Mayfair Country Club occupies part of a 20,000-acre tract bought in 1848 for $40.00 by General Joseph Finegan, who later commanded Confederate forces in their victory at Olustee, Florida. Henry Sanford bought the tract in 1870 and in 1878 sold part of it to Charles Amory, a retired sea captain who cleared much of the land, planted citrus trees and the double row of oak trees that still line the main entrance, and built a ship-shaped house, part of which became the clubhouse. In 1922 the City of Sanford bought 152 acres and hired golf architect Donald Ross to design an 18-hole municipal golf course, which opened in October 1922 as the Sanford Country Club with only four holes completed. The entire course opened in September 1924, with greens fees of $1.00 a day for visitors, $.50 for city residents, and 30 daily tickets for $20.00. Because of financial hardships, the city leased the course from 1928 until 1932, when it resumed control with financial pledges from local businessmen; resident managers during that period included Ed Levy, Andy Caraway, Tom Bolt, and Ray Lundquist. After World War II, the city leased the club to local businessman Hugh Whelchel. The New York Giants baseball club, whose spring training headquarters were in Sanford from 1948 to 1959, bought the lease in 1953 and renamed the course Mayfair Country Club. From 1958 through 1961, the course was on the professional golf tour and hosted noted golfers including Gene Sarazen, Walter Hagen, Julius Boros, Sam Snead, Babe Zaharias, and Arnold Palmer. When the Giants left in 1965, the lease reverted to Mike Whelchel, son of the original lessee, who in 1972 subleased it to John Pierce, Howard McNulty and George Billups, until Jack Daniels assumed control in 1981.