Hotchkiss School Golf Course

The Hotchkiss School Golf Course sits on the campus of The Hotchkiss School, a private boarding school in Lakeville, Connecticut, in the northwest corner of the state near the Massachusetts border. Seth Raynor designed the course in the early 1920s during his most productive period, when he was creating his distinctive template-based layouts across the northeastern United States. The course opened in 1926, shortly after Raynor's death in 1926, and represents one of his smaller-scale educational institution designs. The nine-hole layout occupies rolling terrain characteristic of the Litchfield Hills region, with the course routed through wooded areas and open fields on the school's extensive grounds. As with Raynor's other works, the design incorporates his signature template holes adapted to the natural topography—geometric bunkering, bold green contours, and strategic playing corridors that reward thoughtful shot-making. The scale suits its educational purpose while maintaining Raynor's architectural principles. The course serves primarily the Hotchkiss School community, functioning as both a teaching facility for students and a recreational amenity for the school. It operates within the broader tradition of golf at New England preparatory schools, where the game has long been part of campus life and athletic programming. The course remains relatively unchanged from Raynor's original design, offering a glimpse of his architectural approach in a more intimate, campus setting compared to his larger championship-length courses.