Grossingers Country Club

Big G at Grossinger's Country Club occupies a distinctive place in the Catskills resort golf tradition. A. W. Tillinghast designed the original course in the 1920s during the golden age of American golf architecture, part of the grand resort complex that became one of the most celebrated destinations in New York's "Borscht Belt." Joe Finger later renovated the layout, updating Tillinghast's routing while preserving elements of the original design philosophy that emphasized strategic bunkering and natural land movement. The course sits in the rolling terrain of Sullivan County, where the topography provides natural elevation changes and wooded corridors typical of the region. Tillinghast's design approach favored courses that rewarded thoughtful play over pure length, and the routing here reflects that era's emphasis on positioning and angles rather than overwhelming distance. The property's setting among the Catskill foothills creates a parkland character with mature trees framing fairways and seasonal variation in playing conditions. Grossinger's resort history connects the course to mid-twentieth-century American leisure culture, when the Catskills hosted thousands of visitors each summer. The golf course served as a recreational centerpiece for the resort, which operated for decades before closing in the 1980s. The course has experienced periods of closure and reopening over the years, reflecting the broader economic shifts in the region's resort industry. The Tillinghast pedigree gives Big G architectural significance among students of classic American course design, particularly those interested in the evolution of resort golf in the Northeast.