Fort Washington Country Club

Last updated
Fort Washington Golf and Country Club
Fort Washington Fresno Signage.jpg
Club information
Relief map of California.png
Icona golf.svg
Coordinates 36°53′06″N119°45′32″W / 36.885°N 119.759°W / 36.885; -119.759
Location10272 N Millbrook Ave, Fresno, California 93730
Established1923, 101 years ago
TypePrivate
Total holes18
Website Fort Washington Golf and Country Club
Designed by William Watson
Par 72
Length6,728 yd (6,152 m)
Course rating 72.8 [1]
Slope rating 129 [1]

Fort Washington Golf and Country Club is a private golf club in northeast Fresno, California established in 1923. The club's name originates from a gold rush-era United States Cavalry fortification built nearby along the San Joaquin River in 1850. The fort was destroyed by a flood two years after it was built. The name Fort Washington was also memorialized as the school district in that area. The facility also hosts large events and weddings.

Contents

History

In 1923, a group of Fresno residents formed the Fort Washington Golf Club, selected club officers and purchased 126 acres of land to build a golf course near the Fort Washington schoolhouse. [2] [3] The land, at the time, was an undeveloped grain field. The course was designed by Los Angeles-based golf architect William Watson.

The club began with 40 members and the first golf ball was hit on June 17, 1923, by then president of the club, Dr. Arthur Albright. [4] [5] The original members paid an initiation fee of $50 (equivalent to $894in 2023), and monthly dues of $2.75, (equivalent to $49in 2023). During the Roaring Twenties, the game of golf expanded greatly in popularity and the new course at Fort Washington joined Sunnyside Country Club, founded in 1911, as a golfing facility serving the Fresno area. Riverside Country Club, also in Fresno but to the west, opened the same year. [6] At the time the course opened, there were nine completed holes and the other nine were under construction. A small 25 feet (7.6 m) by 25 feet (7.6 m) clubhouse was included in the 1923 construction. [5]

Fort Washington Wooden Archway Fort Washington Fresno Arch.jpg
Fort Washington Wooden Archway

Over the following years, the clubhouse was expanded, the depth of the water well was doubled, fairways were planted with grass and the roadways were improved. [7] [5] The roadway improvements included palm trees contributed by Kearney Park and planted by club members. [4] The greens landscaping work was overseen by William Watson, who designed the original course and the greenskeeper was Roy E. Miller, who won the Fresno City Title in 1925. [8] Employees of the Sugar Pine Lumber Company who were also members, built a distinctive log archway in 1928. The archway was removed in 1994. [4]

Olin Dutra, winner of the 1934 U.S. Open, served as the club professional from 1924 to 1928 and was succeeded by Bill Lindgren, then Art Melville in 1929. Melville was born in Carnoustie, Scotland and earned a reputation for his golf skill in the San Joaquin Valley. Melville guided the club through the difficult years of the Great Depression where membership dwindled, as well the outbreak of World War II. Melville later recalled having to "send the old golf balls to the factory to be recovered, since there were no new ones" during the war effort. [9] He continued in his capacity at the club for 32 years. [5] Bob Silva succeeded Melville and served as club professional from 1967 to 1983.

The club has hosted eight California State Open tournaments, stretching over many years. It hosted the 1992 Fresno Open, a tournament on the Ben Hogan Tour, won by Mike Springer. It served as the final PGA Tour qualifying school course to earn a tour card in 1980. [5] [6] In 2001, Fort Washington co-hosted the U.S. Mid-Amateur Golf Championship, along with San Joaquin Country Club. That tournament was won by Tim Jackson.

The club name was changed to Fort Washington Golf and Country Club in 1970. The facility was scouted as a potential filming location for the 1980 sports comedy film Caddyshack. The Fort board of directors decided against giving the film crew permission due to not wanting to "inconvenience the members." [5] A new clubhouse was built in 1991. [4]

Scorecard

Fort Washington Golf and Country Club
Tee Rating/Slope 123456789Out101112131415161718InTotal
Blue72.8 / 129483425173443339422204403505339742416253141242532651414639133316728
White71.4 /125468404161425328417197385484326941015450539839831350911938631926461
Red69.9 /121455385152403314399171365465310940014548438837430447010437130406149
Gold66.4 / 117379379147377280301167318432278037814045435636829046510027228235603
Par543444345364354445343672
Source [10]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yokuts Valley, California</span> Community in Fresno County, California

Yokuts Valley, formerly Squaw Valley, is a unincorporated community located in Fresno County, California, at the foothills of the Sierra Nevada on State Route 180 just below Kings Canyon National Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Melville, Saskatchewan</span> City in Saskatchewan, Canada

Melville is a city in the east-central portion of Saskatchewan, Canada. The city is about 145 kilometres (90 mi) northeast of the provincial capital of Regina and 45 kilometres (28 mi) southwest of Yorkton. Melville is bordered by the rural municipalities of Cana No. 214 and Stanley No. 215. Its population at the 2016 census was 4,562, making it Saskatchewan's smallest city. It is also home of hockey's Melville Millionaires, who compete in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League, and baseball's Melville Millionaires, who competed in the Western Canadian Baseball League until 2019.

