Historians agree that golf had its beginning in America on November 18, 1888 with the opening of St. Andrew's in Yonkers, New York. Five years later a hand full of courses would be built, mostly in the Hudson Valley, and on August 23, 1896 the members of the Kingston Club who had been holding regular meetings at their Club Room on 10 Pearl Street in Kingston, decided the time had come to build a golf course in Kingston.

At that time American men and women of stature and means were beginning to participate in sports, notably tennis, having had, up until that time, a more sedentary interest as spectators. The Club members made arrangements to use the "O'Reilly" property for their "links". This property was located across Broadway from the Kingston City Hall and east to Orchard Street. Several men were engaged to work on arranging the land for the links and the work began on August 24, 1896. A month later the Kingston Club had enrolled sixty ladies and gentlemen in the proposed golf club.

On September 24, 1896 at 3 PM the Kingston Golf Club opened for play. The course turned out to be 1700 yards in length and was limited by the property to five holes, at the time called "links". Averaging 340 yards per hole it was certainly a challenge to the members. Recognizing the need for a clubhouse to escape from a sudden change in the weather and keep their rather active social activities in play, along with the golf, a clubhouse was proposed and the old warming house on the toboggan run was put to use. The club house was located on the West Chester Street end of the tobaggan run located on Mary's Avenue. The first tee was located on what is now Augusta Street, the site of the Coykendall horse barn and Coach House, a building now occupied by the Coach House Players.

The men of the Kingston Club were not really satisfied with their small course and began negotiations on September 18,1898 with B. Morse Tremper for the lease of his farm to layout a nine hole course. The farmhouse on the property was to be used as the clubhouse. The Tremper farm was thirty-eight acres and extended all the way back to Mary's Avenue and the site of the Toboggan Slide. It was proposed that an "expert from New York" be brought in to layout the nine hole course.

The Kingston Golf Club was apparently a success and was very much enjoyed by the growing membership. However, as the new Kingston midtown area began to grow the land occupied by the golf course became more valuable. Between 1898 and 1902 the members began to search for a new location for the course. Several members notably Harry, Edward Frank and Sam Coykendall, their father, proposed a piece of property owned by Sam Coykendall and the Montropose Cemetery Association. The total property was thirty-four acres located to the south of the Tremper farm. The seventeen acres owned by Sam Coykendall had been deeded to him by William Lounsbury the second mayor of Kingston for one dollar. A deal was hatched allowing that portion of the property to be leased for a period of one year from April 1902 to April 1903. That arrangement however was to continue until 1927. The remainder of the property needed for the new links was not discussed until the May 21, 1902 meeting.

Several meetings were held by the members of the Kingston Club as plans were made to put together a Certificate of Incorporation for the Twaalfskill Club and on April 18, 1902 the Club was created.

On May 15, 1902 the articles of incorporation were filed with the Secretary of State of New York. The officers of the club were elected from the Board of Directors on May 21, and the work of providing the golf course and club house was to begin.

As specified in the articles "the objects for which the corporation is to be formed shall be:"

• To provide the social intercourse among ourselves, our associates, sucessors and others.
• The cultivation of the games of Golf and Tennis and the promotion of outdoor sports.
• The establishment and maintenance for the use of ourselves, our associates and others, of a Club House and such appurtenances and belongings as are usually in Clubs and Club Houses.

Work on the course and clubhouse began on May 22, 1902.