Where in the Hudson Valley…?
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Last month, we challenged readers to identify the ivy-covered clock tower that overlooks Main Street in Pine Plains. The timely tribute was built in the early 20th century in memory of Henry Clay Wilber, a beloved doctor who practiced for 52 years in the area. The clock was later struck by lightning and ceased its ticking until 2002, when it was repaired by the National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors. Congrats to Richard Peck, who nabbed the prize. Click here to see if you recognize a giant wooden man.
The tower in question is the Pine Plains town clock. To the right of it is a monument honoring Vietnam vets; my name is included on the list. I also spent a few nights in the Stissing House next door.
Donald Bathrick
Poughkeepsie
Aging Well
It was with much delight that my mother, Katharine Cordts, read the special photo essay on centenarians (June). Three cheers for a job well done. All of our family feels very blessed to have Mom in our lives. She continues to teach us much about the aging process. What a joy your article has given to all of us.
Tildy Cordts Davenport
Stone Ridge
Golf Glitches
I am the general manager of Dutchess Golf Club (previously Dutchess Golf & Country Club) and find it quite perplexing as to why there was no mention of the club in the recent Golf 2013 edition (May). For a club that was founded in 1897, arguably the most challenging course in Dutchess County, and home of New York’s greatest amateur champion, Ray Billows, I am curious as to why the club was not mentioned.
Dennis Mallon, CCM
Dutchess Golf Club, Poughkeepsie
As a longtime Hudson Valley resident and freelance writer, including a number of national articles on golf, I was a little disappointed you didn’t feature more golf courses in Ulster and Dutchess counties which deserve recognition. More troubling was your assertion that golf in America began in 1888 at the St. Andrew’s Golf Club in Westchester, which isn’t quite true. The Edgewood Golf Club in Tivoli was established in July of 1884 — four years before St. Andrew’s — and is still going today. While St. Andrew’s certainly had a more formal establishment and a splashier impact, it really wasn’t the “birthplace” of golf in America nor is it the longest continuing golf club in the country.
Russell La Valle
via hvmag.com
It is unfortunate that we couldn’t devote more space to this brief history of golf because there are many, many clubs and golfers who have contributed to the game. St. Andrew’s is widely recognized as the oldest continuously operating golf club in America, not just by us, but by Dr. William Quirin, official historian of the Metropolitan Golf Association, of which Edgewood Golf Club is a member. The club’s unique role in the founding of the USGA, among the many other ways it promoted the game’s growth, confirms our opinion. Please also note that our listings of early clubs includes only those in operation. At press time, Dutchess Country Club was closed. We are delighted that the “Grand Lady of the Hudson” is once again open.
— The Editors
Happy Hometown
Loved the April issue, especially as I spend weekends in the village of Catskill (“Eight Hot Hometowns”) and take Pilates classes at Body Be Well.
Duke Dang
General Manager, Works & Process at the Guggenheim Museum, Manhattan
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@huntermtn
Click here for Assistant Editor Rosemary O’Connor’s outdoor adventure on Hunter Mountain. Follow us on Twitter at Twitter.com/HudsonValleyMag.
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