Butler County Country Club
now known as
Hamilton Elks Golf Club
Butler County Country Club
It is important to understand the brief history of the Hamilton Country Club in Hamilton, Ohio, before one can delve into the history of the Butler County Country Club. A lack of this knowledge, and a misinterpretation, is the likely source of the unsubstantiated, false claim that Donald J. Ross designed the golf course.
Formed in 1906, and funded through the sale of stock, the Hamilton Country Club leased the Pollock Wilson home to serve as their clubhouse. The Pollock Wilson house was located on Oak Hill, between Millikin St and S. Washington Blvd, close to the Hamilton water reservoir. By 1914, as the membership grew, the club desired to expand and build a golf course. Negotiations failed to procure the required land, so the board of the Hamilton Country Club devised a new plan, joining prominent Middletown businessmen they proposed and formed a new country club. The fate of the Hamilton Country Club in Hamilton, Ohio, was sealed, by 1915 the members left, the club failed, and the furnishings were auctioned off.
In 1908 The Cincinnati Enquirer reported Mr. Nichols laid out a nine hole golf course in Oak Park for the new Hamilton Country Club. At that time, Mr. Nichols, a native of St Andrews, Scotland, was the superintendent of the Dayton Golf Club. No corresponding newspaper articles, or accounts of golf played, have been found to substantiate this single report. As noted earlier, the lack of a golf course led to the demise of this facility, this dispatch remains a mystery.
In July of 1914, Gordon S. Rentschler organized a committee, and the Butler County Country Club was formed. The charter was filed with the State of Ohio and $30,000 in capital was raised through the sale of stock. The budget allowed $10,000 for the purchase of the property and $15,000 for the construction of the clubhouse and golf course. On the advice of Mr. E.A. Deeds of Dayton, Ohio, Gordon Rentschler contacted the Olmsted Brothers of Brookline, Massachusetts, to discuss hiring their firm to lay out the club. The correspondence outlined the cost of site visits and required board actions. Correspondence ended on August 12th, 1914, when Gordon Rentschler informed the Olmsted Brothers "we are having some trouble securing a suitable site, and until this matter is determined, it will be impossible to proceed further."
On Saturday, August 22nd, 1914, the stockholders of the Butler County Country Club met on the Charles Frederick farm and unanimously agreed to purchase 80 acres as the location for the new country club. Reported on August 27th, "The work on the club will begin at once. The golf course will be of nine holes and the greens will be made this fall". George C. Dow, reported as a "Scotland golf expert", was hired as the golf professional to lay out the golf course. By September 14th enough progress had been made that the board of directors authorized the greens committee to spend $2500. During the early days of golf, it was common for the golf professional to be the golf course architect, golf course construction supervisor, golf instructor, clubmaker, and greenkeeper. Reported by the newspapers in 1914, 1915, and 1916, George C. Dow performed all these tasks and introduced the game of golf to Hamilton, Ohio.
The first reference to “laying out” and “laid out” can be found in “The Golfers Handbook” by Robert Forgan, Jr., published in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1881. Forgan wrote of the Luffness Golf Links, “The green was laid out by veteran player Old Tom Morris, and at first it consisted of 17 holes for the round, but after a few years it was thought expedient to make 18 holes, which was done by laying out a short hole for an iron shot.”
The Hamilton Daily Republican News reported in December of 1914, "George C. Dow of Dundee, Scotland, one of the most expert golf instructors in this country and golf instructor of the new Butler County Country Club will introduce the new sport to the city. Mr. Dow is now staying at the Y.M.C.A. For the past several months he has been engaged in the laying out of the golf course at the new country club, which in his estimate will be one of the finest in this section of the country. This course is made up of nine holes and promise to be the center of interest with its opening next spring."
On Labor Day, September 6th, 1915, the dedication, and formal opening of the new jointly owned Butler County Country Club took place. To date this is the first verified report of a golf course in Hamilton, Ohio. The members played golf and tennis in the morning, while the afternoon events consisted of a Hamilton versus Middletown baseball game, followed by a men's and women's golf tournament. The design of the clubhouse, along with the layout of the grounds, everything but the golf course, attributed to architect F. G. Mueller. A prominent architect in Hamilton, Ohio, Mr. Frederick G. Mueller also assisted with the design of the Hamilton Courthouse and later designed the Elks Lodge at the corner of Second and Ludlow Streets.
