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 Longue Vue Club was founded in 1920 by a group of prominent Pittsburgh businessmen who wanted to establish a first rate country club. Initially, country clubs, including Longue Vue, were dominated by the "Horsey Set." However, golf was just beginning to move to the forefront of club activities, hence the immediate construction of the golf course.
Due to the enormous wealth of the founders, the Club was referred to as "The Millionaires' Club."
The clubhouse was designed by Benno Janssen, designer of Mellon Institute, the William Penn Hotel, and the Washington Crossing Bridge.
The magnificent main Clubhouse is of Norman design, with the covered vehicular entrance in English country house tradition.
Constructed by Edward A. Wehr, the stone for the main clubhouse was found 1 ½ miles away in a quarry owned by Dominic Navarro. The exterior was completed in December 1923, the building was in use in 1924, but not completely finished until 1925.
The building earned the Historic Landmark status in 1984.
Longue Vue Club is situated on 370 acres of ground 200 feet above the Allegheny River on the old Baggaley Farm in Penn Township (now Penn Hills), as well as several adjacent properties. This parcel of land was the major part of a Warrant granted by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania on April 10, 1786 to Revolutionary War veteran, Thomas Martin and known at that time as "Martinsville."
Ralph E. Griswold, is the Landscape Architect who is responsible for designing and implementing the plan that transformed the old farm into the spectacularly beautiful grounds that delight us today. He was also deeply involved in the reconstruction and restoration of the Athenian Agora in Athens, Greece, Old Economy in Ambridge, Drake Memorial Park in Titusville, PA and the Confederate Memorial at Stone Mountain, Georgia.
The original design was by Robert White, a prominent Scottish golf course architect and designer of courses throughout the country. The course has seen its share of changes over the years, but in the late 1980's Geoffrey Cornish, a member of the Golf Course Architects Hall of Fame, developed a master plan which was implemented to return the course to the original Robert White design. In the Fall of 2001, the course again underwent additional renovations designed by Ron Forse of Forse Design
to further restore many of the original Robert White concepts and features.
The course is "tight," demanding, picturesque, and latent with ravines and other equally challenging hazards.
An abundance of wildlife including deer, fox, ducks, wild turkeys and hawks lives and thrives on the course. Panoramic views, colorful flower beds and trees of every size and numerous species enhance the sheer beauty of the grounds.
The stables were built in 1922 and enlarged in 1925. Eventually, six miles of bridle paths were provided. By 1941, interest in horses waned, expenses rose, Longue Vue discontinued stabling. Activities associated with horses gradually diminished, necessitating the cessation of all things equestrian. The original stables are the present location of the maintenance shed.
ADDITIONAL SPORTS FACILITIES
Two tennis courts were constructed in 1963, followed a few years later by an additional pair of courts near the first tee.
The platform tennis hut and two platform tennis courts were rebuilt in 2001 and opened for recreational play during the fall of 2002. A third platform tennis court was added in 2006.
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