Source: VT Golf Magazine | Issue: Summer 2007 | Author: Brent Long
Synopsis: This article talks about the Richford Country Club and its history along the Canadian Border. It addresses how it came to be and its significance during the prohibition.
Along the Vermont/Quebec Border the Stars and Stripes and the Maple Leaf fly side by side at the Richford Country Club. While it’s not quite the club New York City stock broker Ernest H. Clarke first envisioned in 1926 Prohibition, just prior to the Great Depression, this quaint. Natural nine-holer is sa testament to the combined efforts of people from both sides of the border.
Clarke’s dream was to build a first-class resort hotel complete with a golf course that would be “Second to none in New England.” Renowned golf course architect Donald Ross was originally called upon to design an 18-hole layout at a cost of $80,000 to build. However, in December 1927 issue of Canadian Golfer it was reported that legendary first international golf course. It apparently had the backing of several American millionaires, as well as 1913 U.S. Open champion Francis Ouimet.
The 900-acre estate strategically reached across the Canadian border with some 90 acres outside the U.S.A. promotional booklet of the time stated, “As its excellence becomes known, it is anticipated that the Verte-Montage course will come to be a favourite meeting place for championship matches.” The plan called for the clubhouse to be built on the Canadian side, with 25 guest rooms and a 19th hole where golfers would be able to rest and relax legally with a cold beer and a shot of whisky.