The 1923 American Annual Golf Guide, currently the oldest discovered golf guide naming the facility, identifies the golf course as: Estd. 1915. Holes—9. Length—3,280 yds. Par—37. Although no layout or design of the original 9 holes has been discovered, utilizing newspaper articles reporting notable shots, course records, and scores from exhibition matches, it has been determined that holes 1, 6 and 9 were par 5’s, holes 2 and 5, par 3’s. The golf course appears to have been laid out with the par of each hole in this order: 5, 3, 4, 4, 3, 5, 4, 4, 5 for a total par of 37. Based on the current layout, newspaper accounts, and the land plat map, only one hole from this layout may still exist, Red #3. At that time, it would have been the second hole before W.C. Jackson redesigned and expanded the course.
In January of 1916, it was reported that George Dow, Butler County Country Club professional, built two indoor golf courses on the 4th floor of the Hamilton Y.M.C.A. George gave private golf lessons during the winter on one course while the other was open for member play. In March of 1916, the Hamilton Daily Republican News reported the golf course would open about April 15th according to George Dow, professional and instructor at the course. Furthermore, "The course will be much healthier this year than last, according to Mr. Dow, who will put in much of his time, improving the greens and other portions of the nine hole course." Reported in June, Jack Swim of the Avondale golf course was hired to replace George Dow who announced he was leaving the club for Roxbury, NY.
George C. Dow came from a famous Scotch golfing family. Reported as having two brothers, "both of them high in the pro ranks", George was described as an excellent player, noted golf professional, teacher of champions, and renowned golf course architect. His career included laying out a nine hole course in 1910 for George Ade, in Brook, Indiana, and serving as his private golf professional. Furthermore, he was the architect who laid-out and supervised the building the original nine hole golf course at the Butler County Country Club, before serving as golf professional for Finley J. Shepard of Roxbury, NY, at his private golf course, known today as Shepard Hills. In 1923 George became an instructor at El Reno Golf Club in Oklahoma before moving to Hutchinson Country Club in Kansas, where he instructed Mrs. H.D. "Sally" Starrett, a nationally prominent player and former women's golf champion of Kansas. In October of 1925, San Antonio Municipal Links of Brackenridge Park, San Antonio, Texas, announced George C. Dow was hired as golf architect advisor and the golf professional in charge of instruction.
From 1914 thru 1922, there were numerous newspaper articles reporting social gatherings, events, and golf matches at the Hamilton County Golf Club, the Hamilton County Country Club, the Hamilton County Club, and the Hamilton Country Club. The Hamilton County Golf Club, referred to by many names through the years, was in Bond Hill, Hamilton County, Cincinnati, Ohio. The original golf course, built in 1910 by Thomas Bendelow, remained until 1919, when Donald Ross was hired to design and build a new golf course over the existing one. After a September site visit, it was announced in November that Donald Ross "drew plans for an improved playing course". Construction of the new course began at once, it took two years to complete, and when finished only one Bendelow hole remained. The dedication ceremony of the new Hamilton County Club took place on May 28th, 1921. At some time during that year, after the dedication, the Hamilton County Club changed its name to Maketewah Country Club. For many years after, newspapers continued to identify the facility as the Hamilton Country Club when announcing tournaments, club functions, and the results of golf matches.
In 1920 the name S.I. Baxter began to appear in Hamilton newspapers. Sidney "Si" Baxter of French Lick, Indiana, a former caddy master in that city, was now the caddy master hiring caddies for the Butler County Country Club. In 1921, when golf pro John Swim left the Butler County Country Club for the Portsmouth Golf Club, 21 year old Sidney Baxter was hired as the new golf professional. During 1922, Si Baxter brought notable golf legend Walter Hagen to the Butler County Country Club for an exhibition. This was the first of two visits that occurred with the reigning 1922 Open Champion. Multiple newspapers from various cities reported the exhibition matches, once with Australian trick shot artist Joseph Kirkwood, who set an unrecognized course record of 32, and a second visit with three time major winner Jim Barnes of Lelant, Cornwall, England.
