"remained for many years." In 1945, the course was sold to Morton Mencher along with the adjacent Griswold Hotel. The name of the course was re-titled the Griswold Hotel and Country Club. Despite this, it was often informally known as "the Shennecossett" during this era. Under the new ownership, the course hosted the Connecticut Open, the state's official open, for the only time in its history. In the 1960s, the town of Groton attempted to buy the course. In 1964, the town began negotiating with Milton Slosberg, the owner of the course. During this era, the town also applied for financial aid from the federal government to buy the course. The town requested for 50% of the funds to purchase the course. The application was rejected. The town's Recreation Commission still supported the project and supported the town's next application, this one to the state government. The town intended to apply for 50% aid as they had earlier to the federal government that would be worth $507,000. In early 1967, the State of Connecticut's Attorney General Office looked at the application. Despite initial reservations, they ultimately approved the application. On August 25, 1967, the town purchased the course. They placed a $450,000 down payment on the property. The state government would pay the remaining half. In 1997, the club performed a "land swap" with the pharmaceutical company Pfizer. The corporation purchased territory consisting of three holes of the course but granted the club a significant amount of its territory. The club created three new holes with the new territory along the Thames River and Long Island Sound. Golf Magazine praised the addition of these new seaside holes, stating that they helped transform the "perennially solid muni into one of the deals of the century." In 1994, The Hartford Courant noted that Shennecossett's par-3 4th hole was rated the top par-3 in the state by the state's club pros. In 2004, it was included in Golf Magazine's Thrifty 50, one of the top American courses recreational golfers could play for less than $50. Scorecard In the early years, during the 1920s, the course measured 6,512 yards from the back tees. Overall, the total yardage has not changed much at Shennecossett over the ensuing century. In the early 21st century, the yardage measured from the back blue tees is 6,562 yards. References Buildings and structures in Groton, Connecticut Golf clubs and courses