Butler County Country Club
now known as
Hamilton Elks Golf Club
It is time for the Board of Hamilton Elks Lodge 93 to acknowledge their history, credit the actual architects, and stop promoting a fallacy.
“When something is said enough times, it becomes common knowledge. Even if it’s not true.”
Allen Freeman
After research and fact checking, the Donald Ross Society confirmed that the golf course at the Hamilton Elks Golf Club, was not designed or remodeled by Donald J. Ross. In May of 2022, the Hamilton Elks Golf Club, along with four other courses, were delisted, and removed from the Directory of Golf Courses Designed by Donald J. Ross, compiled by the Donald Ross Society and the Tufts Archives in Pinehurst, North Carolina.
The board of Hamilton Elks Lodge 93 continue to fallaciously claim the original eighteen hole golf course was designed by Donald Ross after being informed by the Donald Ross Society that the facts prove otherwise. The evidence, and corresponding lack of evidence, reveals Donald Ross had no connection to Hamilton Elks Lodge 93, Hamilton Elks Golf Club, Hamilton Elks Country Club, or the Butler County Country Club. There is no proof that Donald J. Ross, the famed golf architect, designed the golf course or visited the facility. Research has proved George C. Dow designed and supervised the building of the 1914 nine hole golf course and W.C. Jackson designed and supervised the building of the eighteen hole golf course. The Hamilton Elks should take a lesson from Bill Jackson about integrity, when he found out a newspaper report was erroneous, he quickly contacted the paper to publish a correction. W.C. Jackson did not obfuscate the truth as does the board of the Hamilton Elks.
The following is the timeline of events that led to this discovery and the creation of this website.
During a visit to the Tufts Archive in November of 2019, I had the pleasure of meeting Audrey Moriarty, Executive Director of the Given Memorial Library and Tufts Archives, and Mr. Jan Ludwig, the Donald Ross Society Secretary. We discussed my trip to Pinehurst, Donald Ross, the Hamilton Elks Golf Club, what was written in the Elks Yearbook, and what little information was in the Elks business office file cabinet. I asked Jan, "what information do you have on our facility?". After a moment to consult Audrey Moriarty, she said "we have nothing on your golf course". Audrey did confirm they tried multiple attempts to correspond with the previous superintendent but received no response. They were also of the belief that this facility came into existence in 1925. I left wondering if they did not have any information, how was it confirmed a Donald Ross designed golf course. Upon returning from my trip, I sent them copies of the information in the Elks business office file cabinet and a golf hole flag for the museum wall.
In the spring of 2020, the Elks lodge business office manager received a request from a local historical society for the history of the Elks facility. At the time there was little information available, as no one volunteered to address the request, I started a project to document the history, or origins, of the Hamilton Elks Golf Club. My plan was to research the facility and build a "walking history", similar to what is found in the halls of the Carolina Hotel in Pinehurst, North Carolina. What I discovered, with little difficulty, was Donald Ross had absolutely nothing to do with the design or building of the golf course.
As I began my research, I located a plethora of information utilizing online newspaper archives. The newspaper articles revealed the Hamilton Country Club, predecessor of the Butler County Country Club, was not large enough to support a golf course. The members of the Hamilton Country Club formed a new country club and named it the Butler County Country Club, located in Liberty Township, Ohio, between the cities of Hamilton and Middletown.
In 1914, the club hired Scottish golf professional and architect George C. Dow, who laid-out and supervised the building of a nine hole golf course. Opened for play in September of 1915, the golf course remained nine holes until 1923, when it was reported the club was to expand. Presented to the board and members during the yearly meeting, were plans drawn by a Chicago architect. The architect from Chicago had been onsite and designed a new 18 hole golf course by rearranging the layout of the current nine holes and adding an additional nine holes on the newly acquired land. Construction began in 1923, and in 1924, the newspapers named W.C. Jackson, of Chicago, as the architect. In 1925, the newspapers reported the Butler County Country Club hired architect W.C. Jackson as their new golf professional. Finally, in 1926, the new 18 hole golf course was declared ready, and the course opened for member play. The dedication ceremony, covered by the newspapers, identified W.C. Jackson as the designer and architect. No redactions or corrections have been discovered reporting errors or misquotes, nor has any newspaper article been discovered that associates golf architect Donald Ross with the facility or the city of Hamilton, Ohio.
