The Golf Course

The history of Midvale Country Club dates back to 1929, when East Rochester businessmen Julius Schrieb and Clarence Erwin faced a challenge: they were unable to secure permanent ownership of the land on which their current venture, the Hillcrest Club, was located. Hillcrest was a semi-private golf club that served as a popular recreation spot for many surrounding communities.The land, owned by prominent Rochester magnate and engineer Kate Gleason, had previously been home to the Genundewah Club, which had closed several years earlier.

Determined to fill the void left by the loss of Hillcrest, Schrieb, Erwin, and a group of other local businessmen recognized the ongoing need for a community-focused club serving the East Rochester, Fairport, and Penfield areas. This vision ultimately led to the creation of Midvale Country Club, laying the foundation for a rich tradition that continues to this day.

With the layout of the new 18-hole golf course being the main focus, they enlisted the help of Pittsford local, Robert Barrett, to help with site selection and construction. Barrett, who had served as the Golf Course Superintendent of the Hillcrest Club, spent a portion of his career working for Charles Harris – a construction engineer for famed golf course architect Donald Ross. During Barrett’s tenure with Harris, he played an integral role with the construction of greens at both Oak Hill Country Club and Monroe Golf Club.

The 3 main criteria for the new site were; rolling topography, good natural drainage, and free from any local factory smoke. They unanimously agreed that a plot of land on Baird Road, at that time being used as a combination of farmland and fruit orchard, would best suit their needs.

Even with their extensive knowledge in golf course construction and maintenance, the group knew they would need help with proper layout and course routing. After multiple considerations, they decided to contact Canadian golf course architect, Stanley Thompson.

At the time, Thompson had employed an intern by the name of Robert Trent Jones (Sr.), who was a local of East Rochester and a well known amateur golfer and club professional in the Rochester area. Jones, who would ultimately partner with Thompson to form the Thompson & Jones architecture firm, would serve as the primary architect for designing Midvale Country Club, making it his first 18 hole design of his illustrious career.