(December 15, 2023) – Brett Stegmaier stood behind the sun splashed 18th green at Shuttle Meadow Country Club holding the 2023 Connecticut Open trophy above his head. Sprawled out in front of him were hundreds of fans applauding not only his victory but the red carpet treatment that Shuttle Meadow Country Club had just put on display across three July days.
Nestled in a quiet unassuming neighborhood in Kensington, Shuttle Meadow Country Club has been hosting Connecticut State Golf Association events since 1919 when it welcomed the first of its seven Connecticut Amateurs. It is because of that dedication to Connecticut golf for over 100 years that Shuttle Meadow Country Club has been named the 2023 Walter ‘Bud’ Smith Distinguished Club of the Year.
“I think this award for Shuttle Meadow CC is all about our members and all about the work they have done,” said head professional Ian Marshall. “It is about them believing in their club’s history. It is about them believing in their members past and present. It is the whole collective piece that over 100 years ago somebody said, hey let’s get Shuttle Meadow CC on the map, and got involved. Now here we are in 2023 hosting the Connecticut Open, and knowing that we have embraced that for a long time, but to be noticed on that is special for the club.”
Founded in 1899 and designed by Willie Park, Jr., Shuttle Meadow CC is one of the oldest clubs in the state, with a rich history that dates back to the earliest days of Connecticut golf. After being founded in 1899 the 1916 layout that is beloved today was the first complete Willie Park, Jr. design in the United States.
“The story of our club and Willie Park, Jr. is a big part of our history,” Marshall said. “What it really comes down to is that it’s a Willie Park, Jr. golf course. The golf course is his. It wasn’t that he designed five holes and then someone else added the rest. The design is his. I think that is a huge part of our club’s history and we dive right into that we are a Willie Park, Jr. club.”
A plaque honoring Willie Park, Jr., a World Golf Hall of Famer and two-time Open Championship winner, welcomes players to the opening tee and sets the tone for a thrilling round of golf that offers a variety of challenges.
It is that design that Bobby Jones played with Chick Evans on September 19, 1918 when Jones said to Evans on the tee of the par-4 14th hole, “this hole is one of the 18 most beautiful I’ve ever played.” The same design that the only players to ever win the U.S. Open and U.S. Amateur in the same year played is the same course that hosted the 2023 Connecticut Open and is the same course that the dedicated membership plays every day.
“Everybody at Shuttle Meadow CC loves golf,” Marshall said. “They are all here to have a lot of fun and they really enjoy doing it at their golf course.”
The love for golf and the appreciation for golf history played a major role in Shuttle Meadow CC’s decision to host CSGA events on a regular basis. In addition to hosting the 2023 Connecticut Open, the club will host its eighth Connecticut Amateur in 2025. And in recent years the club has hosted various USGA qualifiers while in 2019 they hosted the Connecticut Mid-Amateur.
Each time the club opens its doors to the Connecticut golfing community the red carpet gets rolled out. At the 2023 Connecticut Open, no less than 65 club volunteers were on site for the final round all part of a massive club managed volunteer operation overseen by former Connecticut Women’s Golf Association president Lynn Leffler and her husband Gary.
“Members were excited after the Open that they got to introduce Shuttle Meadow CC back to the states golfing community,” said Marshall. “There has always been an attachment with the CSGA and when we decided that we were going to host I think that really identified that we should be reaching out to our state association and that we have similar histories and that we were involved way back in the beginning. We hosted one of the first state opens and if they came to us back then it is probably a good time to get ourselves back in that loop again and get ourselves involved with the state association.”
However, it is the day-to-day operations that make Shuttle Meadow CC truly shine bright. Whether it is on the golf course for the beginners or experienced players, on the tennis courts, or in the pool rolling out the red carpet is a daily occurrence for anyone, member or guest, who walks through the clubhouse doors.
“When someone leaves the club at the end of the day we want them to have had a great experience from start to finish,” said Marshall of the lasting impact the club has on members and guests. “When somebody leaves we want them to remember that special moment they had. Whether that is grabbing something with the Shuttle Meadow CC logo on it or remembering that shot you hit. You might come back tomorrow or you might not come back for a few years but we want you excited to come back. We have people who come back for member guest events every year and they will say that they are so excited to be back and can’t wait to get out onto the course. I think that is what we want and we want to send them home with that good feeling.”
Shuttle Meadow Country Club has been sending people home with that good feeling since 1899. That isn’t going to change anytime soon.
About the Connecticut State Golf Association
The Connecticut State Golf Association functions as an extension of the USGA and provides stewardship for amateur golf in Connecticut. Founded in 1899, it is the country’s oldest state golf association and conducts over 60 Championships, Qualifiers, and One Day Tournaments throughout the year.