The Butler County Country Club, formed in 1914, was a prestigious club with many prominent Hamilton and Middletown businessmen. If the Butler County Country Club would have hired Donald Ross, it would have been reported in the newspapers. Due to his prominence at the time, the involvement of Donald Ross in golf course design and building was regularly noted in the local press, including the cities of Cincinnati and Dayton, Ohio. It was a prodigious decision to hire Donald Ross, and to date, not one report of Donald Ross in Hamilton, Ohio, has been discovered. Meanwhile, numerous reports of Donald Ross visiting cities and making site visits, are easily found throughout the newspapers of Ohio, including those in Portsmouth, Dayton, and Cincinnati.
The facts, verified by numerous newspapers, reported over many years, identify:
-
Scottish golf pro George Dow laid out and built a 9 hole golf course in 1914 for the Butler County Country Club.
-
The golf course began expansion in 1923 by adding land and redesigning the existing golf course.
-
W.C. Jackson was the architect of the 18 hole golf course that opened for play in 1926.
So, the question is "How did this mistake or misidentification occur and why has it not been rectified?"
The most likely explanation is an entry in the 1930 sales booklet. The theory is someone mistook the Hamilton Country Club listing and associated it with the defunct Hamilton Country Club in Hamilton, Ohio. The Hamilton Country Club in Hamilton, Ohio, as stated earlier, did not have the land to support a golf course, that was the reason it failed. The members left in 1914 and founded the Butler County Country Club. The Hamilton County Club in Hamilton County, Ohio, has a Donald Ross designed 18 hole golf course, designed, and built from 1919 to 1921. I was told by the Maketewah Country Club Historian, Mr. Gerry Lanham, "The Hamilton Country Club listing in the 1930 book is Maketewah, which was originally named the Hamilton County Club located in Hamilton County, Ohio". The Hamilton County Club formally changed its name to Maketewah in 1921, after the Donald Ross designed course was completed.
The Tufts Archives, home of the Donald Ross Library, contains folder A028017 which lists:
Maketewah Country Club, Cincinnati, OH
18 holes remodel in 1929
Ross Course – 1919
Hamilton, OH
This identifies Maketewah Country Club as the golf course that Donald Ross built in 1919. This also shows someone identified Maketewah, formerly known as the Hamilton County Club, with Hamilton, Ohio. This corresponds to the entry in The Golf Course, Hamilton CC - Ohio - Donald Ross. The Hamilton County Club in Hamilton County, Ohio, was designed and built from 1919 to 1921 by Donald Ross, over the Thomas Bendelow designed Hamilton County Golf Club. The 1929 remodel, documented by Maketewah Country Club, was also reported in the local papers. This identification, and connection, brings into question the validity of the Hamilton Elks Golf Club (OKA Butler County Country Club) claim.
The 1930 book has been described as a sales booklet, highlighting some of Donald J. Ross and Associates prominent courses built and remodeled prior to 1930. This book does not name the Butler County Country Club, which is the only name that facility was known as since its founding in 1914. Without documentation to substantiate a Donald Ross claim, there is no claim, as there is no connection in the 1930 book to the Hamilton Elks Golf Club (OKA Butler County Country Club).
I also discovered the Donald Ross Society Course List identifies 19 Ohio courses as being in the 1930 book. The problem is the 1930 book only names 18 Ohio courses. It appears the Donald Ross Society has mistakenly identified and included a course that does not belong on the list. After researching that list, the only course I cannot find evidence for is the Hamilton Elks Golf Club (OKA Butler County Country Club).
