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1899
On January 7, 1899, the first formal gathering of the Algonquin Golf Club occurred in the Webster Park neighborhood of Webster Groves, Mo. Officers were elected, and the club declared it hoped soon to have one hundred members and that the course was to be a "nine-hole course which will use up a 160 acre tract." Upon completion, local professionals looked over the links and said that they compared quite favorably to those of the Old Course. By the summer of 1899 the club had forty members - both men and women - who played over the grounds with great enthusiasm.
1901
As homes were built in the Webster Park neighborhood in early 1900, the holes were re-routed to maintain a 9-hole course. So many homes had been built over the winter of 1900-01 that the necessary land to reconstruct a course seemed doubtful.
In one instance a home was built which no longer permitted you to hit from the 8th tee toward the green, so the course had to be rerouted around the lot. It would not be long before the 9-holes shrunk to a point where there was little to recognize of their former course. By the spring of 1901, it was evident that the Algonquin's needed to secure new land or their club would be lost. The club was disbanded and member’s looked for a new location for their beloved course.
Tom Bendelow
1903
On June 25, 1903, several of the original founders of the Webster Park club, along with new followers, met to form a new club that would occupy the land at Berry and Jackson Roads on 54 acres of the former Jackson Farm.
Construction began and the club announced the new course would be laid out by Chicago professional Tom Bendelow a prolific architect who over the life of his career designed some 600 courses, mostly in the Chicago area and the upper Midwest. Some of his work can be seen at the Medinah Golf Club and at Olympia Fields.
With the initial design by Bendelow, the club chose the much-respected Robert Foulis to construct the 9-hole course and tend to the greens. Foulis had learned his craft as an apprentice to Old Tom Morris at St. Andrews, where he worked in his shop learning the craftsman's trade of clubmaking. Old Tom also took him under his wing and taught him about course design as they would walk the Old Course together in the evenings.
1904
The new 9-hole course opened for play on June 7, 1904. Almost a month would pass before the first event of the season, a putting contest, was held on July 5. Seventeen contestants participated. That evening, a dance was held at the club from 8:30 to 11:00 p.m. with over 200 in attendance. Another month would pass and on August 7 the first tournament was held over the new layout. The McKinnie Cup made its debut when the McKinnie family put up a trophy for the winner, Mr. A. P. Annan, who won with an eighteen hole score of 100. A week later on August 14, the clubhouse opened to an overflowing crowd.
The club arranged with the Missouri Pacific Railroad for a stop near the site of the present 3rd green (the fourth in 1904), and the Lockwood Avenue streetcar also provided another means of getting to the club.
The 10th green (right) and 14 tee box (left) during early construction
1913
In 1913, an additional 23 acres was purchased north of the existing course, bringing the total acreage to 77. With the land purchase completed, construction began on the new 9-holes, and on May 4, 1914, the new 18-hole course opened. The new routing did not "add" nine holes to the original layout. Rather the new nine holes were incorporated to make the most attractive 18-holes.
Consequently, the original eighth and ninth holes became the seventeenth and eighteenth, with two of the new holes added as their replacement, making the flow of the course more acceptable to the members. Unfortunately, there is no record of who may have designed or built our new holes. Perhaps the club retained the original duo of Bendelow and Foulis, but there are no records.
In addition to the new holes, changes also were made to the tennis courts and a substantial enlargement of the clubhouse, including changes to the locker rooms, kitchen, dining and sleeping apartments.
1920
In the 1920’s returning servicemen found life at the club as they remembered. The level of competition on the course grew as more players began taking up the game. The new clubhouse, completed in April 1920, provided the membership with modern conveniences. Families gravitated to the club for the various events that were hosted, while women and children were eager to learn the game of golf.
Dr. Edward A. Doisy
1943
Algonquin Member Edward A. Doisy was a well-respected professor of biochemistry at St. Louis University School of Medicine from 1923-86. In 1940, Doisy was among a group of researchers able to synthesize vitamin K. This process greatly facilitated the medical use of the vitamin, in particular in the treatment of hemorrhagic diseases.
In 1943, Doisy and Dr. Henrik Dam, a Danish researcher who had originally discovered vitamin K, jointly shared the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine. The Prize was awarded specifically for the theoretical and practical discoveries related to the clotting or coagulation of blood. Later, Doisy improved the methods used for the isolation and identification of insulin and made significant contribution to the knowledge of antibiotics and blood systems.
It is rumored that Dr. Doisy had just teed off on the 6th hole when an attendant came running from the clubhouse to inform him of the awarding of the Nobel Prize.
Edith and Cary Middlecoff at Algonquin Golf Club
1950
Algonquin hosted the 1950 St. Louis Open with several of the nation’s top pros in attendance such as Sam Snead, Ed "Porky" Oliver Jr. and eventual winner Cary Middlecoff. Sam Snead was the draw all week, with a crowd of over 500 following his every move around the course. Snead further thrilled the crowds, and earned $100 in the process, when he won the driving contest with a poke of 301 yards.
The iconic Algonquin "Triple Tee Logo"
1960
This was the first year that the iconic Triple Tee logo began to appear throughout the club. Prior to that, various logos had been used to define the club. In 1958 member Wally Armbruster, approached the board about updating the logo to a more modern, traditional theme that could be used in a variety of situations. With the board receptive to the ideas, Armbruster developed a few concepts and following his presentation to the board, the Triple Tee logo was adopted in late 1959.
1975
Known primarily as a Golf Club, Algonquin had a single clay tennis court available from 1904-1929. Various proposals were submitted over the next 40-plus years as to where new courts should be built, but with little success. Finally, in 1975, the tennis crowd finally had a new, updated facility. Homes on the east side of Berry Road, south of the club, were razed and four asphalt courts were constructed.
2003
In 2003 Algonquin Golf Club celebrated its Centennial with a year of parties, celebrations and reflections on the past 100 years. The year also focused on the future of the club and the various priorities of its members.
2010
In 2010 Algonquin completed a major renovation and redesign of its golf course, including new T1 bentgrass greens, zoysia fairways, contoured bunkers and new tee boxes.
2016
In 2016 Algonquin transformed its casual dining venue, the 19th Hole, introduced a poolside bar and renovated the clubhouse Living Room. New pool locker rooms and renovated pool kitchen facilities enhanced the pool experience.
2023
In 2023, Algonquin Golf Club unveiled a state-of-the-art racquet center, marking a significant expansion of its racquet sport offerings. The center boasts three meticulously crafted clay tennis courts, providing enthusiasts with an authentic playing experience. Complementing these are a versatile hard surface tennis court, adaptable for both tennis and the increasingly popular pickleball.
Two dedicated pickleball courts were also introduced, catering to the growing demand for this dynamic sport. The center also features a modern racquet clubhouse and offices, serving as a hub for social gatherings and administrative functions, solidifying Algonquin Golf Club's commitment to the member experience.
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