In 1923, The American Golf Annual lists: HAMILTON—BUTLER COUNTY COUNTRY CLUB, THE. See Middletown MIDDLETOWN—BUTLER COUNTY COUNTRY CLUB, THE. Estd. 1915. Holes—9. Length—3,280 yds. Par—37. Grass greens. Annual meeting, October. Pres., R. S. Radcliffe; V. Pres., A. H. Walburg; Sec. and Treas., S. M. Goodman, 123 So. Second Street, Hamilton; Chmn. Greens Com., F. K. Vaughn; Professional, Si Baxter. Mail address, R. F. D. No. 1, Hamilton. Four and one-half miles from Hamilton. Seven and one-half miles from Middletown, readied by auto. Visitors' charges—$1.50 weekdays; Sundays and holidays, $3.00. Sunday play permitted and caddies available.
Unknown at the time, 1923 proved to be a monumental year in the history of the club. The decisions made during 1923 shaped the future of the facility, providing the golf course that exists to this day. If it had not been for the reporting of events by the Hamilton newspapers, the history of how the eighteen hole golf course came into existence, and the architect responsible for its design and lay-out, would have been lost.
In 1923, while the board was planning for expansion, Si set a new course record 34. On June 23rd, 1923, the board of the Butler County Country Club met with stockholders to discuss purchasing a portion of the Sohn farm, so they could expand to an 18 hole facility. Board President R.S. Radcliff, and Treasurer S.M. Goodman, made the presentation to the stockholders, who voted unanimously to authorize the purchase. The purchase of the additional 60 acres was finalized, and on Monday, September 24th, 1923, work began on the new nine holes. It was reported that an architect from Chicago was hired to design and build the new nine and he had already been on site laying out the holes. The club also reported they were at their largest membership ever, with a waiting list for new members. On October 9th, 1923, the Butler County Country Club held its annual meeting with John Beeler reporting for the enlargement of the golf course committee. John reported on the new land purchase and explained "the golf architect who has been here and gone over the ground has planned one of the best 18 hole courses in Ohio". Mr. Zeller presented the new nine holes in detail to the members, who received it with “much gratification”.
During the fall of 1923, Si Baxter arranged for the current PGA Champion, and 1922 US Open winner, Gene Sarazen to visit the club for an exhibition match. On Oct 15th, 1923, Gene Sarazen partnered with Si Baxter, playing a 36 hole exhibition match on the nine hole golf course. Gene and Si defeated Ohio Open Champion Steve Zappe and Cincinnati golf pro Alex "Nipper" Campbell. During the 36 hole match, Gene Sarazen tied the course record of 66.
During the exhibition, Alex “Nipper” Campbell was the head golf professional at Losantiville Country Club in Cincinnati, Ohio. Alex “Nipper” Campbell moved from The Country Club in Brookline to Baltimore Country Club in 1915, then in 1919 to Losantiville Country Club in Cincinnati. In 1925 he went to Dayton to work at Miami Valley Golf Club, Campbell’s first move was to rebuild all the greens. He supervised the construction of nine holes at Meadowbrook in 1927 and worked on the city-owned Fairmount (Madden) course at the same time. In 1929 he was hired to design the Moraine Country Club on 170 acres of land donated by Colonel E.A. Deeds of Dayton, Ohio. The Moraine Country Club course, site of the 1945 PGA Championship won by Byron Nelson, has golf holes patterned after those at Troon, Prestwick, and The Old Course at St. Andrews, Scotland. During Alex’s time at The Country Club in Brookline, MA, he is credited with urging one of his students, 20-year-old caddy Francis Ouimet, to enter the 1913 U.S. Open held in Brookline at The Country Club.