To quote Bradley Klein, author of Discovering Donald Ross: The Architect and his Golf Courses, "Give Me Proof" “The best way to know you’re on a Donald Ross course,” says Klein, “is there’s evidence.” "In other words, you know who the designer is when it is documented in course plans, meeting minutes, newspapers, or letters".
I have found in numerous newspapers, from 1914 through 1953, enough proof to remove any doubt who designed the golf course. W.C. "Bill" Jackson was the architect who designed and laid out the 18 hole golf course. To reiterate, no documents, newspaper articles, or reported travels have been found to show any connection between Donald Ross and the Hamilton Elks Country Club (OKA Butler County Country Club).
This is certainly not the first time a discovery has questioned the authenticity of a claim by the Donald Ross Society. A discovery in 2019, attributed Hawthorne Valley Golf Club in Solon, Ohio, to a different architect. The Donald Ross Society researched the information and released a statement. There are also cases where the Donald Ross Society reviews a course claim and denies its inclusion on the list. Examples include Great Southern Golf Club, in Gulfport, Mississippi, and Rouge Park Golf Course in Detroit, Michigan. Both facilities claim they are a Ross course, each is a unique story, but the outcome was the same, they were not recognized as Donald Ross golf courses. The Donald Ross Society perform their due diligence, they research claims, confirm the accuracy, and take the proper action to maintain the integrity of the list.
Another example is Cape Cod Country Club, opened in 1928 as a nine-hole course, originally named Coonamessetis. Long rumored to be redesigned and expanded by Donald Ross, the Friel family researched the course, dismissing the Ross myth and confirming the course was designed by architects Devereux Emmet and Alfred H. Tull. The owners stated: "The course is rumored to have been redesigned and expanded to 18 holes the following year by legendary golf architect Donald Ross. However, the Friel family has looked everywhere and cannot find any proof that Ross ever set foot on these fairways. “It would be nice to say this is a Donald Ross course,” David Friel admits, “but we have no real evidence.” Neither Coonamessetis nor Cape Cod Country Club are recognized by the Donald Ross Society.
During my research, I connected with many architects, authors, and historians. These individuals include, but are not limited to, Dr. Michael Hurdzan, Tim Liddy, Bradley Klein, Ron Whitten, Stuart Bendelow, Gerry Lanham, and Jan Ludwig. I have also had numerous conversations with local and national historians, each one has been very generous with their time. I have never been told by anyone that my research is inaccurate, flawed, or wrong. What I have been told is the complete opposite, I have been thanked and provided with many words of encouragement including those below.
"If you made some people unhappy it must have been an effective presentation!"
"Thanks for sending all this material to me; I will see that it (eventually) gets into the appropriate file in the Tufts Archives."
"I hope you have provoked others to investigate, and that you will keep me informed if they, or you, come up with more information."
"Thanks for sending the additional information. You are doing a lot of valuable research."
"Back in my law practice days, I would have said that your brief was overwhelming in its evidence and argument. You certainly have convinced me that Ross had nothing to do with Hamilton Elks."
"You will never be told thank you and you will not be popular doing this, but do not stop what you are doing. Stay on the path you are on as you are finding the truth"
"Great research. It appears you have done well in finding the true golf architect of Hamilton Elks."
"I just finished a lengthy read of the website and I applaud your commitment, patience, and results. Spectacular! As a person who enjoys golf history almost as much as the game itself, I read every word. You should be extraordinary proud of an extraordinary effort."
"No one was more thorough trying to discover the truth. Some times that is not convenient, as he also discovered. But giving credit where credit is due is the most important thing we do as historians. And the beneficiaries are those who really built the game with their talents and imagination and hard work"
And finally, by a noted author and editor "Never let the facts get in the way of a good marquee label, I guess..."
