Smithtown, A History: A Round of Golf and the Past

Located at 21 Golf Club Road in St. James is the Nissequogue Golf Club. The stately structure where the clubhouse is found and the surrounding 120 acres once belonged to William J. Ryan.

Ryan was the owner and publisher of a magazine called the Literary Digest. According to an article by Smithtown historian Brad Harris for the January edition of the St. James publication Our Town, the former resident enjoyed great success despite the depression and had his dream mansion built in 1929.

The publisher’s luck changed in 1936. The Literary Digest was known for its polls, and that year conducted one as to whether Franklin D. Roosevelt or Kansas Governor Alfred M. Landon would win the presidential election. Based on their poll of readers, the magazine predicted that Landon would win.

When Roosevelt was re-elected, many readers lost faith in the publication and cancelled their subscriptions. While this incident saw the demise of the magazine and Ryan’s career, he and his family continued to live at the estate.

According to the historian’s research, the publisher was unable to finish work on the house. The library’s interior wasn’t completed and many rooms were left unfurnished. Ryan died in 1966 at the age of 92 and lived in the home until his death.

According to the Nissequogue Golf Club’s website, in 1966 a small group of investors bought the estate for use as a golf course.

One of the original investors was Edgar P. Senne, according to current club president Frank Perlman. Senne started off as a vacuum cleaner salesman and worked his way up the ranks of the Electrolux Company. Perlman said Senne won a trip to a Long Island beach on the north shore as well as $25,000, and the savvy businessman gathered other investors and bought the Ryan property.

Perlman, a 30-year member of the club, remembers Senne as being charming guy who had a great vision for the club.

“He was an interesting character,” said Perlman.

In 1988 a fire broke out at the clubhouse causing severe damage; however, renovations restored the building and small additions were added such as a Grill Room, the club’s Harbor Room and a locker room.

Visitors to the club will still see Ryan’s influence including a winding staircase and a black and white marble entranceway.

Perlman said that Senne had hoped the club would be member-owned one day. This became a reality in 1999 when ownership of the club switched to the hands of members. Today approximately 175 of the 300 members share ownership.  It was also in 1999 that the golf course was redesigned to a 6,643 yard par 72 championship golf course, according to its website.

Besides golf, the club offers four tennis courts, and members enjoy dining at the club, social activities and utilizing the club for weddings and other parties. The golf club also offers a camp, golf clinics and tennis clinics for children.

Representing over 80 years of part of our town's past, a day at the Nissequogue Golf Club is a day surrounded by history.