History
1920 to 2010
The Victorian structure that was once known as Valley Ledgemont Country Club originated as a personal residence in 1901. In the mid-1920’s, British architect W.H. Follet developed a 9-hole golf course on the land. Follett, a protégé of renowned golf course architect Donald Ross, designed the course with the traditional British style of “bump and run” golf shots in mind, when golfers aim short of the target and allow for substantial roll after landing.
In 1949, Valley Ledgemont Country Club was sold to local business 60 Inc. and renamed Valley Country Club. The private, 9-hole golf course continued to run into the early 1960’s, when 60 Inc. bought a substantial portion of surrounding land and selected acclaimed golf course designer Geoffrey Cornish to design an additional nine holes. The new 18-hole golf course remained the same for over 40 years.
In 2002, Ian Scott-Taylor, a golf course architect from Wales, was brought in to blend Follett’s and Cornish’s original nine holes to visually look like one design. The result was a course that stretches over 6,600 yards and remains reminiscent of its original designers. Small greens of Ross style and large greens of Cornish style are mixed throughout the course, which is challenging to every type of golfer and every level of handicap.
Equally important as the expansion and development of the golf course was Valley’s purchase of the club from 60 Inc. In the early 1990’s, a group of 25-30 members, made up of individuals with diverse backgrounds in finance, law, and real estate, came up with a plan to buy the club. Members were required to purchase a bond of $4,000, payable in installments, to raise one million dollars for the club’s purchase. Club members over the age of 70 were not required to purchase a bond, but several opted to pay the fee anyway.
It took five years to raise the million dollars, but in 1995 Valley bought the club for $3,000,000.
Valley Country Club’s reputation for its superlative golf course is upheld by the accomplishments of its members. Many golfers coming out of Valley have played at the state level, including two amateur state champions, women state champions, and senior state champions. Four of Valley’s members have been RIGA Players of the Year, more than any other country club since 1987. The club has also been home to numerous tournaments, including the Rhode Island (RIGA) Amateur Championship, Rhode Island (RIGA) Stroke Play Championship, RI State Father and Son Championship, and the RI State Mixed Championship.
In addition to the magnificent golf course with a brand new sprinkler system, Valley’s facilities also include a driving range, two putting greens, and a recently renovated clubhouse. The new 40,000 square-foot clubhouse features a restaurant/lounge, fine dining facility, men’s and women’s locker rooms with all wooden lockers, an expanded Pro Shop, and an outside deck, all offering spectacular views of Valley’s golf course.
Valley prides itself in taking care to blend the old with the new. Throughout their approximate 80 year history, the club has tried to preserve as much of the old nostalgia as possible, from the stone bridge circa 1860 to hand-painted tile fireplaces that date back to the turn of the century. Many of the original Victorian accents remain, and new ones have been discovered. Murals, painted on old plaster, were also uncovered behind walls, and are being carefully preserved today.
"The New" Valley Country Club
In April of 2011, Valley Country Club embarked on an exciting new future under new ownership, Valley CC Investors, LLC. The group, comprised of more than sixty member investors, purchased Valley Country Club to ensure its financial stability and to maintain the over 60 years of tradition at Valley.
Members are drawn to Valley's long and storied history, its reputation for competitive golf on a well maintained, challenging course and its high level of customer service.
In the first months of ownership, Valley CC Investors purchased a complete fleet of golf carts, made improvements to the golf course and improved several of the clubhouse amenities.
In only a few months, Valley CC Investors helped make Valley one of Rhode Island's more financially stable Country Clubs.
Together with the wonderful staff - a staple at Valley - the new owners have continued to build upon Valley's already stellar reputation.
In 2014, the Club completed two major projects. First, the Victorian Room was completely renovated with modern decor and established two new areas for guests to dine, while preserving the historical beauty of the room itself. One one side is a quiet dining area equipped with soundproof glass, and on the other a pub-style atmosphere equipped with 4 new flat screen televisions. The second project was a revamping of the kitchen. A new banquet line and dishwashing station was created and allowed the culinary team to perform in a state-of-the-art environment.
In 2016, the Club began construction on a new members only patio as well as the reconfiguration of the existing deck outside of the grille room. Today the expanded deck and patio with bar and fire pit have become two of the most popular areas of this beautiful club.
In 2019, the Club upgraded its fleet of golf carts to include GPS tracking, bluetooth, USB charging and all of the finest technology available on the market. Valley became one of the few clubs in the region to have this technology.
The future of Valley Country Club has never been brighter!