In 1924, Si Baxter left the Butler County Country Club. It was reported that he was hired by the Englewood Golf Club in Englewood, NJ, replacing Cyril Walker who had just won The American Open Golf Championship. Known as the U.S. Open, Cyril won the U.S. Open by defeating the defending champion Bobby Jones by three strokes. Si was put “in charge of the club for instruction and playing”. In 1925, Sidney married prominent women's golfer Cecil Lewis of Los Angeles, California. In April of 1926, Sidney Baxter reported as the new golf professional for East Bay Country Club in Oakland, California, and by 1930, he was the golf professional at Manilla Golf Club in the Philippines. On January 20th,1933, The Journal News reported Si had won "The Open Golf Championship of the Philippine Islands" played at Manila Golf Club. During the Second World War, the War Department announced Sidney and his wife Cecil were being held by the Japanese. They were interned during the occupation of the Philippines for three and a half years, Sidney was reported liberated on March 14th, 1945, his wife Cecil on March 24th. They returned to the Philippines after recovering in Los Angeles, and later returned to California to operate a chicken and egg farm, and finally a candle shop. It was reported on December 8th, 1966, that Si Baxter had died at the age of 67.
With the departure of Si Baxter in 1924, the club needed a new golf professional, and in May, the Butler County Country Club announced they hired Tom Morris, the Grand-Nephew of Old Tom Morris. It was reported that Tom moved to America from Scotland at the age of 11. He was hired in 1903 as greenkeeper at Ekwanok Country Club in Manchester, Vermont, and advanced his career serving as golf pro at many courses before arriving in Hamilton, Ohio. During that time, Tom's brother George was the golf professional at Harrisburg Country Club in Harrisburg, PA.
Tom's grandfather, George Morris, was the brother of Old Tom, the famed golfer and professional of St. Andrews. George Morris helped design the Royal Liverpool Golf Club host of many Open championships. Tom's father John "Jack" Morris was appointed the first professional of Royal Liverpool Golf Club on June 5th, 1869, a post he held until his death in 1929.
In the same 1924 announcement, it was reported “W.C. Jackson, of Chicago, a golf architect, planned the additional nine holes for the course”. Furthermore, “Mr. Jackson will be here next week to make the final lay-out of the new nine holes and the rearrangement of some of the present holes. Construction work will start at once”. This was also the year that John Chamberlain was hired. John's son Al would accompany his father, both working on the grounds crew, building the golf course designed and laid out by W.C. Jackson. This was the start of the Chamberlain legacy which lasted until 1969 when Al retired.
On June 10th, 1924, it was reported W.C. Jackson, "the architect who is here building the additional nine holes at the club", played a match against Tom Morris. In early November, with the golf season wrapped up, a "Gala Affair" took place. Golf trophies were presented, illustrated golf information viewed, and a golf movie was shown. On November 28th it was announced, "Tom Morris has left the club and would not return". Tom was reported leaving for New York and expected to visit his home in Scotland. In January of 1925, Tom Morris was named the new golf professional at Fircrest Golf Club in Tacoma, WA. Tom Morris would eventually return to the east coast in Harrisburg, PA, serving as the golf professional for the Country Club of Harrisburg.
In 1925 The American Annual Golf Guide listed the Butler County Country Club twice, as Hamilton 36 holes, and Middletown 9 holes. During these years, clubs reported their information to The American Annual, so it is unknown how the dual listing and the identification of 36 holes occurred. Furthermore, there is a discrepancy in the names of some officers and the city, as the club was considered a Middletown and Hamilton Club, some turmoil may have been present. One item that both listings shared, W.C. "William" Jackson was listed as the Professional.
HAMILTON—BUTLER COUNTY COUNTRY CLUB. Estd. 1914. Holes—36. Length—6,200 yds. Par—71. Grass greens. Annual meeting, October. Pres., R. S. Radcliffe; V. Pres. W. F. Lawrence: St-c. A. G. Welliver, Rentschler Bldg., Hamilton Treas., W. N. Andrews; Rentschler Bldg., Hamilton; Chmn. Greens Com., F. K. Vaughn; Professional, W. C. Jackson. Five miles from city reached via automobile. Visitors' charges—$2.00 weekdays; Sundays and holidays, $3.00. Sunday play permitted and caddies available.
