HISTORY
Woodway Country Club, founded in 1916, began when a group of members from Wee Burn sought to establish a new 18-hole club and purchased the Woodway Farm property in nearby Darien. Walter Travis, who appraised the land, remarked on its exceptional suitability for a golf course, calling it one of the finest sites he had ever seen.
The club considered several prominent architects for the golf course, including Raynor, Tillinghast, and Ross, before ultimately selecting Willie Park Jr. His design was approved in 1917, and by June 30, 1918, Woodway opened as Connecticut’s longest golf course at 6,470 yards. Park’s design featured multiple teeing areas, offering a flexible course length of over 6,600 yards.
Woodway gained international recognition in 1921 when George Duncan, fresh off of his victory at the 1920 Open Championship, played Woodway as part of a national golf tour that was considered the best of its day. After the tour was done, he declared Woodway the best course he played - above notable venues like The Country Club, Myopia Hunt, Ekwanok, Garden City, Sleepy Hollow, Merion, Scioto, and White Bear Yacht Club.
What makes Park’s enduring creation so impressive is his use of the natural landscape to shape the course. Incorporating a central hill and ridge line and the winding Noroton River, his design emphasizes strategic greens. Here, natural topography dictates the difficulty, particularly with undulating tabletop-style greens that have long challenged golfers.
Throughout its history, Woodway has undergone several modifications. The first major change occurred in 1936 when the clubhouse was expanded, resulting in the relocation of the 18th green (now the 15th).
In 1999, a new clubhouse was built in a new location, and a new 9th hole was created, affecting the routing. Despite these changes, the majority of Park’s original design remains intact, including 17 original greens, 16 still in play.
Over the years, however, changes such as tree plantings, shrinking greens, and shifted tee boxes altered the course’s character. Recognizing this, the club initiated a thoughtful restoration in 2019, led by Bruce Hepner, and new superintendent Anthony Garzia, formerly the lead assistant at Pine Valley.
Hepner’s restoration plan has reclaimed the course’s classic architecture by reconnecting it with its original design. The plan undid some of the changes made over the years, with a focus on removing non-strategic trees, restoring the original green sizes, reestablishing mowing lines, aligning tee boxes, and removing clutter. Another major aspect of the project involved redoing all of Woodway’s bunkers, which improved drainage and playability, and eliminating non-original bunkers that had been added.
What you see today is the result of Woodway’s membership taking pride in a thoughtful restoration and an adherence to the club’s Long-Range Plan for annual winter work. These efforts have preserved Willie Park Jr.’s original design without shutting down the course, requiring an assessment, or following the costly trend of ten-digit renovations. They have also ensured the course’s legacy from the golden age of architecture for future generations.
HOLES TO NOTE
4- The fourth plays over the Noroton River and features a challenging tee shot over a ridge that can push balls towards fairway bunkers or leave players with a difficult approach. The large, undulating green is maybe Park’s best work on the course with seven distinct sections, making precise putting crucial for success. If your second doesn’t land in the correct quadrant, it is easy to walk off with a three-putt bogey.
6- The reverse camber 6th hole plays longer than it appears, with the green nearly 40 feet above the tee. Inaccurate tee shots may find a left-side bunker, while shots pushed right or landing poorly on the tilted fairway risk ending up in a right-side bunker. The dogleg requires precise tee shots to navigate the sloping fairway, followed by a challenging climb to the perched green. Tree removal has significantly improved playability, but it still demands two excellent shots and two solid putts to secure par.
7- The 7th hole descends from the highest point of the property. Once cramped by trees, as shown in the photo on the left, the hillside has been cleared to reveal dramatic landform created during the ice age. The tee shot plays over a swale of fescue to a two-tiered, downward-sloping fairway. The green, guarded by four bunkers, is reached by crossing the river and climbing a rise. Its four-way movement showcases Willie Park Jr.’s exceptional skill in building challenging putting surfaces.
14- The second and final par 5 is a three-shot hole for most golfers. The tee shot is straightforward, with a non-original left-side bunker now removed. The second shot requires strategy as the hole subtly bends left, then back right toward the green. Tree removal has opened up the right side, revealing a steep hill and ponds, while the safer left side offers a longer approach. The elevated green, with natural landforms and steep fall-offs, features challenging movement in the front right and middle left, enhanced by a hollow and a classic WPJ bump.
16- The 16th hole is a challenging test with tee shots playing over a seasonal brook, two bunkers on the right and two more short left. The second shot demands a precise long iron to an elevated green, sitting 18 feet above the fairway. Previously completely ringed by trees, the green is now open and floating, offering better views and conditioning. The large green, typical of Willie Park Jr.’s design, is divided by a diagonal ridge, with subtle humps and bumps adding further challenge even on the correct tier.
“I walked the golf course with Anthony on a cold February day. By the second hole, I knew I wanted to work with him. As we assessed the course, Willie Park’s brilliance in the routing stood out — 80 percent of his original design remained intact, with the rest simply needing to be brought back.” —BRUCE HEPNER
Woodway Country Club stands as a lasting tribute to Willie Park Jr.’s visionary design, carefully restored to revive its rich architectural heritage and strategic challenge, showcasing one of his finest routings on distinctive terrain.
