About Us

Richmond County Country Club boasts first-class amenities, a championship golf course, a state-of-the-art aquatic facility and fitness center, eight Har-Tru tennis courts with a pavilion, exquisite dining options, exceptional service, impressive events, and picturesque views of the surrounding Harbor. Since 1888, RCCC has been known around the world for its rich tradition and family values. We invite you to become part of the Richmond County Country Club legacy of excellence and experience the difference that New York City’s only private Country Club has to offer!

History

For more than a century, Richmond County Country Club has maintained its status as New York City’s only private Country Club. It was organized on April 18, 1888 and officially incorporated in 1891. The majority of Founding Members were members of the Richmond County Hunt Club, which had formed a year earlier in 1887. These Founders wished to formalize their organization and provide a place to partake in the popular sports of the time. Within only a decade of opening its doors, RCCC established a distinguished reputation as a fine establishment for fox hunting, lawn tennis, and golf.

Golf arrived at RCCC in 1894. The growing popularity of the sport was led by George Hunter, George Armstrong, and James Park. These three Englishmen had begun golfing over the Fox Hills in the fall of the previous year. Hunter and Armstrong were members at St. Andrew’s, and participated in the “unofficial” amateur championship of 1894. These ambitious, pioneer golfers designed a 9-hole course, and Hunter donated a medal. This medal has been awarded to the finalist in the qualifying round of the club championship since 1895, and remains one of the oldest medals in continuous competition in American golf.

In 1897, RCCC moved to its present location on the Dongan Hills to accommodate the rising interest in golf. A new 9-hole course was built, and a second 9-hole course was created the following season. The present Clubhouse was acquired from a lavish estate that belonged to a shipping magnate who enjoyed watching his ships enter New York Harbor from his porch.

Lawn tennis grew in popularity in 1899. Interestingly, Americans had been introduced to this sport 25 years earlier by Mary Outerbridge, a woman from Bermuda, who was the sister of two RCCC Founders. One of these brothers, Eugene Outerbridge, had paved the way for the establishment of the United States Lawn Tennis Association in 1881.

As Staten Island saw an increase of housing developments appearing on its landscape, fox hunting became less practical and ceased by 1915. Despite this, RCCC continued to emerge as a prestigious and popular establishment for a growing number of golf and lawn tennis sportsmen.

Financial considerations, along with the growth of Staten Island led to a golf course revision in 1956. It made sense to sell the original 1st and 18th holes as both posted par threes and shared the Clubhouse side of Todt Hill Road, an increasingly busy thoroughfare. These were replaced by the present-day 11th and 12th holes, and a Pro Shop Caddy House was built. Unfortunately, the sale separated the Clubhouse from the golf course. However, this was only a minor inconvenience, which the members overlooked gracefully.

In 1989, the State of New York demonstrated its sincere interest in Staten Island’s Green Belt by purchasing the golf course, then giving RCCC a 99-year lease. This provided an opportunity for the Club to finance noticeable course enhancements, cover annual maintenance costs, and build a modern Clubhouse adjacent to the pristine, championship golf course.

To this day, Richmond County Country Club continues the vision of excellence established by its Founding Members, and proudly provides first-class amenities and state-of-the-art facilities in the heart of Staten Island.