<i>The Fresno Bee</i> Three-times a week newspaper serving Fresno, California

The Fresno Bee is a three-times a week newspaper serving Fresno, California, and surrounding counties in that U.S. state's central San Joaquin Valley. It is owned by The McClatchy Company and ranks fourth in circulation among the company's newspapers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dick Ellsworth</span> American baseball player (1940–2022)

Richard Clark Ellsworth was an American professional baseball starting pitcher, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago Cubs, Philadelphia Phillies (1967), Boston Red Sox (1968–1969), Cleveland Indians (1969–1970), and Milwaukee Brewers (1970–1971). Ellsworth was an All-Star in 1964.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oakland Hills Country Club</span> Golf club in Michigan, United States

Oakland Hills Country Club is a private golf club in the central United States, located in Bloomfield Township, Michigan, a suburb northwest of Detroit. It consists of two 18-hole courses designed by Donald Ross: the South Course (1918) and the North Course (1923).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Montauk Downs State Park</span> State park in New York, United States

Montauk Downs State Park is a state park in Montauk, New York, United States. The park is located in Suffolk County near the eastern tip of Long Island's South Fork, about one mile (1.6 km) east of the hamlet of Montauk. Montauk Downs State Park includes an 18-hole championship golf course, driving range, tennis courts, swimming pool, and restaurant facilities.

Moor Park Golf Club is a country club located in Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire, England. It has two eighteen-hole golf courses, the High Course and the West Course, of which the High Course has hosted many professional and elite amateur tournaments, including the Women's British Open in 1985.

KVPT is a PBS member television station in Fresno, California, United States, owned by Valley Public Television, Inc. Its studios are located on Van Ness Avenue and Calaveras Street in downtown Fresno, and its transmitter is located on Bear Mountain, near Meadow Lakes, California. It is also broadcast in Bakersfield on translator K18HD-D.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Woodward Park (Fresno)</span> Public park located in Fresno, California, US

Woodward Park is a public park located in Fresno, California, abutting the San Joaquin River, opened in 1968. It is named after the late Ralph Woodward who bequeathed a portion of his estate to provide a regional park and bird sanctuary in Fresno. The park has a multi-use amphitheatre, an authentic Japanese Garden, disc golf course, BMX course, three children's playgrounds, a lake and trails that connect to the Lewis S. Eaton Trail.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Millerton, Madera County, California</span> Former settlement in California, United States

Millerton was a settlement located on the San Joaquin River and was the original county seat of Fresno County. Millerton was populated from about 1853 to the 1880s and is now inundated by the waters of Millerton Lake.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brae Burn Country Club</span> Golf course in Newton, Massachusetts

Brae Burn Country Club is a country club located in Newton, Massachusetts. Brae Burn was originally a six-hole golf course but quickly evolved into a nine-hole course and then a full 18-hole course. In 1912 and 1928, Donald Ross re-designed the course, convincing the USGA to host the 1919 U.S. Open and 1928 U.S. Amateur at the club. The course has been largely stable since then other than some modifications by Geoffrey Cornish in the 1960s. In the early 21st century, however, Brae Burn has been the source of some controversies regarding the existence of a chain-link fence the club has constructed as well as "generous tax breaks" Brae Burn has received from the State of Massachusetts.

The Englewood Golf Club, also sometimes known as the Englewood Golf and Country Club, was a private golf course in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States, located in Englewood and Leonia, just west of New York City. Opened 128 years ago as a nine-hole course in 1896, a second nine was added four years later; it hosted the U.S. Amateur in 1906 and the U.S. Open in 1909.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">King Kamehameha Golf Course Clubhouse</span> House in Maui, Hawaii

The King Kamehameha Golf Course Clubhouse, formerly known as the Waikapu Valley Country Club, is a building in Waikapu, Maui, Hawaii. The structure is based on the unbuilt Arthur Miller house (1957) originally conceived by American architect Frank Lloyd Wright (1867–1959). Wright designed the house for Arthur Miller's wife, Marilyn Monroe (1926–1962), but Miller and Monroe divorced soon after and the project was abandoned. The Arthur Miller house design was a modification of two previous unbuilt projects—the Raúl Baillères house (1952) and before it, the Robert F. Windfohr house (1949), also known as the "Crownfield" house.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ilkley Golf Club</span> Golf Club in North Yorkshire, England

Ilkley Golf Club is a golf club in North Yorkshire, England, just outside the town of Ilkley in West Yorkshire. It is located about a mile to the northwest of Ilkley and southeast of Addingham. The River Wharfe flows past the course. It was established in 1890.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sunnyside Country Club</span>

The Sunnyside Country Club is a private country club with a championship golf course. It is located in the Sunnyside neighborhood of Fresno, California. Designed by golf course architect William P. Bell and opening in 1911, it is the oldest golf course in Fresno and one of the oldest in California. In addition to the golf course, Sunnyside Country Club has a swimming pool, tennis courts, exercise facilities and a restaurant and bar for its members.

