City leaders commissioned Donald Ross to lay out a public course as part of a Works Progress Administration project in the late 1930s. Municipal and tourism materials consistently attribute the layout to Ross and place initial construction in 1937 under WPA auspices, with the course named for Mark Twain’s long association with Elmira.
In practice, the facility opened in phases: the first nine holes debuted in May 1939, celebrated with an exhibition match, and the course operated as a nine-holer at the outset. Within “two years,” according to the Central New York PGA’s biographical note on Mark Twain’s first professional, the course was expanded to a full 18—a timeline that places completion by 1941.
Primary documentation of Ross’s on-site involvement has not surfaced in publicly available archives; even long-time observers note debate over whether Ross visited Elmira or worked from topographic surveys. That uncertainty appears in specialist discussion rather than in the club’s civic records. Until club minutes, Ross office correspondence, or original drawings are located, the 1937–41 timeline is best understood as a WPA build to a Ross plan, opened nine in 1939 and finished to 18 shortly thereafter.
Unique Design Characteristics
Several surviving features point to how Ross shaped this hillside property. The third hole (par 5) runs along an escarpment with a fairway that cants high right to low left into a sharply sloped putting surface—an example of Ross exploiting natural lateral tilt to influence lines of play and recoveries. Contemporary photo-notes describe the green as “wicked,” emphasizing how approach angle matters if one hopes to avoid defensive two-putts.
The fourth—a mid-length uphill par 3—conceals much of the putting surface from the tee and uses flanking bunkers to narrow the entrance. Players who have documented the course describe the green as kicking right-to-left with redan-like qualities, a trait that, on this site, asks for a tee ball that uses slope rather than fights it.
A downhill sequence at five and six shows the routing’s rhythm: the fifth is a bending par 5 whose entrance between fronting bunkers permits a running approach, while the sixth is a straight, descending short par 4 that rewards a bold tee shot with a simple pitch if properly placed. Both holes demonstrate how the design moves golfers across grades without feeling forced.
Local students of the course frequently single out the 11th and 15th greens as favorites for interior contour and effective use of slope. Notably, all four par-3 holes play uphill, a quirk observers have pointed out for years; it is rare in Ross’s work and reads here as a site-specific response to the property’s terraces.
The eighth tees over a hidden hollow to a blind, knoll-fronted approach—one of several spots where the ground game remains in play. While some bunkers have been grassed-over or simplified (see Section D), these green-to-surround relationships still convey the original intent on several holes, particularly 3, 4, 5, 6, 11, and 15, where fall-offs and slopes dictate recovery choices as much as hazards do.
Historical Significance
Within Ross’s oeuvre, Mark Twain is representative of his late-1930s municipal work under New Deal conditions—courses intended for public access rather than private membership. The city’s own historical summary ties the course to a 1937 WPA build, situating Elmira among a small cluster of Depression-era Ross publics.
While not a routine site for national championships, the course retains a regional competitive role: New York’s public-school state championships have been staged here in 2022, 2023, and 2024, signalling that the routing and green complexes remain a relevant, examination-level test when presented firmly.
Recognition has been episodic but noteworthy. The club reports that Golfweek included Mark Twain among New York’s “courses you can play” in 2016, an external nod to conditioning progress and the underlying design interest.
Current Condition / Integrity
Routing: There is no public evidence of a wholesale rerouting since completion to 18, and the hole sequence and corridors read as consistent with an original Ross WPA build. That said, formal confirmation would require locating the 1937 plan set or early aerials for hole-by-hole comparison.
Greens & Surrounds: Multiple independent observers have remarked that the greens have shrunk from their original perimeters, a common long-term maintenance outcome that narrows pinning areas and reduces some intended angles; nevertheless, several complexes (3, 4, 11, 15) still express pronounced slopes and distinct tiers. One long-time player recalled the 11th as “plenty steep, even after alterations,” suggesting at least one past softening that did not erase the green’s strategic identity.
Bunkers: Forum accounts and a professional essay note missing or grassed-over bunkers, as well as simplified forms relative to historic photographs. The City’s 2025 capital plan earmarks $200,000 for sand-trap reconstruction, indicating an imminent opportunity to re-establish scale and placement consistent with archival imagery (if consulted).
Infrastructure & Presentation: In 2024 Elmira approved and began work on a full irrigation replacement, a core systems upgrade intended to stabilize agronomy and allow firmer, more consistent surfaces across the course’s varied topography. The City’s resolution and subsequent local coverage document the scope and timing of that project.
Facilities & Use: The course operates as a public municipal, with a staffed pro shop, food service, driving range, and short-game practice areas, per club communications and third-party listings. This breadth of programming (leagues, public tee times) has helped keep the course heavily played while sustaining the financial case for ongoing improvements.
Overall Integrity: Greens that preserve strong internal slope, uphill par-3s that still demand precise distance control, and corridors that track natural benches on the hillside all convey a high degree of strategic continuity with the Ross plan. The most apparent losses concern bunker count and scale and green-edge receding, both fixable if a restoration proceeds from verified historic sources.
Uncertainties requiring primary verification:
• Ross on-site involvement: Contemporary discussions acknowledge debate over whether Ross visited Elmira or worked from topos; no public copy of club minutes, Ross correspondence, or signed plan set has been surfaced to resolve this.
• Exact completion date of the second nine: Local reporting fixes the first nine’s opening to May 1939; a CNY PGA biography states that the course expanded to 18 “in two years,” implying 1941. Pinpointing the opening of holes 10–18 would require Star-Gazette archives from 1940–41 and City project files.
• Scope and dates of green “alterations,” especially No. 11: Eyewitness commentary notes modifications at some point; identifying architect, year, and extent would require green committee minutes, superintendent reports, or contractor records.
Sources & Notes
Mark Twain GC — “About the Course” (club site). Yardage/par, rating/slope, historic Golfweek note, scorecard image, location.
Mark Twain GC — homepage (club site). City ownership/operation; WPA attribution; naming context.
Elmira Star-Gazette (Aug. 21, 2014). “Mark Twain Golf Course history marked at Saturday event.” Notes first nine opened May 1939 with exhibition; membership count at opening.
Central New York PGA Hall of Fame (George Shepard profile). States Mark Twain opened as a 9-hole in 1939 and was expanded to 18 within two years.
GolfClubAtlas forum photo tour (2011–12 thread, updated 2024). Hole-by-hole observations; uphill par-3s; right-to-left cant on 3rd; redan-like 4th; favored greens at 11 and 15; reports of grassed-over bunkers; includes routing image. (Secondary/observational source.)
WENY News (Mar. 1, 2024). “Elmira council passes bond resolution for infrastructure projects,” documenting irrigation replacement at Mark Twain GC.
Elmira City Council — 2025 Capital Budget (Jan. 13, 2025). Budget line for “reconstruction of sand traps” at Mark Twain GC ($200,000).
NYSPHSAA Girls & Boys Golf (official posts, 2022–2024). Mark Twain GC as host site for state championships.
Kelly Moran, “Donald Ross is Missing” (LinkedIn essay). Anecdotal account of closed holes and missing bunkers, underscoring attrition of hazards. (Opinion; used cautiously.)