Edgmont Country Club

The first record of Edgmont Township dates back to 1686, when Joseph Baker was listed as Constable of Gilead Township, the original name of Edgmont and a portion of Thornbury Township. The name Edgmont was adopted in 1687 and derives from the Royal Manor of Edgmond in Shropshire, from which the Bakers emigrated. Early documents spell it Edgemond, Edgmond, Edgemont or Edgmont. The township was incorporated in 1687 and officially settled on Edgmont in the nineteenth century.

Today the property Edgmont Country Club rests on was once part of the Sill Family Estate (1719 to 1926). Known today as West Chester Pike or Route 3, a rustic colonial highway ran along the John Sill Estate. James Sill, son of John, inherited the 183-acre estate at the time of his father’s death in 1774.

In the early 1960’s, the estate, now owned by the Barrows, was sold to a group organized by Tanino "Tiny" Pedone. Tiny was a pro-golfer that worked at Overbrook GC and Kimberton GC. He had a vision of a top-notch, affordable private golf club for the average golfer. The Barrows estate was perfect start for such a course. Like many of the famous golf courses around the world, the course was named after the area - Edgmont.

Beginning in April of 1963, Frank & Nazz Mariani of Nazz Mariani Company became partners in the project and were responsible for the course’s construction. Nazz Mariani provided the needed excavation experience to carve out the 18-hole golf course out of the rolling hills and wooded countryside along the picturesque Ridley Creek Valley. He moved over 500,000 cubic yards of earth to execute Tiny’s vision of what the course should be. With the Mansion house becoming the 7,700 square foot club house and the stables becoming the Pro Shop and men’s locker room, only one building had to be built in order to house the state of the art irrigation system for its time.

The course opened for limited play on Aug. 21, 1964. Full play began the following year in April. Near that same period of time, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania purchased the land adjacent to the club in order to create the 2,600-acre Ridley Creek State Park, providing a breathtaking back drop free of housing developments for the golfer and social visitor alike.

The course was substantially renovated in 2004 with the addition of a computer-controlled irrigation system. Also of note, the cart paths were replaced and all of the sand traps were redone and or relocated.

Edgmont Country Club has always been very active in using golf to help charities. It all began in 1967 with a visit from Bob Hope for a benefit to aid blind golfers. Since 1978, Edgmont has been the home of the Edgmont Classic, benefiting the Arthritis Foundation. 2005 marked the beginning of Edgmont’s support of local branches of the Special Olympics.

The course has been family owned and operated since its inception.