The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Fresno, California, USA.

The Ojai Valley Inn, or Ojai Valley Inn and Spa, is a 220-acre resort and golf course (89 ha) in Ojai, California. The golf course was developed in 1923, and the inn began in the 1930s. The property has undergone multiple renovations and expansions over the years, including the addition of the Spa Ojai in 1997.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Doris June Struble</span> American pianist (1895–1976)

Doris June Struble was an American pianist, singer, and dramatic reader, based in California. As a young woman, she toured North America, Australia, and New Zealand, and performed on radio; in her later years, she wrote poetry and was a popular children's hospital entertainer in Fresno.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mary's Corner, Washington</span> Unincorporated community in Washington, United States

Mary's Corner is an unincorporated community located in Lewis County, Washington. The area sits at the crossroads of U.S. Route 12 and Jackson Highway. The community is 11 miles (18 km) south of Chehalis and 4 miles (6.4 km) west of the town of Ethel.

The New York State Open was the state open golf tournament of the state of New York from 1928 to 1930. In early 1928, the New York State Golf Association announced that they had the financial support from Onondaga Country Club in Syracuse to host their first state open. The first event was supposed to be limited to New York state residents but when golfers from other parts of the country arrived in Syracuse tournament officials let them in. The following year, officials formally allowed golfers from other states to participate. Billy Burke won the event over a number of "star" golfers. The following year's event was a three-horse battle between Burke, Wiffy Cox, and recent U.S. Open champion Johnny Farrell with Farrell coming out on top. Later in 1930, the state's golf association announced that the event would be "dropped" due to financial concerns.

References

  1. 1 2 "Course Rating and Slope Database™ - Fort Washington GCC". USGA. Retrieved June 17, 2024.
  2. ↑ "Fort Washington Golf Club Formed; Officers Named". Fresno Bee . May 28, 1923. Retrieved May 9, 2024– via Newspapers.com. Doctor Arthur N Albright, president; R C Polmer, vice-president; T A Merrill, secretary and treasurer. The board of directors are Ben Sheagreen, Harry Markowitz, S C Enos, Doctor O J Howard, Andrew Jensen, Grover C Drake and George S Petersen. Greens Committee: I J Telgen, Chairman; Andrew Jensen, Ben Sheagren, R C Palmer, H L Edmunds. Finance Committee: S C Enos, Chairman; Harry Markowitz, Mark Hall. By-laws committee: Ben Sheagren, Chairman; Iener Nielsen, S C Enos, Walter C Schlein, Doctor A N Albright. Membership committee: Grover C Drake, Chairman; W B Nichols, George S Petersen. Publicity committee: George S Petersen, Chairman; William St. Sure, Peter Rasamussen
  3. ↑ "Fort Washington Golf Club is Deeded Members". Fresno Bee . May 7, 1925. Retrieved May 9, 2024– via Newspapers.com. From Ernest Klette Herbert C Johnson and Carl E Lindsay. Signed by W A Sutherland vice president and H Z Austin assistant secretary of the Pacific-Southwest Bank and Klette Johnson and Lindsay as trustees
  4. 1 2 3 4 Lloyd, Paula (April 15, 2004). "Windows on the Past: Fort Washington Golf Club". Fresno Bee . Retrieved May 9, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Aiello, Jeff (Director) (July 11, 2023). Fort Washington Country Club: 100 Years. Valley PBS . Retrieved June 17, 2024.{{cite AV media}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  6. 1 2 Farris, Bruce (October 7, 1998). "Fort Celebrates 75th Anniversary". Fresno Bee . Retrieved May 9, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
  7. ↑ "Almost $30,000 Spent on Ft. Washington Golf Club". Fresno Morning Republican . August 16, 1925. Retrieved May 9, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
  8. ↑ "Fort Washington Keeps Up Construction Work". Fresno Morning Republican . January 1, 1928. Retrieved May 9, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
  9. ↑ Farris, Bruce (September 9, 1973). "Fort Washington Will Celebrate 50th Anniversary Friday". Fresno Bee . Retrieved May 9, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
  10. ↑ "Course Details" . Retrieved June 17, 2024.
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.