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Muskogee Country Club began its existence officially on March 10, 1903, as the Muskogee Town and Country Club. Incorporation was affected a few weeks later on June 24th. There were 53 men in the original group of organizers, with Tams Bixby, Sr., Clifford L. Jackson, J. F. Darby and D. H. Middleton among the chief instigators. Bixby was the first president. The initiation fee was $100.00. At first, the Club was located on the
outskirts of Fort Gibson where it occupied two buildings. One was a
fourteen room house on Coppinger Avenue named "The Red House" where
meals were served and lodging was available at twenty-five cents a day.
The other was a stone building on Fort Street called the "Assembly Room"
which was used for social activities. This building, incidentally, was
the adjutant's headquarters when Fort Gibson was an army post. Thirty acres more were acquired by the Club two years later, and in 1911, the golf course was enlarged to a full eighteen holes. Then in 1924, the whole course was redesigned by the late Perry Maxwell, foremost among golf course architects the world over in his day. At that time, the old sand greens were replaced with bermuda. The change over to bent grass greens was made in 1936. Maxwell is well know for his design of Southern Hills in Tulsa which recently hosted the 2001 United States Men's Open and the 1999 and 2007 PGA tournaments and many other famous courses including Prairies Dune in Hutchison, Kansas, home of the 2002 United States Women's Open. Bill Nichols stayed on as golf pro through 1913, and then he went to war. He was succeeded by Willie Brown, who remained until 1924. Tom Duckson served as pro for the next three years and was followed for a short time by Ed Gant, and then by Gordon Jones who stayed until 1939. Charlie Weisner became our pro in 1939, and except for the war years, he was our pro until the end of 1958. While Charlie was in the service, Willie Dow, and later Jimmy D'Angelo, served as pros for the Club. Ben Dickson served as the golf professional from 1958 until 1978. Harold Fisher became the golf professional in 1978 after Ben's retirement. Terry Burcham succeeded Fisher in 1982. Dean Ohley succeeded Burcham in 1982 and served through August, 2001. Currently the Golf Professional is Sam Meredith. And we might as well add this: The course record is 59, held by Bob Dickson, a Muskogee amateur and Oklahoma State University star. Marlene Haggee holds the course record for women at 68. The Club was the site of the 1970 United States Women's Open won by Donna Caponi. A reorganization of the Club was effected on April 29, 1936, and a new charter obtained. The present name of the Club was adopted at that time. In 1976, the Club became stock owned. The 1978 Board of Directors made the plans to completely remodel the Club House and add the present northwest wing. Approved by the membership, it was completed in 1979. In 2000 the membership voted to undertake a major renovation and restoration of the golf course to a more Perry Maxwell style. A young design architect, Tripp Davis, was hired for the restoration process. Mr. Davis is quickly becoming renowned in golf course design. One course he has recently restored is a Herbert Strong course on Long Island that hosted the the 1919 PGA Championship and the 1920 US Amateur. Another is a Donald Ross course in Kansas City that hosted a PGA Tour stop before World War II that Byron Nelson won on numerous occasions.
2400 North
Country Club Road |
