Inside the Claflin House: The Historic Heart of Lakewood Country Club Still Welcoming Guests More Than a Century Later
Long before Lakewood was known for sprawling neighborhoods and bustling roads, it was one of America’s premier winter resorts. New York’s wealthiest families escaped the city each winter, filling grand hotels, attending elegant dinners, hunting, skating, and helping establish golf in the United States.
At the center of that story stands the Claflin House.
Today, the beautifully restored mansion serves as the clubhouse for Lakewood Country Club and is home to Maggie’s, its welcoming public restaurant. While generations of golfers have passed through its doors, the building remains much more than a clubhouse. It is one of the few remaining connections to Lakewood’s remarkable Gilded Age history.
For Raef Lawson, president of Lakewood Country Club, preserving that history has become a lifelong passion.
A Mansion That Became a Clubhouse
The story begins with Arthur Claflin, a wealthy New York merchant who purchased what was then known as the Hyer Farm to build his country estate. His elegant mansion overlooked property that would eventually become part of Lakewood Country Club.
When the club’s original clubhouse—once considered one of the finest in America with Tiffany windows, guest rooms, a bowling alley, and lavish accommodations—was destroyed by fire around 1916, rebuilding proved difficult during World War I.
Instead, Claflin stepped in.
As a director of the club, he sold his own mansion to Lakewood Country Club, giving the organization a new home while constructing another residence elsewhere on his estate, in what is now Pine Park.
More than 100 years later, that same mansion continues welcoming golfers, diners, wedding guests, and families.
Why It’s Called Maggie’s
Visitors often ask why the restaurant inside the clubhouse is called Maggie’s.
The answer is another tribute to the family’s history.
Arthur Claflin’s wife, Margaret—known affectionately as Maggie—was well known for her hospitality and civic involvement, particularly her work on Lakewood beautification projects. Naming the restaurant after her honors the woman who helped make the Claflin home such an inviting place more than a century ago.
Preserving History, Not Replacing It
Walking through the clubhouse today feels like stepping into another era, but that’s exactly what Lawson hoped to achieve during the property’s recent renovations.
When the family added a banquet hall onto the original mansion, they carefully matched the home’s historic architecture rather than creating a modern addition.
The rooflines, windows, stucco exterior, decorative scuppers, and architectural details were intentionally designed to appear as though they had always been part of the original home.
“We wanted people to look at it and think it was always one building,” Lawson said.
Today, that thoughtfully designed space hosts weddings, milestone celebrations, and special events, allowing new memories to unfold within the walls of one of Lakewood’s oldest surviving estates. For Lawson, welcoming couples and their families on one of the biggest days of their lives is among the most rewarding parts of preserving the property.
“There’s nothing more rewarding than hosting a wedding and helping create one of the happiest days in someone’s life,” he said.
The restoration uncovered an even bigger surprise.
While renovating, workers discovered original fireplace surrounds stored away in the attic. One still had “Claflin” written on the back.
Rather than replacing them with something new, the family restored and reinstalled the historic pieces, returning them to their rightful place in the mansion and preserving another piece of the home’s remarkable story for future generations.
Every Picture Tells Lakewood’s Story
Unlike restaurants that decorate with generic vintage photographs, every piece hanging inside the Claflin House belongs to Lakewood’s own history.
Lawson has spent decades searching through attics, storage rooms, old files, and forgotten collections to preserve the club’s remarkable past.
Among his favorite pieces:
- A photograph of President Theodore Roosevelt golfing at Lakewood Country Club.
- A century-old painting commemorating the 1911 “Cup of Lakewood,” when the club was known as the Lakewood Golf and Hunt Club.
- The original golf course layout created by legendary architect and U.S. Open champion Horace Rawlins.
- An early membership card signed by George Gould, son of railroad magnate Jay Gould and the club’s first president.
“So much of Lakewood’s history has disappeared,” Lawson said. “I think it’s important that people appreciate what this community once was.”
When Lakewood Was America’s Winter Golf Capital
Many people don’t realize Lakewood was once considered one of the country’s great winter golf destinations.
