In the year 1870 Norfolk, Connecticut was a quiet little village off the beaten path. It had a few industries, a small town center, a few churches, and a lot of farms. In 1871 the Connecticut Western Railroad Company built a line through town. Like it had for many other towns, that changed everything.
While the railroad did not prevent the demise of industry in Norfolk, it did bring an influx of vacationers enticed by company booklets describing the attractive scenery of the Litchfield Hills. This steady stream of summer visitors changed the character of the town, and by the end of the nineteenth century Norfolk had become a fashionable summer resort celebrated for its pure mountain air and fresh spring water.
Norfolk Historical Society
The wealthy city dwellers of New York and Hartford began to flock to the area for the summer and while they enjoyed the fresh air and water, they looked for other diversions as well. The Stoeckel Family founded the Norfolk Music Festival and the Yale Summer School of Music. A Village Hall was built in 1883 with a theater upstairs. The largest benefactors of the village were the two Eldridge sisters, Isabella and Mary. They provided the funds for the Eldridge Library which opened in 1889 and the Eldridge Gymnasium which opened in 1891. Photos courtesy of the Norfolk Historical Society and the Connecticut Historical Society Library.
By the 1890s the summer residents of Norfolk were looking for additional recreational activities and with its popularity booming, golf was most desired. Luckily for them, Isabella Eldridge to the rescue. She set aside some land and with the help of a Scottish professional and a Mr. Cobb, created Norfolk Downs Golf Links. Here is an article from the August 23rd, 1897 edition of the Hartford Courant announcing the opening of the club.
Norfolk Downs Holes and Yardages (Hartford Courant, July 26, 1905) No 1. Birches, 277 yards No. 2. Sheep’s Rock, 234 yards No. 3. Billows, 253 yards No. 4. Edgewood, 216 yards No. 5. Three Oaks, 232 yards No. 6. Basin, 183 yards No. 7. Steepletop, 240 yards No. 8. Eye Spy, 165 yards No. 9. Home, 282 yards 2,082 yards, no par given
From the 1900 & 1901 Harper’s Official Golf Guide
Photos were taken around 1915, courtesy of the Connecticut Historical Society.
Members paid $10 a year for membership, any additional costs were paid by Isabella Eldridge. The course was run as a benefit to the town. In many ways, it was the first municipal golf course.
Right from the beginning, Norfolk Downs Golf Links was recognized among the best in the State of Connecticut. This excerpt from the July 7th, 1899 edition of the Hartford Courant is about a tournament at Brooklawn Country Club featuring the top clubs with the trophy being presented by the Misses Eldridge. “The Links” had arrived, was considered among the best, and was ready to prosper
Nine is Fine 