A SHORT HISTORY OF GREENSBORO COUNTRY CLUB

This is the first "Club House" for Greensboro Country Club. It was built in 1910 and cost $500. Golf came to Greensboro almost by accident. A.W. McAlister was on a fishing vacation in Canada soon after the turn of the century when he first saw the game being played. They used a club that looked something like a skinny stick to hit a small hard rubber ball just as far as they could. Then they tried to find the ball and hit it into a hole in the ground. Mr. McAlister brought back five sets of clubs to Greensboro. These clubs were the first ones used in the city and led to the forming of Greensboro Golf Club (which later became Greensboro Country Club). Considering its present prestige and reputation, Greensboro Country Club had a most humble origin. The year was 1909 and golf was a game that interested very few men and no women. Mr. McAlister opened up a five-hole pitch and putt course on the northwest corner of Summit Avenue and Dewey Street south of St. Leo’s Hospital. There was no membership in Mr. McAlister’s “Club” and anyone could play free of charge. Those first hardy golfers 94 years ago hung their jackets on the limbs of a young water oak tree before teeing off. Some referred to the tree as "The Club House." Two years later the first clubhouse was built which was located a few steps from the water oak tree and cost the magnificent sum of $500.00. The objectives for which the Club was formed were to promote and encourage outdoor games and exercises, including golf, tennis, croquet, automobiling and all other forms of wholesome and healthful sports, games and amusements…no games could be played on the Club’s property on Sunday and no intoxicating liquors could be kept, sold or drunk on the grounds or property belonging to the Club. The club was capitalized at $100,000.00 with 1,000 shares of stock with a par value of $100.00. Soon after the incorporation in 1911, 58.52 acres of land were deeded to the Club by A.M. Scales for $11,700.00. There was one catch in the deed; however, “No pigs or hogs shall be kept upon the premises in any manor whatsoever”. By early 1914 a new clubhouse had been completed in Irving Park and nine holes were ready for play. This move was accomplished by each stockholder paying $1,000.00.

Greensboro Country Club's second Club House - which later burned - was completed in 1914. In 1920 a great tragedy befell the well-established club – the clubhouse burned to the ground. By early 1921, however, a new club house, (Greensboro Country Club’s third), was underway. The Irving Park Company in 1926 allocated 34.6 acres to the club and permitted the development of the present holes 2, 3, 4, 8, 9, 10 and 11. In 1927 the Irving Park Company granted the Club permission to develop present holes 5, 6 and 7. 1928 was a banner year for another reason – golf was permitted on Sunday afternoon. In 1942, Sunday morning golf was approved. By 1943, America was up in arms and Greensboro was no different from any other American city. Therefore, 25 officers of the Sedgefield Technical Training Command and 50 officers of the Air Force Basic Training Center were made eligible for special membership with dues of $7.40 per month. And on the first Saturday night of each month the clubhouse was made available to all members of the Armed Forces. The end of the war brought a community-wide desire to improve the Club and the work began in 1946. The Club was closed for six months while it was expanded and its facilities doubled. In 1950, a new swimming pool and refreshment stand was built. In 1953, the Clubhouse was completely air-conditioned. In 1958, the Pavillion was built and the grill remodeled. In 1967, 15 greens were rebuilt and seeded with Bent grass.

This structure - most of which is a part of today's Club House - was built in 1921 with insurance collected from the fire which destroyed Club House Number Two. Meanwhile, membership had continued to grow at a steady pace from 794 members in 1958 to 1000 plus members at present. The post World War II babies were at an age where they were applying for junior membership in ever increasing numbers. When they reached the age of 27 they automatically became eligible for regular stockholding membership. To add to its growing pains, Greensboro Country Club had a clubhouse that was inadequate and inefficient from an operation viewpoint. Because of these growing pains the Directors of the Greensboro Country Club, along with the Directors of the Carlson Farm Country Club decided to merge. This merger took place July 10, 1969. Since 1969 many amenities have been added; a new clubhouse, indoor tennis and a new swimming pool as well as many other improvements making Greensboro Country Club one of the premier clubs in the southeast. A new club house was completed in 1989.