From the beginnings at Lorenzo…

Golfer on No.1 Fairway...notice the bush on the left...the same one next to the current forward tees.

In the mid 1890s, Charles Fairchild,  then Secretary of Treasury under President Grover Cleveland, had a golf course built on property inherited by his wife, Helen Lincklaen Fairchild, on the south shore of Cazenovia Lake.  Originally known as the “Links of Lincklaen” the course soon was enjoyed by approximately 85 members, and was frequented by Fairchild’s Washington and Albany friends.  In 1896, Fairchild officially formed his new golf club into the Cazenovia Golf Club.

For nearly 30 years, the club grew in its original place, but in 1923, the club was advised that Mrs. Fairchild would not renew the lease after the following year.  A search commenced, and a suitable area was found a short distance away at Coblestone House Farm.  In 1924, work began on making the newly acquired farmland into a first class golf course.  By 1925, the club was ready for play in the Spring, and plans were being made to construct a clubhouse “on the site of the potato patch”.

Putting out on No. 9. The lake in the background, and the old clubhouse on the left.

The club has seen many changes over the years – the original  clubhouse was replaced, caddies went by the wayside in favor of carts, and now it’s not unusual to find the occasional Blackberry on a fairway that bounced out of a cart,  but the shared affection and appreciation for the game has continued on for generations – and will for many more.