Painting by Jen Donaldson.
Letter from the Club President “The Navesink Country Club is now a reality, the membership having incorporated and arranging to take title to the Club property in late April, 1963. The membership has elected a Board of Governors as follows:” Richard G. Metcalf, President C. M. Cubbage, Vice-President E. Murray Todd, Treasurer Lawrence E. Low, Secretary Norman Badenhop John C. Giordano Jr.
W. T. Harbler Amory L. Haskell Jr. C. W. Lyon Jr. John V. Rathbone Jr. G. Barker Seeley Jr. Robert O. Thatcher
And so, it began. The above communication was written in 1962 and was the culmination of a group of like-minded individuals determined to build a wonderful club, primarily for golf, but with “two tennis courts, eight bowling alleys, a 25-meter Olympic pool, an artificially refrigerated ice-skating rink, overnight guest rooms and a squash court.” Here we are celebrating our 60th anniversary, or Diamond Jubilee. The Navesink Country Club is now recognized as one of the finest family clubs in the state of New Jersey. Over these past 60 years many families have been a big part of this club’s progression and we can be proud to be where we are now. We also have been blessed to have had some wonderful staff over all these years, from our golf, tennis and skating pros to some of the finest bartenders one can remember! We have hosted two LPGA tournaments, multiple pro racquets tournaments and some wonderful hockey matches, including our men’s team hosting a team from Russia. We have also hosted such luminaries as Bob Hope, Arnold Palmer and other stars. Trying to capture 60 years of history has been very time consuming, but has also resurrected some wonderful stories, reminded us of many of the characters who graced the club and has helped reinforce what a wonderful vision our founders had way back in the early 1960s. On behalf of all our members, may I say a big thank you to all our volunteers who spent countless hours combing through old photographs, memorabilia and interviewing older members. I hope you all enjoy this walk through Navesink history. John F. O’Donoghue President, NCC 2023 vii
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Introduction
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n 2023, Navesink Country Club celebrates its 60th Anniversary—a milestone that reflects six decades of providing an exceptional private club experience for generations of local families. To mark this special occasion, the Board of Governors organized a committee to assemble this commemorative book, which shares the history, events and people that have made Navesink Country Club such a special place. The founders of Navesink aimed to create a club that was open and welcoming to families. Early on, it set out to be more than a golf club, with initial hopes of also providing its members with tennis, swimming, bowling, squash, hockey and curling programs. The club has evolved through the years, and this book is an effort to memorialize that progress so that today’s members—and future generations— can understand and appreciate Navesink’s history and traditions. Most of all, this book shares the treasured memories of members enjoying our club throughout the decades with family and friends. We are truly grateful for the incredible foresight and vision successive Boards of Governors have employed over the past 60 years to create the great club we have today. Without their tireless work, the club would be far different today and might not have survived various financial panics and recessions. Our Boards have continuously made difficult decisions in the face of competing priorities so that the club would continue to appeal to future generations.
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Navesink has an elegant clubhouse, wonderful dining and banquet facilities, a manicured golf course, an expansive pool bar and adjacent outdoor bar, highly sought after Har-Tru tennis courts, a state-of-the-art skating rink and some of the finest paddle tennis and pickleball courts in the state. However, at the heart of these successful programs are the members who participate, and the staff and administration who make it all work. The club has become one of the most respected and admired clubs in New Jersey, not just because of its impressive facilities or majestic views, but because of its cherished traditions of friendship and camaraderie. Navesink has spawned life-long friendships and countless connections of wonderful people of varied backgrounds. Some members have even met their soul mate and married here. Navesink continues to be that place the founders dreamed of, where families and members could enjoy and thrive in the company of others. The Board of Governors and the Committee responsible for creating this pictorial history extend their thanks to all those who shared their treasured stories, photos and club memorabilia. We hope that you will enjoy reading about Navesink’s history as much as we did putting it together.
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Founding and original members of Navesink Country Club.
