A BIT OF HISTORY..........

On the 16th of October, 1919 an organizational meeting was called to order at 7:30 p.m. at the Monroe Club by Mr. G. H. Wood. By unanimous consent, Mr. W. P. Cooke was made chairman and Mr. L. F. Winchell, Secretary.

Mr. Thorton Dixon explained to the one hundred or so gentlemen present, "that at a meeting of the Monroe Club a short time past, he and Mr. Wood and Mr. H. Lee Rauch had been named as a committee to perfect the organization of a Country Club; to select prospective sites etc., and stated that they had labored hard with the results that some 31 life members at one thousand dollars and one hundred members at two hundred fifty dollars had been signed up and that there were some prospects for many more."

He further stated that it was discovered that some of the members were very much in favor of a golf club; that some insisted that this was the principal object of a country club with which view he, and a good many others, did not agree.

The committee had narrowed down the choices of suitable places for a club, one being the Grosvenor Farm (our present site), and the other on the lake at Pointe aux Peaux. He pointed out that if a Golf Club primarily was wanted then it should be "back in the country" but if "they were not enthusiastic about golf", the lake location was the only one.

A vote was taken and after much discussion - 59 for the Grosvenor property and 30 for the lake property. The property consisted of 279 acres of land and a house on the property which could be used for a Clubhouse. The price was forty thousand dollars.

The first annual meeting on October 14, 1920 reported 137 members with about 115 men and ladies playing golf on the nine completed holes.

Included in the Greens Expenses for the first year was $700.00 for a Ford truck and $645 for five horses.

The Entertainment Chairman reported that his committee had gotten off to a late start and "had not done a single thing", but that members could expect a variety of entertainments starting early in 1921.

The Annual Report for 1921 showed 178 members. Auto repairs totaled $237.72 for the year while $56.00 was spent for a horse doctor and $44.70 for a blacksmith.

The Handicap Chairman reported that members were not cooperating too well in turning in score cards. He pointed out that "none of the Handicap Committee had won a cup, so they must have handicapped themselves pretty fairly."

At the 1922 Annual Meeting, the Ladies Auxiliary was thanked for the donation of $500 for a lawn mower.

The problem of winter golfers was discussed with thoughts of possible damage to fairways and greens. President George Wood, in his remarks to the 1923 Annual Meeting, made mention of the fact that during the year, 33 lots on the south side of Macomb Street (now Cole Road) were sold to members for one thousand dollars each.

The annual dues for active members were increased from $50.00 to $60.00.

From these beginnings, through years of successes and failures, growing and diminishing memberships and a reorganization in 1940, the Monroe Golf and Country Club continued to grow to serve its membership.