston
Henry H. Houston
Henry Howard Houston was a leading Philadelphia businessman and philanthropist. He was in charge of the Philadelphia, Germantown and Chestnut Hill Railroad which was built in the 1880s to link downtown Philadelphia with the wealthy and growing suburbs to the northwest.Houston attended St...
. The team was disbanded in 1924 as the club's other sports became more prevalent, but cricket was revived in 1998.
Throughout this time, swimming, golf, tennis, and squash have also thrived at the country club. It is highly dedicated to the growth of juniors in these sports. In 2006, for example, the junior swimming team placed fourth at the Country Club Swimming Association of Greater Philadelphia's League Championships led by the William Penn Charter's high school swimming coach Kevin Berkoff.
Tennis
In 1881, the club was one of the founding members of the United States Lawn Tennis Association, today the USTAUnited States Tennis Association
The United States Tennis Association is the national governing body for the sport of tennis in the United States. A not-for-profit organization with more than 700,000 members, it invests 100% of its proceeds to promote and develop the growth of tennis, from the grass-roots to the professional levels...
. The club hosted the inaugural U.S. Women's National Singles Championship in 1887, and continued to host the event until 1921, when it moved to Forest Hills
West Side Tennis Club
The West Side Tennis Club is a private tennis club located in Forest Hills, a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Queens. It is currently an oasis within the City with 38 courts in all four surfaces , a junior Olympic swimming pool and many other amenities.It is most notable for hosting...
. The Women's National Doubles Championship (which started in 1889) and Mixed Doubles Championship (which started in 1892) were also held at the club until 1921. These events later combined with the men's singles and doubles championships to form the U.S. Open
U.S. Open (tennis)
The US Open, formally the United States Open Tennis Championships, is a hardcourt tennis tournament which is the modern iteration of one of the oldest tennis championships in the world, the U.S. National Championship, which for men's singles was first contested in 1881...
.
Trapshooting
Trapshooting has become more and more of a prevailing sport at PCC. Shooting dates are held November through April on Militia Hill golf course.Golf
The Philadelphia Cricket Club was one of the founding members of the Golf Association of Philadelphia when it was organized in 1897. Today it operates three courses, each opened in a different century.St. Martin's Course
This course is named "St. Martin's" after the adjacent episcopal church St. Martin's in the Fields. The club originally opened a 9-hole course in 1895, which was quickly replaced by the 18-hole St. Martin's course in 1898, designed by Willie Tucker. This course hosted the U.S. OpenU.S. Open (golf)
The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour...
championships in 1907 and 1910, won by Alec Ross
Alec Ross
Alexander Ross , generally known as Alec Ross and sometimes as Alex or Aleck, was a Scottish golfer. He was a native of Dornoch and learned his golf in his home country, but like many British professional golfers of his era he spent many years working as a club professional in the United States...
and Alex Smith
Alex Smith (golfer)
Alex Smith was a member of a famous Scottish golfing family. His brother Willie won the U.S. Open in 1899, and Alex won it in both 1906 and 1910. Like many British professionals of his era he spent much of his adult life working as a club professional in the United States.In 1901 Smith lost to...
respectively. Today, this course has been reduced to a 9-hole layout. Despite the reduction, the 7th, 8th, and 9th holes are the same layout as they were played during the 1907 and 1910 U.S. Open
U.S. Open (golf)
The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour...
championship.
U.S. Open Champions and Scores
| Year | Champion/Country | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1907 | Alec Ross Alec Ross Alexander Ross , generally known as Alec Ross and sometimes as Alex or Aleck, was a Scottish golfer. He was a native of Dornoch and learned his golf in his home country, but like many British professional golfers of his era he spent many years working as a club professional in the United States... /Scotland Scotland Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the... |
76-74-76-76=302 |
| 1910 | Alex Smith Alex Smith Alexander Douglas Smith is a professional American football player and starting quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. Smith was drafted with the 1st-overall pick in the 1st round of the 2005 NFL Draft by San Francisco from the University of Utah... /Scotland Scotland Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the... |
73-73-79-73=298 |
Course Scorecard
| Key | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Par | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 35 |
| Handicap | 5 | 7 | 1 | 6 | 9 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 8 | - |
| Yardage (Men's Tees) | 343 | 257 | 322 | 289 | 110 | 316 | 368 | 326 | 222 | 2553 |
Wissahickon Course
Because the St. Martin's course was built on land not owned by the club, an additional tract of land in Flourtown was bought in 1920. In 1922, a new course designed by A. W. TillinghastA. W. Tillinghast
Albert Warren "Tillie" Tillinghast was a noted American golf course architect. Tillinghast was one of the most prolific architects in the history of golf; he worked on no fewer than 265 different courses....
was opened. Tillinghast was a world famous designer. Some of his famous course designs include The Black Course at Bethpage State Park
Bethpage State Park
Bethpage State Park is a New York state park on the border of Nassau County and Suffolk County on Long Island. The park contains tennis courts, picnic and recreational areas and a polo field, but is best known for its five golf courses, including the Bethpage Black Course, which hosted the 2002...
