Springville Country Club
Springville Country Club
Celebrating 100 years, we look back at the club’s rich and unique history
In 1922, Springville native Glenn “Pop” Warner led efforts to buy the land, which was owned by BR&P Railroad. Approximately 180 Springville area residents paid $50 each (equivalent to about $860 today) for the original share.
Just 20 miles north of Ellicottville, the Springville Country Club welcomes golfers to its beautiful course on Cascade Road. While the club’s location on Cascade may seem like an insignificant detail to some, it is one of the last remnants of what was once the most popular tourist destination in Cattaraugus County: Cascade Park. Around the turn of the 20th century, passengers of the Buffalo, Rochester & Pittsburgh Railway looked forward to this beautiful resort that was once as familiar to tourists as Niagara Falls. Although the BR&P no longer operates as it once did, its impact on Cattaraugus County is still apparent today, a history that has always been honored by Springville Country Club (SCC), which is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year.
Western New York saw a boom in the coal industry throughout the 1850s, and demand continued to rise into the 1870s, when it was determined by business and civic leaders in Buffalo and Rochester that a direct route to Pennsylvania would be the most efficient way to access the region’s abundant coal resources. In the 1870s, the railway between Rochester and Pittsburgh was constructed, and at Ashford Junction, between West Valley and Ellicottville, railway construction began north toward Buffalo.
One of the biggest challenges the railroad faced was how to span the Cattaraugus Creek gorge, according to John Nason, chair of the 100 Year Committee and long-time SCC member. The BR&P constructed the original viaduct over Cattaraugus Creek and later moved it to the head of Zoar Valley in 1898. At 185 feet high and 780 feet long, the Cattaraugus Viaduct was an impressive structure, much like the nearby Kinzua Viaduct, though not as large. The creek area’s 200-feet high banks, caves, and waterfalls made it the perfect location for picnics and parties during the early 1900s. This beautiful natural setting became one of the most well-known destinations for passengers of the railroad: Cascade Park.
A Springville Journal and Herald article from April 27, 1899 outlined the railroad’s plans for their “$10,000 Pleasure Resort,” which started with the seeding and landscaping of farmland that bordered the banks of the Cattaraugus Creek. Eventually, the park included an 80-feet pavilion, smaller pavilions, a kitchen building, a dining room, and a dance hall. Eventually, passenger trains of 10 to 15 coaches departed Buffalo for Cascade Park almost daily during the summer, and the park soon became one of the most popular excursion trips of the BR&P.
The railroad continued to operate Cascade Park until 1921. SCC Golf Professional Dave Thomas said, “By the 20s, travel on the railroad became less popular because people did have cars. The railroad stopped doing the excursions to the park because passenger trips like those became outdated.” In 1922, the railroad advertised the 150-acre park for sale for $10,000.00. Springville native Glenn “Pop” Warner led efforts to buy the land, and approximately 180 Springville-area residents paid $50 each (equivalent to about $860 today) for the original share of what became Springville Country Club, said Nason.
“Golf then was different than it is today,” Thomas pointed out. “100 years ago, you really had to have money to golf. Purchasing the land was a big investment and the early folks involved gave a lot of money to make the course what it is today.” Attorney and college football coaching legend Warner was a regular on the course in the 1920s and would often be seen wandering off with paper and pencil to jot down new plays and formations, said Nason. “He helped lay out the original nine holes of the golf course,” Thomas explained. “The original course had sand and oil greens because of the soil make-up in the area around Cattaraugus Creek.”
In 1929, Dr. Ralph Waite, a pioneer in the field of dentistry who developed the first oral anesthetic and later perfected Novocain, contributed to the course. Springville’s first millionaire, “Dr. Waite gave the club $1,500 to convert the nine holes to a bent-grass green,” said Thomas. “In 1965, the course expanded to 18 holes because it became so popular. It used to take almost an hour to go from Orchard Park to Ellicottville or Springville on Route 391. After Route 219 was built, it turned into just a 20-minute drive, so there was a big boom in business.”
Thomas explained that there have been many significant contributions and donations made by Springville locals that have made the course what it is today. “In 1980, George Schichtel donated over 3,000 trees to our golf course. Roger Bugenhagen, our grounds and greens superintendent who was here for 44 years, built eight completely new holes in-house and saved the club millions of dollars.” Thomas is looking forward to Bugenhagen’s upcoming visit in July, when he will lead a drive-along history of the golf course for members, a centenary event that also includes play of the course’s original nine holes.
Since 1990, Thomas has been SCC’s golf pro and has seen many changes over the years. “Since I’ve been here, I helped Roger with the design of six new holes, which was a really incredible experience to be a part of,” he said. He’s also witnessed surprising changes in club membership, especially in recent years. Thomas explained, “From 2010 to 2019, membership declined at all private clubs, but then Covid hit and you could only play golf! Since 2020, we’ve probably got 120 new members; it’s been a really great thing for our club.”
Preserving and remembering the club’s history has always been a priority for Thomas, who enjoys sharing the club’s artifacts and photographs from the Cascade Park era. “I’ve always asked people to share with me everything they have about the club,” said Thomas, who enjoys the stories, photos, and history of the club’s origins. “I love learning about the history of this place, and one of our jobs is to educate our members on the history of the club.”
For more information about SCC, visit https://springvillecc.com/. While there is a limited number of memberships currently available, Thomas is happy to answer questions and can be reached at 716-592-2122.