During the late 1800s and early 1900s, New York’s elite spent winters here rather than summers, filling luxury hotels and private estates throughout town.
John D. Rockefeller maintained his own golf course in Lakewood.
George Gould traveled by carriage from his estate—now Georgian Court University—to the country club alongside countless other wealthy visitors headed for a day of golf, hunting, and fine dining.
The golf season itself looked very different than it does today.
Golfers arrived around Labor Day and played throughout the fall and winter months. When warmer weather returned, the course closed for the summer, allowing the grass to grow into hay that was harvested for horses before another golf season began.
Ironically, today’s busiest golfing months are exactly the opposite.
One Family’s Stewardship
The Lawson family’s connection to Lakewood Country Club stretches back nearly 90 years.
Raef’s grandfather purchased a controlling interest in the club in 1937 during the difficult years following the Great Depression, helping preserve one of New Jersey’s oldest golf courses.
Raef and his brother Robert grew up around the property.
As teenagers, they worked summer jobs at the club before eventually assuming leadership roles. Today, Robert serves as general manager while Raef oversees the club as president, focusing primarily on food, beverage, and administration.
Although he’s now spent more than 50 years involved with the club, Lawson never imagined it would become such a significant part of his life.
His professional career actually took him elsewhere.
He spent 20 years as an accounting professor, later served as vice president of research and policy for a global accounting professional association, earned both an MBA and Ph.D. in business, and continues leading a nonprofit organization.
Through it all, Lakewood Country Club remained home.
More Than a Golf Course
Over the decades, countless notable figures have visited the course.
Lawson remembers country music legend Willie Nelson stopping in for a round of golf while performing nearby, adding to a long list of celebrities who have played the historic layout over the years.
Yet it’s the everyday memories that mean the most.
Couples return years after celebrating their weddings. Families bring children to the same clubhouse their parents once visited. Generations gather around the same property that has anchored Lakewood for more than a century.
“There’s nothing more rewarding than hosting a wedding and helping create one of the happiest days in someone’s life,” Lawson said.
On busy summer evenings, when Maggie’s restaurant is full, the Tiki Bar is buzzing, weddings are underway, and golfers are finishing their rounds, he sees the original vision of the property still thriving.
“It’s what the founders envisioned over a century ago,” he said. “We’re keeping that alive.”
A Caretaker for the Next Generation
Historic buildings require constant investment, and the Lawson family recently completed one of the property’s most extensive renovations.
Beyond the visible improvements guests enjoy today, the project included significant upgrades to the building’s infrastructure, technology, communications systems, and utilities—an investment designed to ensure the historic clubhouse continues serving future generations.
Lawson doesn’t see himself as simply owning the Claflin House.
“I don’t think you own an old building,” he said. “You’re a caretaker for the next generation.”
It’s a philosophy reflected in every carefully restored fireplace, every historic photograph, and every architectural detail preserved throughout the clubhouse.
Maggie’s Today: A Local Gathering Place
While the history may draw visitors in, Maggie’s has become a neighborhood favorite for a much simpler reason.
It’s comfortable.
Rather than chasing fine dining trends, the restaurant focuses on approachable tavern-style favorites made well. Popular dishes include shepherd’s pie, roast beef, burgers, wings, fresh salads, house-made pizza, and comfort food that appeals to families and regulars alike.
During the warmer months, the outdoor Tiki Bar offers a relaxed atmosphere overlooking the golf course—giving guests the feel of the Jersey Shore without the beach traffic or parking hassles.
Whether stopping in after a round of golf, meeting friends for dinner, or celebrating a special occasion, Lawson hopes every guest leaves with the same impression.
“I want people to feel welcome,” he said. “It’s a family-run operation. I want them to feel like they’re part of our history—and part of our ongoing story.”
For a building that has witnessed more than a century of Lakewood history, that’s perhaps the greatest legacy of all.
Maggie’s at The Claflin House
Lakewood Country Club
145 Country Club Dr
Lakewood, NJ 08701