MIDDLETOWN—BUTLER COUNTY COUNTRY CLUB, THE Estd. 1915. Holes—9. Length—3,041 yds. Par—37. Grass greens. Annual meeting, October. Pres., R.S. Radcliffe; V. Pres. A. H. Walburg; Sec. and Treas., W. N. Andrews, Rentschler Bldg., Hamilton; Chmn. Greens Com., F. K. Vaughn; Professional, William Jackson. Mail address, K. F. D. No. I, Hamilton. Seven and one-half miles from city, reached by automobile and bus. Visitors' charges—$2.00 weekdays; Sundays and holidays, $3.00. Sunday play permitted and cuddies available.
On January 22nd, 1925, The Hamilton Evening Journal sports page reported “W.C. Jackson, Golf Architect And Player, New Butler County Pro”. Two articles were written, one reported the plan to show slow motion pictures of Bobby Jones swing and attributes “Mr. Jackson, a college graduate and one of the best known golf course architects in the west, and who last year designed the new course for our country club has been retained”. The second article reported W.C. Jackson's tenure as golf professional and architect, construction superintendent with the Carters Tested Seeds Company, and having built the 4th course at Olympia Fields. Furthermore, it was reported “he entered business for himself as a golf course architect, building and designing eight courses in Wisconsin, Chicago, Michigan, and Ohio including the new course for the Butler County Country Club”. The article ended with a quote from W.C. Jackson, “the new course to be wintering well and with good breaks in the weather, the new nine will be playable sometime next summer”. In April, The Hamilton Evening Journal reported "finishing touches are being put on the new nine holes". The year ended with a newspaper report that W.C. Jackson has offered his design services, free of charge, to design the new, and first, public golf course in Hamilton, Ohio. The course was to be built on land donated by Mr. Potter, at the bottom of Oak Hill, below the site of the former Hamilton Country Club. At this time, W.C. Jackson was attributed with building over 50 golf courses, currently working on two in Wisconsin.
In 1926, The American Annual Golf Guide Lists: BUTLER COUNTY COUNTRY CLUB, THE estd. 1915. Holes - 18. Length—6,215 yds. Par—71. Grass greens. Annual meeting, October. Pres., R. S. Radcliffe; V. Pres., W. F. Lawrence; Sec. and Treas., W. N. Andrews, Rentschler Bldg., Hamilton: Chmn. Greens Com., F.K. Vaughn; Professional, William Jackson; Greenskeeper, John Chamberlain. Mail address, 518 Rentschler Bldg., Hamilton. Eight miles from city, reached by automobile and bus. Visitors' charges—$2 weekdays; Sundays and holidays, $3.00. Sunday play permitted and caddies available.
In April of 1926, The Journal News reported the Butler County Country Club course and lockers will be open tomorrow. W.C. Jackson, golf pro and manager, stated the season has been slow in drying, so it may not be open through the season. On May 28th, 1926, the dedication ceremony for the newly designed Butler County Country Club took place. The Hamilton Evening Journal had numerous articles consisting of quotes and descriptions of the day’s events. Included are R.S. Radcliff, club president, hitting the first shot down the first fairway. The article also identified W.C. Jackson as the course architect and pro, who spoke of the condition of the old nine with the new nine holes. In the May 31st edition, The Hamilton Evening Journal reported an 18 hole course was dedicated Saturday. Reported and described are the events: a 12:15 lunch, the 1:30 starting time when R.S. Radcliff struck the first shot, raising the cost of membership from $120 to $150, and how it took W.C. two years to build and refine the golf course. Also, of mention, the article congratulates Mr. Jackson “who came in for a just share of his splendid achievement”.
In the fall of 1926, John Buchanan, assistant pro to W.C Jackson, became the new golf professional of the Butler County Country Club. William Jackson resigned his position to complete construction of the golf course for Camargo Country Club. Reported in 1999 by Golf Digest, "Camargo Club" “One of Seth Raynor’s last designs, it wasn’t completed until nearly a year after his death. William Jackson, who later became the club’s pro and superintendent, handled the construction and was faithful to Raynor’s diagrams with two exceptions: he turned the 16th into a par 4 and the 17th into a par 5.” Bill Jackson stayed at Camargo Country Club until he retired at the end of the 1953 golf season, his contributions to Camargo Country Club are well documented in their historical archives. During his tenure at Camargo, Bill continued designing golf courses, including Summit Hills Golf & Country Club in Crestview Hills, KY.
