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Golf at Island Hills started with an original nine-hole course laid out by Herbert Strong in 1915. Mr. Strong was the designer of such notable courses as Engineer's C.C. and Ponte Vedre C.C. He was also a fine player having finished fifth in the famous 1913 U.S. Open won by Francis Ouimet. His brother, LeonardStrong, was the first golf professional at Island Hills. The course was redesigned by A.W. Tillinghast in 1927. It was considered at the time to be one of the toughest layouts on Long Island at 6500 plus yards and par 71. For those unfamiliar with the work of Tillinghast, his other courses include Winged Foot, Baltusrol, Quaker Ridge, Bethpage Black among many other famous golf courses. Tillinghast was noted for his natural style of architecture and the beauty of his golf courses. They are all challenging earning him the nickname Tilly the Terror. The Tillinghast redesign in 1927 was the centerpiece of a real estate development called Sayville Estates that failed during the 1929 crash. Social life during the 20's and 30's was active. Frequent dinners and parties were held. Orchestras and entertainers were brought out from N.Y. City. The Original clubhouse was a shingle style cottage affair with a wrap around veranda. It was destroyed by fire in the 1950's. The club was abandoned during World War II and was used by the United States Army for military exercises. The course was resurrected after the war by the McCann and Corbisiero families. The club was reformed in 1953 by Stanley Lazarus and a group of golfers from Bethpage who wanted to start a club on the South Shore with an unrestricted membership. This is the Island Hills we enjoy today!
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