CHAPTER ONE
History and Founding of Navesink Country Club
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o fully understand the history and formation of Navesink Country Club—including the origins of today’s clubhouse— you need to go back to 1907. It was then that J. Amory Haskell, a DuPont executive from Wilmington, Delaware, and Sea Bright, New Jersey, acquired a massive parcel of land in the “heights” area of Middletown Township straddling Cooper Road and running along Riverside Drive (now called Navesink River Road). He then ferried his wife’s ancestral home from Long Island, New York all the way up the North Shrewsbury River (now called the Navesink River). From there, it was offloaded in three sections on the banks of the Navesink. Then it was hauled up Luffburrow Lane, down Cooper Road and finally reassembled on a hill north of Cooper Road, where the old Haskell estate and barns still exist, though now owned by another family. Several years later, Mrs. Haskell’s brother, Samuel Riker, acquired a parcel of the Haskell estate on the other side of Cooper Road and fronting Riverside Drive, and built a hip-roofed, Georgian-styled mansion on Luffburrow Lane. Mr. Riker appropriately named his new summer residence “Overlook Farm,” commanding views of not just the North Shrewsbury River, but Sandy Hook to the east and the ocean beyond. Forty years later, Samuel Riker sold his summer residence to C. William Lyon Jr., a successful lawyer and world-class sailor. Coincidentally, Mrs. Lyon’s father, John J. Raskob, the owner of the Empire State Building, had been a former DuPont colleague of none other than the property’s previous owner, J. Amory Haskell. Mr. Lyon gradually acquired adjoining properties, which make up the bulk of the club’s current acreage.
The Lyon family summer residence went through many structural changes and enhancements through the years, including the addition of a driveway entrance from Riverside Drive. The residence teemed with social activities, including two daughters’ gala wedding receptions and the awards ceremonies for the 1960 Olympic sailing qualifiers held on Raritan Bay. By the early 1960s, with his children grown, Mr. Lyon approached members of the Riverside Drive Association, a homeowners group committed to preserving the character of the area, to see if there was any interest in purchasing the estate. In the ensuing months, a committee headed by Robert O. Thatcher developed a master plan to finance and convert the Overlook Farm residence into a country club. The committee included C. M. Cubbage, Jack Giordano Jr., Amory Haskell Jr., John Ellis, Richard Metcalf and Murray Todd. On April 1, 1963, the paperwork was filed to incorporate Navesink Country Club. In its filing, it declared “The principle activities of the Corporation shall be conducted at the country club site where there shall be located a golf course, tennis courts, swimming and other facilities on Navesink River Road, in the township of Middletown, County of Monmouth and state of New Jersey.” The Left Page and Top Right: The original advertisement for Country Estates, which eventually became known as Navesink Country Club. Articles about the property being sold and the beginnings of the club. Bottom Left and Center: Original clubhouse and grounds being used for a fashion show as spectators watch on, beginning of construction. Bottom Right: Beginning of construction for the golf course.
CHAPTER ONE HISTORY AND FOUNDING OF NAVESINK COUNTRY CLUB
main building was expansive, but needed to transform from a family residence into a clubhouse that accommodated an active social membership. Plans were drawn up for a 25-meter pool, the addition of tennis courts and the development of an 18-hole golf course. Also included in the initial plan were bowling alleys and a skating rink the size of the Rockefeller Center facility. The literature promoting the new venture enticed potential new members by pointing out that Navesink would be more than just a golf club, and proudly stated the “club is for wives and for children and for non-golfing players of other sports.” Initial annual dues were set at $250 for a membership and $150 for a social membership. While the club was actively promoting its vision for the new Navesink Country Club in March of 1963 by hosting cocktail parties, by the end of the month it had attracted only 85 members. However, that did not stop the founders from pursuing their dream of creating a new club. Next, they hired up-and-coming golf course designer Hal Purdy to create the golf course layout, contractor Halliburton for many of the facilities and Rutgers agronomist David Westergard.
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The old Lyon’s house.
A PICTORIAL HISTORY OF NAVESINK COUNTRY CLUB
Above from left to right: President Alexander, honorary members Dick Metcalf, Bob Thatcher and Bill Lyon.
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