Des Moines Golf and Country Club

Last updated
Des Moines Golf & Country Club
Joe A. Roseman (riding a Coldwell model mower), c. 1910.PNG
Joe Roseman mowing the Des Moines Golf and Country Club course, c. 1910
Club information
Usa edcp relief location map.png
Icona golf.svg
Location in the United States
USA Iowa relief location map.svg
Icona golf.svg
Location in Iowa
Coordinates 41°35′49″N93°48′40″W / 41.597°N 93.811°W / 41.597; -93.811
Location1600 Jordan Creek Parkway
West Des Moines, Iowa
Established1897,
1970  (present site)
TypePrivate
Total holes36
Events hosted 1999 U.S. Senior Open
2017 Solheim Cup
Website dmgcc.org
North Course
Designed by Pete Dye
Par 72
Length7,301 yards (6,676 m) [1]
Course rating 74.9
Slope rating 135 [2]
South Course
Designed by Pete Dye
Par 73
Length7,103 yards (6,495 m) [3]
Course rating 74.2
Slope rating 135 [4]

Des Moines Golf and Country Club is a private country club in West Des Moines, Iowa, located few minutes west of Des Moines. Its golf courses have consistently been ranked in the top ten golf courses in the state of Iowa. [5]

Contents

Established in 1899, it established its current site in 1970. In late September 1897, the foundation of the Des Moines Golf and Country Club was established. Newspaper accounts have the details: “A forty-acre field owned by Mr. J. S. Polk just north of the station at the end of Ingersoll Line will be fitted up for the grounds. Mr. Polk has consented to rent the ground to the club and become a member himself.”

An organizational meeting on October 7 ratified articles of incorporation. N. T. Guernsey was elected as the first president of the new club. The incorporation papers were filed in Polk County on October 11, 1897. In 1906, Joe Roseman was appointed as head professional and greens superintendent. [6]

In 1923, the Ashworth estate in West Des Moines was purchased and a new 18-hole golf course was designed. Following a devastating fire in 1946, a new clubhouse was built and membership rose to 365. In 1966, the new east-west freeway (now Interstate 235) cut through the heart of the golf course and members voted to move and build a new facility, featuring two golf courses, doubling the size of the clubhouse as well as membership. [7]

The club relocated to Dallas County in 1970, opening a new course on a hillside overlooking a valley in West Des Moines. Its tri-level clubhouse is the hub of all activities, including 12 tennis courts, an Olympic-size swimming pool, and the Pool and Tennis Pavilion. [8]

The club hosted the 1999 U.S. Senior Open, with a record 200,000 fans showing up for the four-day event, [9] won by Dave Eichelberger. It hosted the Solheim Cup in 2017. [10] [11]

Golf courses

Location #1 – Located at the intersection of Ingersoll Avenue and Polk Boulevard, the first golf course was a haphazard 18 holes with no definition. It was later changed to a 9-hole course by designer Warren Dickinson. A "new" 9 was created with a "modern look" with fairways, trees, bunkers, and a few traps. The first Iowa Golf Association Championship was held on the grounds on August 28, 1900.

Location #2 – In 1903, Warren Dickinson, then club president, announced on October 2 that the current golf links would be turned back over to Mr. Polk and the club had secured a 20-year lease on 98 acres (40 ha) owned by the Gilchrest family near Waveland Golf Course. Thomas Bendelow, an employee of the Spalding Company, came to Des Moines on December 4 to design the new golf course. Bendelow designed over 600 courses in the United States.

Location #3 – In 1921, as the lease on the land for Location #2 was set to expire, the club made plans to move to 147 acres bought from the Ashworth family just off White Pole Road, later named Ashworth Road (current site of Dowling Catholic High School). At this time a faction of golfers led by the Hubbells and Denmans split off to build their own golf course on the south side of Des Moines called Wakonda Club. The new club on Ashworth was designed by the landscape architecture firm Pearse, Robinson, and Sprague. Warren Dickinson was also very prominent in the design of the new club. Upon moving to Location #4, 55 acres were sold to the Catholic Diocese for $320,000 and 80 acres (32 ha) were sold for a commercial plaza, residential and apartment housing for $650,000.