, which has hosted the U.S. Open
U.S. Open (golf)
The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour...
twice, as well as Winged Foot, which has also hosted the U.S. Open five times. The Wissahickon course is one of the few remaining courses designed by Tillinghast that has had minimal changes over the past 80 years. The name "Wissahickon" comes from the Lenape word for "Catfish Stream." The Wissahickon Creek runs adjacent to the course. Lorraine Run, which eventually dumps into the Wissahickon Creek
Wissahickon Creek
Wissahickon Creek is a stream in southeastern Pennsylvania. Rising in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, it runs about 23 miles passing through and dividing Northwest Philadelphia before emptying into the Schuylkill River at Philadelphia...
, runs through the Wissahickon Course. An abandoned Reading Railroad track runs through the course, along the 9th and 11th holes. Although the track was ripped up several years ago, the train bridge over Lorraine Run still stands. The Wissahickon Course has hosted several local tournaments. The course is dedicated to A.W. Tillinghast, who was a Philadelphia native.
Course Scorecard
| Key | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Par | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 71 |
| Handicap | 3 | 7 | 17 | 5 | 9 | 11 | 15 | 13 | 1 | 18 | 4 | 12 | 10 | 16 | 6 | 14 | 8 | 2 | - |
| Yardage (Men's Tees) | 394 | 393 | 120 | 493 | 341 | 345 | 492 | 164 | 420 | 144 | 390 | 492 | 392 | 350 | 189 | 391 | 387 | 433 | 6052 |
Militia Hill Course
Because of the huge interest in golf at PCC, an idea for another 18-hole course adjacent to the Wissahickon Course came about. The fact that golf memberships were limited, the need for a second golf course was almost necessary, not only for more golf members, but also for some tournaments, both interclub and intraclub. So, on April 27, 2002, members found themselves standing in front of a brand-new 18-hole golf course. The name "Milita Hill" comes from the name of the adjacent hill, Militia Hill. Militia Hill was the site of the last encampment for the soldiers of the Pennsylvania Militia before their march to Valley ForgeValley Forge
Valley Forge in Pennsylvania was the site of the military camp of the American Continental Army over the winter of 1777–1778 in the American Revolutionary War.-History:...
. The course was designed by Michael Hurdzan and Dana Fry, who wanted to combine some of their own ideas with some of the classic Tillinghast ideas. Just like the Wissahickon Course, a train track runs through the middle of the golf course. Although this line is active, and golfers pass through a tunnel (which was constructed well before the golf course) twice each round. The course is dedicated to Willie Anderson
Willie Anderson (golfer)
William Law Anderson was a Scottish immigrant to the United States who became the first golfer to win four U.S. Opens, with victories in 1901, 1903, 1904, and 1905. He is still the only man to win three consecutive titles, and only Bobby Jones, Ben Hogan, and Jack Nicklaus have equalled his total...
, a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame
World Golf Hall of Fame
The World Golf Hall of Fame is located at World Golf Village near St. Augustine, Florida, in the United States, and it is unusual among sports halls of fame in that a single site serves both men and women. It is supported by a consortium of 26 golf organizations from all over the world.The Hall of...
, who at one point, early in the 20th century, was the head golf professional at the club.
Course Scorecard
| Key | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Par | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 72 |
| Handicap | 15 | 7 | 3 | 11 | 17 | 5 | 1 | 13 | 9 | 8 | 18 | 14 | 4 | 6 | 12 | 16 | 10 | 2 | - |
| Yardage (Men's Regular Tees) | 384 | 380 | 480 | 380 | 172 | 552 | 410 | 379 | 201 | 404 | 138 | 361 | 429 | 508 | 168 | 369 | 537 | 411 | 6663 |
Practice Facility
With the construction of the Militia Hill Course, the Flourtown complex is complete with a driving range (also used by the trapshooters in the fall), practice chipping area, and putting green. The driving range features two different places where the players can hit. There is also a training hut, which is used by the professionals for lessons. It is a great facility to work on every part of your game.See also
- Philadelphian cricket teamPhiladelphian cricket teamThe Philadelphian cricket team was a team that represented Philadelphia in first-class cricket between 1878 and 1913. Even with the United States having played the first ever international cricket match against Canada in 1844, the sport began a slow decline in the country. This decline was...
- Merion Cricket ClubMerion Cricket ClubMerion Cricket Club is a private club in Haverford, Pennsylvania, founded in 1865. The current clubhouse is its sixth, the last four having been designed by Philadelphia architect Frank Furness and his partner, Allen Evans .-History:...
- Germantown Cricket Club
- Belmont Cricket ClubBelmont Cricket ClubThe Belmont Cricket Club was one of the four chief cricket clubs in Philadelphia that played from the end of the 19th century until the outbreak of World War I. It was founded in 1874 in west Philadelphia and was disbanded in 1914. Bart King, arguably America's greatest cricketer during its golden...
External links
- Philadelphia Cricket Club
- History of Chestnut Hill Academy, which is across the street and shares some history