Our Course
History
The original St. Charles Country Club course was
designed in 1925 by famed golf architect Tom Bendelow. Referred
to as “The Dean of American Golf Course Architecture”, Bendelow was also
an innovator in the game. He worked to develop methods for golfing instruction, caddie
training, course management and tournament organization. He was also the first to establish reserved “tee” times.
Rich Tournament History
In April 1926, Thomas Meehan was hired as SCCC’s first Golf Professional, and in October of that year, the Club officially dedicated the new course with its inaugural golf tournament. Thirty leading pros and amateurs competed for a $200.00 purse offered by Lester J. Norris, and another $300.00 in prizes.
The first Ladies’ Invitational was held August 26, 1927, featuring golfers from twelve clubs. The Club’s first Pro-Am Tournament followed in October of 1927.
September of 1929 saw the debut of the Club’s annual Fox Chase tournament with an entry fee of $8.00. This entertaining event required participants to use a tennis ball on holes 5 and 8, and everyone teed off with a croquet mallet. Plus, a German band was on the course to serenade the players.
Change and Growth
In the mid-1930’s, legendary golf course architect Robert Trent Jones was in St. Charles to design the Pottawatomi Park course. While visiting, he suggested several ways to improve the SCCC course, including changes to holes 4 and 18.
The late-1940’s and early-1950’s saw the addition of many now-familiar golf events including Saints & Sinners, husband & wife tournaments, pro-member tournaments and mixed-foursome events.
In 2002, the Club adopted a new Long Range Plan calling for construction of six new golf holes on property immediately north of our present course. David Esler was retained to design the new holes and improve existing holes. With those additions and improvements completed in 2004, giving us the SCCC course we know today, other aspects of the Plan await future member approval. |