Location #4 (current site) – In 1957, the members learned of the planned east-west freeway (I-235) and planning was put into place to find an alternative site. In 1966, the members purchased 475 acres (1.9 km2) in West Des Moines, and the first 18 holes were dedicated in the spring of 1968. [12]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Des Moines, Iowa</span> Capital of Iowa, United States

Des Moines is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is the county seat of Polk County with parts extending into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines, which was shortened to "Des Moines" in 1857. It is located on, and named after, the Des Moines River, which likely was adapted from the early French name, Rivière des Moines, meaning "River of the Monks". The city's population was 214,133 as of the 2020 census. The six-county metropolitan area is ranked 81st in terms of population in the United States, with 709,466 residents according to the 2020 census by the United States Census Bureau, and is the largest metropolitan area fully located within the state.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Des Moines, Iowa</span> City in Iowa, United States

West Des Moines is a city in Iowa, United States. Most of the city is in Polk County, some of it is in Dallas County, and small portions extend into Warren and Madison Counties.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Muirfield Village</span> Golf course residential community in Ohio

Muirfield Village is an “upscale” golf-oriented community in the central United States, located in Dublin, Ohio, a suburb north of Columbus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Medinah Country Club</span> Country club and golf course in Illinois, United States

Medinah Country Club is a private country club in Medinah, Illinois, with nearly 600 members and 640 acres (260 ha) containing three golf courses, Lake Kadijah, swimming facilities, a golf learning center, golf shop, gun club, racket center and a mosque-evoking Byzantine-style, Moroccan domed clubhouse topped with minarets and classic Moorish architectural aspects. Medinah is famously known for its Course 3, now at 7,657 yards (7,002 m), which has hosted five major championships: three U.S. Opens and two PGA Championships, as well as the Ryder Cup in 2012. Medinah will host the 2026 President's Cup

Valley High School (VHS) is a public high school located in West Des Moines, Iowa. VHS is a three-year comprehensive high school with approximately 2,000 students. The school hosts grades 10–12. It is run by the West Des Moines Community Schools. Freshmen attend a separate school, Valley Southwoods.

Tom Bendelow (1868–1936), nicknamed "The Johnny Appleseed of American Golf" and "The Dean of American Golf", was a Scottish American golf course architect during the first half of the twentieth century. He is credited with having designed some 600 courses in a 35-year span. Six of his designs have received historic designation by the National Park Service for their significance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Principal Charity Classic</span> Golf tournament

The Principal Charity Classic is an annual PGA Tour Champions golf tournament in Des Moines, Iowa. It has been held at the William Langford-designed Wakonda Club since 2013. Founded in 2001 as the Allianz Championship, that name has been used by another tournament in Florida since 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Des Moines metropolitan area</span> Metropolitan statistical area in Iowa, United States

The Des Moines metropolitan area, officially known as the Des Moines–West Des Moines, IA Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) is located at the confluence of the Des Moines River and the Raccoon River. Des Moines serves as the capital of the U.S. state of Iowa. The metro area consists of six counties in central Iowa: Polk, Dallas, Warren, Madison, Guthrie, and Jasper. The Des Moines–Ames–West Des Moines Combined Statistical Area (CSA) encompasses the separate metropolitan area of Ames, and the separate micropolitan areas of Pella, Boone and Oskaloosa. The Des Moines area is a fast-growing metro area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lambton Golf and Country Club</span> Golf and tennis club in Toronto, Canada

The Lambton Golf and Country Club is a private golf and tennis club in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The golf club was established by Albert William Austin in 1902. The golf club is presently members with Golf Canada, and the United States Golf Association., and has hosted a number of competitions including the Canadian Open, and the Canadian Amateur Championship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">East Lake Golf Club</span> Private golf club in Atlanta, Georgia, US

East Lake Golf Club is a private golf club 5 miles east of downtown Atlanta, Georgia. Established in 1904, it is the oldest golf course in the city. East Lake was the home course of golfer Bobby Jones and much of its clubhouse serves as a tribute to his accomplishments.

