Donald Ross built only one course west of the Rockies. In 1922 he was commissioned by the Beresford Country Club in San Mateo, California, at twice his normal fee to design and build an 18-hole facility on the side of a hill overlooking the Bay Area south of San Francisco.

The course was a success and has been played by the members of Beresford Country Club and later the Peninsula Golf and Country Club since 1922. It was a terrific layout that took full advantage of the vistas that were provided by the property. There was an inherent problem, however, the soil on the course tended to get and stay wet. The drainage took place above rather than below the ground. Over the years some material changes were made to the layout to accommodate this problem. These measures were stopgap at best. In the late 1990’s a group of concerned members decided to deal with this difficulty once and for all. At the same time they felt it would be propitious to attempt to return the course to the original feel of the Ross design.

They hired Ross restoration specialist Ron Forse as their Architect and the Wadsworth Construction Company to carry out their goals. Working with Forse, the Wadsworth Construction Company laid drainage pipe in measures of miles, helped reshape the fairways and greens, rebuilt the bunkering and generally retuned this 1922 masterpiece into a new Donald Ross course. Over the piping in the fairways and roughs of this course Wadsworth spread eight inches of sand, in an attempt to end the drainage problem for good.

The backside of the course was done first, completed in 2001 and reopened for play. On the afternoon of April 4, 2003, the membership gathered to play in a shotgun on the entire 18-hole golf course. There was great cause for concern, in that; it had rained fairly hard the night before and the morning of the re-opening.

Twenty-seven foursomes participated in the opening play. One hundred and eight players were impressed. They were impressed that the course looked and played like a Ross course, they were impressed that many of the views that had been blocked by trees over the years were now open and they were most impressed that the course was dry. The water from the rains just a few hours earlier had filtered through the new sand base and been carried by the underground piping system off the fairways and roughs.

At the dinner that evening accolades of the highest order were given to Ron Forse and the Wadsworth Construction Company as well as the many deserving members that sacrificed their time and effort to make the project a success.

We at the Donald Ross Society feel that the membership of the Peninsula Golf and Country Club deserve significant honor for their patience and trust that this restoration be carried out. They have allowed the leaders the time to carry out a very important plan.

To the membership at Peninsula Golf and Country Club, we at the Ross Society raise a toast: “To your proud past and promising future”!

Michael J. Fay
Executive Director
The Donald Ross Society
mjfay@attbi.com

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