Scenic views, beautiful people, sassy layout. The only thing Garrison Golf Club needed was a little love.
This one-time playground for the likes of Madonna and Boy George a few years back had become an eyesore. Tee boxes were run down and the greens were slow and bumpy. The clubhouse restaurant, scene of so many festive parties and weddings, had no food service.
Local golfers took notice and many of them forgot just how beautiful Garrison was – and many of them stopped coming. Developers took note and circled like vultures.
In 1998 a cry went out – “save the land” – and, thankfully, somebody heard it just in time. New ownership came along, pumped some cash into the course, and Garrison is no longer on golf’s endangered species list.
Ten years later, Garrison again can claim to be golf’s crown jewel of the Hudson Valley, as evidenced by the growing number of first-time golfers who march into the pro shop in praise of the golf course.
“People come in just to shake my hand,” said Joe Spivak, Garrison’s head pro. “They come in thrilled and start raving about the experience, how scenic the course is.”
Said one first-timer, “It was like playing golf in a painting.”
Carved into the east hills overlooking the Hudson River, about 50 miles north of New York City, Garrison has been around since 1962. The property offers stunning views of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and was developed in the 1920s by a New York boxer turned trainer named Bill Brown, who made it a “health farm” for stressed out New Yorkers.
In the 1950s, the property was sold to a local family, the Osbornes, who added a golf course. To design it, they brought in Dick Wilson, the noted architect who had just finished up a course in Florida that would become the Doral Blue Monster.
Wilson’s layout, at 6,497 yards from the tips, is visually intimidating. Many of the tee boxes are set back among trees and accuracy is essential. Elevation changes and tight fairways, particularly on the front nine, are downright scary. The greens are small, moderately elevated and well protected.
For years, Garrison was a semi-private facility. The glory days came in the mid-’80s when membership boomed.
“It was a party club,” said Jim Dywer, the former head pro who retired in 1999. “It was a social club. There was one member, an international furrier, and he brought up Madonna, Boy George. I gave golf lessons to JFK Jr. We had a lot of parties.”
In 1986, the club was sold to a group from Long Island and sold again in 1989 to a group of Japanese investors. “They overpaid for it,” Dwyer said. “Because of that, they never put any money into keeping it up and the course suffered.”
Sharon and Chris Davis, a couple from New York City, owned a farm nearby and, in 1998, heard the golf course was up for sale. Rather than see it turn into a sea of condominiums, they joined forces with a group known as the Open Space Institute and bought the golf course as a buffer against development.
As for the golf course, all it needed was some TLC. The Davises made sure it got plenty. In the first few months, seven tee boxes were rebuilt. Greens and bunkers were upgraded – as was the club’s food service. Where once you couldn’t buy a burger, you can now get a gourmet meal from either of the two restaurants now on property.
Garrison, which also offers a four-room inn and spa, is now a top-class, daily-fee facility that competes with newer area courses such as Centennial, Hudson Hills and Mansion Ridge, where weekend greens fees top the $100 barrier. At Garrison, fees range between $35 and $90 on weekends.
When it comes to beauty, Garrison ranks among the most scenic in the country, starting with the very first hole. At 398 yards downhill from the back tee, it’s hard to keep your concentration with the Hudson River bending off in the distance.
The Garrison’s scenic back nine, measuring 3,192 from the tips, allows you to breathe just a little easier. The best hole is the signature 14th. It plays 215 yards from the back, fronted by a huge pond.
“It’s a beauty, but tough for the average guy,” Spivak said. “It’s a strong hole.”
About the only bad thing about Garrison is that it’s not a good course for walking. Hikes to some of the tees and the elevation changes virtually make golf carts a necessity. Yet, walking is allowed here, but not recommended, anytime except weekends before noon.
Yep, golfers have come back to Garrison. With all the scenery, there’s no stopping ’em.
rwimbish@nypost.com