Algonquin Golf Club was founded in the Webster Park neighborhood of Webster Groves, Missouri in 1899, and is one of the St. Louis area’s oldest private country clubs, along with St. Louis Country Club, Bellerive Country Club, Westwood Country Club and Old Warson Country Club.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glen View Club</span>

Glen View Club is a private country club located in Golf, Illinois, a suburb just north of Chicago.

Green Hills Country Club, located in Millbrae, California, is a private members-only country club located on the San Francisco peninsula approximately 20 minutes south of the city. Green Hills was originally known as the Union League Golf and Country Club of San Francisco when it was built in 1929, opening in 1930.

Robert Trent Jones Golf Club (RTJ) is a private golf club located in Gainesville, Virginia, a suburb southwest of Washington D.C. Opened for play 33 years ago in 1991, the par 72 course plays between 5,570 and 7,425 yards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mission Hills Country Club (Kansas)</span> American country club

The Mission Hills Country Club (MHCC) is a country club and golf course in the Kansas City-area suburb of Mission Hills, Kansas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Losantiville Country Club</span> Private club in Cincinnati, Ohio

Losantiville Country Club (LCC) is a private Country Club founded in 1902 located in Cincinnati, Ohio, which operates golf, tennis and platform tennis, and swimming facilities, and provides food, beverages and services.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Apawamis Club</span> Country club in New York state

The Apawamis Club is a private country club located in Rye, New York, Westchester County, long known for its 18-hole golf course and prominence in the sport of squash. The 1911 U.S. Amateur was contested here, resulting in a playoff between the reigning British Amateur champion, Harold Hilton, and his lesser-known American opponent, Fred Herreshoff. Apawamis is also the home base of a nationally recognized junior squash program and hosts the world renowned Briggs Cup tournament.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2017 Solheim Cup</span> 15th edition of the Solheim Cup

The 2017 Solheim Cup was the 15th edition of the Solheim Cup matches, held August 18–20 at the Des Moines Golf and Country Club in West Des Moines, Iowa. The Solheim Cup is a biennial team competition between the top women professional golfers from Europe and the United States. It is a three-day match play event between teams of twelve players with a similar format to the Ryder Cup. Juli Inkster captained the U.S. team for the second time and Annika Sörenstam captained the European team for the first time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joe Roseman</span>

Joseph Aloysius Roseman, Sr. was an American golf professional, golf course architect, and inventor of golf course mowing equipment. He designed at least 50 golf courses and made alterations on over 100 more. Roseman had two starts in golf majors – the 1919 and the 1920 PGA Championship.

Muskegon Country Club was founded in 1908 and is a private country club owned by the RedWater Collection

References

  1. ↑ "North Course card". Des Moines Golf & Country Club. Retrieved September 23, 2013.
  2. ↑ "North Course tour". Des Moines Golf & Country Club. Retrieved September 23, 2013.
  3. ↑ "South Course card". Des Moines Golf & Country Club. Retrieved September 23, 2013.
  4. ↑ "South Course tour". Des Moines Golf & Country Club. Retrieved September 23, 2013.
  5. ↑ "Iowa: Best in State Rankings". Golf Digest . August 25, 2015. Retrieved December 14, 2015.
  6. ↑ Miles, Greg (April 2018). "Joseph Roseman – Yankee Ideas Help Shape Augusta National Golf Club".
  7. ↑ Gatti, Ruth (November 24, 1993). "Super road slices through city". The Des Moines Register . p. 2N-S. Retrieved February 10, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  8. ↑ "History - des Moines Golf and Country Club des Moines Golf and Country Club – the Preeminent Family Golf and Country Club in Iowa". Archived from the original on 2015-04-28. Retrieved 2015-05-07.
  9. ↑ Fields, Bill (July 10, 2013). "Excitement high in Omaha as U.S. Senior Open comes to town". Golf Digest . Retrieved September 23, 2013.
  10. ↑ Miller, Bryce (September 19, 2013). "Des Moines lands latest big event: The Solheim Cup". The Des Moines Register . Retrieved September 23, 2013.
  11. ↑ "Iowa awarded 2017 Solheim Cup". ESPN . Associated Press. September 23, 2013. Retrieved September 23, 2013.
  12. ↑ "DMGCC History Presentation". 2 December 2009.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.