In 1927, The American Annual Golf Guide lists: HAMILTON—BUTLER COUNTY COUNTRY CLUB, THE. Estd. 1915. Holes—18. Length—6,215 yds. Par—71. Grass greens. Annual meeting, October. Pres., Homer Gard; V. Pres., James W. Ash: Sec, Minor Beckett; Treas., John M. Beeler; Chmn. Greens Com., F. K. Vaughn; Greenskeeper, John Chamberlain; Manager, John Buchannan. Four miles from city, reached by automobile and bus. Visitors' charges—$2.00 weekdays; Sundays and holidays, $3.00. Sunday play permitted and caddies available.
In June of 1927 John Buchanan and W.C. Jackson attended the dedication ceremony of Potters golf course, playing the first round on the new municipal golf course, designed by W.C. Jackson.
The 1930 Annual Golf Guide Lists: HAMILTON—BUTLER COUNTY COUNTRY CLUB, THE. Estd. 1915. Holes—18. Length—6,215 yds. Par—71. Grass greens. Annual meeting. October. Pres., Homer Gard; V. Pres., J. W. Ash: Sec. and Treas., C.S. Beeler; Chmn. Green Com. F. K. Vaughn: Greenkeeper J. Chamberlain; Pro., John Buchanan. Five miles from city, reached by auto. Visitors' charges-$2.00 weekdays; Sundays and holidays, $3.00. 125 members
In 1930, a new course record of 69 (front 35 / back 34) was shot by John Buchanan, the first time a score under 70 was recorded. In late 1930, the 12th green, originally flat, is reconstructed by adding a 40 degree slope and 3 bunkers.
On April 20th, 1931, The Hamilton Evening Journal reported “Hole in One” Fame comes to Vaughn. On the 178 yard 12th hole, Frank Vaughn made an ace with a 2 iron. Also, in 1931, Al Chamberlain became the Greenskeeper, taking over for his father. Al would hold this position until he retired in 1969. Al took a leave of absence in 1943 to serve with the 44th Division in France and Germany during World War 2. In 1944 he was wounded in action, returning home upon his discharge in October of 1945. During the time of his service, his father John returned to care for the course, securing Al's position until he returned.
In November of 1931, R.S. Radcliffe, who hit the ceremonial first shot during the 1926 dedication, and served the club for many years, died at the age of 57. While playing golf at the Butler County Country Club on September 12th, he collapsed and was taken to his home. As his health continued to decline, he was admitted to Mercy Hospital, it was there that he passed on November 9th. Reported in his obituary, "For four years, from 1921 to 1926, Mr. Radcliffe was a director and served as president of the Butler County Country Club. He was devoted to golf and until his health failed played every day the weather permitted."
In 1932, Hamilton Elks Lodge 93 and the Butler County Country Club began conversations regarding a potential purchase of the facility. Of the 334 shares of outstanding stock, those who held 266 shares were present. There were practically no dissenting votes, so the directors were authorized to carry out the legal details and sell the club to the Elks. The Cincinnati Enquirer reported on April 21st, that the Elks Grand Lodge must approve the purchase of the 157 acre property “including the golf course, clubhouse and various other buildings, will not be more than $38,000”.
The Elks Grand Lodge approved the purchase, and on June 9th, 1932, The Cincinnati Enquirer reported: "Hamilton, Ohio, June 8th- Today the Hamilton Lodge No. 93, B.P.O. Elks, officially became owner of the Butler County Country Club properties, an eighteen-hole golf course, clubhouse and auxiliary buildings, located on the Middletown Pike five miles north of Hamilton. The last details of the purchase were completed, and management changed hands this morning. The first tournament event will find Hamilton Elks hosts to Richmond, Ind., Elks here June 25."
Many members of the Butler County Country Club were also members of Hamilton Elks Lodge 93, those who were not quickly joined. In 1932, Hamilton Elks Lodge 93 became responsible for the care of the eighteen hole golf course designed by golf course architect W.C. Jackson, renaming it the Elks Country Club.
