About cape cod national

Cape Cod National Golf Club is a private 18-hole championship golf course located in Brewster, Massachusetts. Founded by John R. Pfeffer and his wife, Linda, Cape Cod National opened its doors for play in 1998.

On the evening of October 1, 1994 John and Linda Pfeffer were joined for cocktails by Jamie and Stephania McClennen at their home in Chatham. The conversation quickly turned to golf and Mr. McClennen told Mr. Pfeffer about the 85 acres of land across from the Wequassett Inn that his family had owned for years. He was curious, "Could a golf course be built there?"

"Yes, such a tract would probably make a very nice nine-hole course," responded Mr. Pfeffer, who had a vast golfing knowledge.

Mr. McClennen considered this and replied, "There might be some contiguous acreage available. Would that permit an 18-hole course?" Mr. Pfeffer's demeanor was brightened and his curiosity peaked. This was the moment of Cape Cod National's conception.

As the following weeks and months rolled by, Mr. Pfeffer began acquiring the abutting land and walked the property with Mr. McClennen. Although the property was totally wooded and difficult to walk, they were able to see the enormous potential that this land would offer a golf course designer. By December, Mr. Pfeffer had retained the services of the well known New England based architectural firm of Cornish, Silva, & Mungeam with Brian Silva being the lead designer. By the end of March in the following year, 154 acres had been acquired and the new club had been given a name by Mr. Pfeffer: Cape Cod National Golf Club.

Building a new golf course on Cape Cod is no easy task, regulatory approval would be required from the Town of Harwich, the Town of Brewster, and the Cape Cod Commission. Brian suggested that the newly formed Cape Cod National retain the services of William (Bill) Burbank of Abbellire, Inc. because of his deep experience in shepherding major projects through the Cape Cod Commission, and in June, Mr. Pfeffer did just that. The first regulatory meeting took place at the Cape Cod Commission in June of 1995 and over the course of over 20 meetings, thousands of man hours, and around 3,000 pages of analysis was completed on May 9, 1996.

In late 1995 during the regulatory approval process, Mr. Pfeffer and Brian met at the property to go over some specific layout ideas. Brian turned to Mr. Pfeffer and said, "We are planning a very good golf course, but if you are willing to consider the financial commitment involved with larger greens, extensive, well-placed bunkers, subtle fairway shaping, a first-class irrigation system, excellent grasses, and other nuances - all of which generally add to future maintenance costs - then we can come up with a great, truly memorable course." Without hesitation, Mr. Pfeffer said, "Do it."

On January 2, 1997 Wadsworth Construction Company began moving the earth and Cape Cod National's construction was underway. The Wadsworth crew removed, relocated, and redistributed 750,000 tons of dirt and finished the basic shaping of the golf course on schedule. By early July 1997 the first holes had been seeded and the cart paths were being installed. During August, the finish grading was taking place, and by October 850,000 square feet of sod had been installed. At this point the course was really taking shape.

Luck was with Cape Cod National in the winter of 1997-98 as frost never permeated the surface of the ground allowing the root structure of the grass to grow down 8-10 inches even though there was only a fourth inch of grass on the surface. To this day, Cape Cod National reaps the benefits of this, as the turf is amazingly strong and able to be cut to very short lengths, providing smooth, fast fairways and greens even in the heat of summer.

Cape Cod National opened for play on June 24, 1998 with 75 of the original 200 members showing up to enjoy their first of many rounds at the Club. In the years that have followed, Cape Cod National has provided enjoyment, relaxation, and a challenging bit of golfing fun for the Members of the Club, and with strict management of the total Membership count, access to the course has never been an issue.