I have often been asked "was it possible that Donald Ross was involved in 1914 or 1923?" The answer is simple, No
• The property was reported purchased by the Butler County Country Club on August 27th, 1914. The newspapers reported the nine hole course was laid out by George Dow and the greens built that fall.
• Using Discovering Donald Ross as a reference, records show Donald Ross was not working in Ohio during the fall of 1914, which is when the course was laid-out and the greens built.
• In 1923, the year of expansion, the reports identify a golf architect from Chicago. Bradley Klein said to me "Donald Ross was not a Chicago architect, nor did he have a Chicago office".
• In September of 1923, newspapers report "a golf architect from Chicago, has been here laying out the new holes". In Discovering Donald Ross by Bradley Klein, “Donald Ross spends the summer of 1923 in Rome, NY, where he is affianced to Susan Comstock Aldridge. They were engaged in April 1923 and it was from Rome that he maintained a steady correspondence from June 25th thru August of 1923. He was by her side when she died of cancer on the morning of August 31st, 1923”.
• In October 1923, reported by The Hamilton Evening Journal, “the golf architect has been here and gone over the ground". Another article without reference to Donald Ross while other cities regularly reported his visits. To date, golf architect Donald Ross has never been identified by a newspaper as being in Hamilton, Ohio.
• On May 8th, 1924, The Hamilton Evening Journal 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”.
• The Donald Ross Society concluded the Hamilton Elks provided no proof to substantiate their claim, and the evidence clearly show W.C. Jackson was the architect. The Hamilton Elks Golf Club were informed they would be removed from the next Donald Ross Course List update.
Other than the sole claim by the Donald Ross Society, which has been retracted, I cannot locate, substantiate, or procure any documentary evidence that associates Donald Ross to this golf course. Furthermore, the Hamilton Elks Golf Club have not been able to locate or provide any information on how the claim was substantiated. I have asked numerous experts if they can provide any documents to corroborate the claim, to date I have received none.
The Donald Ross Society completed their investigation into the golf course claim, which included reviewing the information on this website, and a presentation from the Hamilton Elks Golf Club. The Donald Ross Society concluded the evidence clearly identifies W.C. Jackson as the architect and construction manager of what is now known as the Hamilton Elks golf course. They also stated the Hamilton Elks presentation provided no proof to substantiate their claim. The Hamilton Elks Golf Club has now been removed from the Directory of Golf Courses Designed by Donald J. Ross.
The response to the Hamilton Elks Golf Club included the following:
"The only document you cite is the 1930 Ross pamphlet, which lists Hamilton Country Club, which is of course the original name of what is now Maketewah CC and is documented to be a Ross design. That the pamphlet lists the latter as being in Hamilton, Ohio, may just be a confusion about the counties and cities in that part of Ohio. In any case, Hamilton Country Club was never the name of your Club, which was originally Butler County CC"
"your claim to Donald Ross heritage rests on many hypothetical, but undocumented, possibilities. Your text includes many “may have’s,” “could have’s,” “might conceivably be’s,” “appear to indicate’s,” but no concrete evidence of Ross’s involvement in the design of the golf course."
The Hamilton Elks claim the newspapers and the Donald Ross Society are wrong. They do not recognize, or acknowledge, George C. Dow or W.C. Jackson, and they continue to fallaciously claim that the golf course was designed in 1925 by Donald Ross. To date, the Hamilton Elks Golf Club have not removed the name of Donald Ross from the scorecard, website, or facility, and continue to sell merchandise with a Donald Ross logo.
The Donald Ross Society acknowledged, and put in their records that the Hamilton Elks golf club was never designed or redesigned by Donald Ross. The newly revised 2022 Donald Ross Society Course List can be seen here.
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines myth as "a person or thing having only an imaginary or unverifiable existence". Based on the documentation, the lack of evidence, the findings of the Donald Ross Society, and the definition of the word, myth is the only way Donald Ross can be connected to the Butler County Country Club and the Hamilton Elks golf course.
