Q&A with Cherry Valley Club Head Golf Professional Jeff Sullivan

Alex Elias

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As you've now been the Head Golf Professional at Cherry Valley Club for two years, what was your first impression of the course and what aspect of the course have you come to appreciate most?

When I first played the course in August 2022 during my playing interview,  I was pleasantly surprised with how great the views were for a links-style course. When you reach the middle of the fairway on No. 2, you can see all the way to the other end of the course by No. 16.

It’s almost always a little breezy so I’ve come to really enjoy the challenging shot making required to navigate the course. The approaches to the green are mowed at .3" which allows golfers the option to hit lower shots into the greens which is a great feature for a course that has thick, rough throughout the year.

Designed by Devereux Emmet, Cherry Valley Club features an immense variety of bunkers. How would you describe Emmet's bunkering?

The course appears wide open, but it’s really not because of the bunkers. It’s not very uniformed bunkering, and because of that, the different shapes and sizes pose a different challenge each hole and round. I can’t think of many other courses where the shapes and sizes of the bunkers vary as much as they do here. 

What are a few notable examples of the distinct bunkering at Cherry Valley Club? 

No. 3 has a huge cross-bunker that hides the fairway and runs in a diagonal line towards the hole. The fairway is pretty wide, but that bunker does an excellent job of forcing golfers left making the 2nd shot longer. No. 8 has a unique bunker that runs up the left side of the hole starting at about 260 yards from the green. It’s not visible from the tee or even when you are in the fairway, but it is extremely penalizing due to how narrow it is.

As Steven Kay began renovating Cherry Valley Club in 1998, and has continued to work on the course, how would you describe the changes?
 
Stephen Kay has done a great job making the course far more challenging for the better golfers, but easier for the players trying to break a hundred. For example, typically high-handicaps struggle to hit the ball high in the air and hold greens, and with Kay’s work, they can now run the ball up towards the front edge. ​

As Cherry Valley Club has two logos, what is the back-story behind both? 

In 2019, Lee Wybranski was hired to redesign the club's logo and it became an overnight hit with the membership. Rockaway Avenue was lined with cherry trees in the early 1900’s and the entrance to the club is lined with cherry trees that blossom in April/May for a couple of weeks. The logo is very unique and is fast becoming a well-recognized logo in the Northeast golfing region.

The secondary logo is the club’s flag. It is a combo between golf and tennis, as fairways are
green and the members wear white playing tennis.

How does having a secondary logo allow you to be creative in the Pro Shop? 

Every club is so different and you can use that to your advantage. You have to lean into what is
unique about your club. Some clubs have cool signage or a signature drink that they can put on
hats and headcovers. We are fortunate to use both our logos and our centennial clock.

What recent trends have you noticed in golf merchandise? 

Hoodies have been around for a few years now, but cashmere hoodies are definitely more recent. Holderness & Bourne, Peter Millar, and Greyson all make very nice, classy cashmere hoodies, where they're so tidy that when you wear one with a polo, it almost looks like a nice sweater.

Another new trend is patterns. Patterns are basically the new solid. Here, it's prints, stripes and solids. Solids are definitely well-down in third.