1911 - The first "unofficial" meeting is held in the home of Mrs. A.L. Black to discuss building the Country Club. The meeting focuses on the location for a course. The area now known as the Edgemoor neighborhood is the first choice, but a long-term lease with the owners could not be negotiated. An area of land owned by Bellingham Bay Improvement Company was the second choice and the area of land where the club is now located.
1912 - The Bellingham Golf and Country Club "officially" is formed and leases approximately 1421/2 acres from the Bellingham Bay Improvement Company for the purpose of constructing a golf course and clubhouse. The club agrees to a 10-year lease with the Bellingham Bay Improvement Company, with rent basically being the land's taxes and assessment. The incorporation agreement for the Bellingham Golf and Country Club is made on May 16, and the state acknowledges receipt of the incorporation agreement on June 7. Eleven members make up the club's founding fathers - E.B. Deming, R.A. Welsh, J.L. Easton, F.S. Piper, G.C. Hyatt, W.J. Griswold, C.F. Nolte, H.H. Ells, G.W. Loggie, L.R. Coffin and C.G. Burnet. The bylaws are passed at the first meeting on May 23. Frank Orchard was hired as the first club professional at the first meeting. On Sept. 11, John Ball Sr. was given a contract for the building of a nine-hole course at the approximate cost of $3,300. A contract is also signed to build the original clubhouse, designed by F. Stanley Piper, for approximately $5,000. Coffin is selected the club's first president and serves a one-year term.
1913 - David Terry is hired as the first official greens keeper for the club. By May, the greens fees are set at 50 cents per day. The clubhouse officially opens. A pair of tennis courts is constructed at the club on cement donated by Alex Baillie of Tacoma. They were located where the practice putting green is today, just below the first tee, and are thought to have been used until the mid 1920s.
1914 - The first Club Handicap Championship Tournament was held and won by B.T. Drake.
1918 - The club joins the Pacific Northwest Golf Association - its first golf association. The club hosts its first amateur tournament as part of Marathon Week. The tournament was the first Whatcom County-Bellingham Amateur Championship.
1919 - E.B. Deming agrees to float the bonds necessary for the purchase of the land the club was leasing from the Bellingham Bay Improvement Company, as the original lease was scheduled to run out in 1922. President W.H. Abbott negotiates a purchase price of the land for $40,000.
1921 - Jack Hutchinson, who won the British Open the same year, and Jim Barnes, who won the U.S. Open the same year, play the course in an exhibition match.
1925 - The course is expanded to 18 holes.
1927 - Walter Hagen, who won 52 professional tournaments and all four majors, plays the course.
1929 - With the Great Depression settling in, the club's membership dwindles to 137, and many of the members offer goods and services to the board in lieu of cash. The club hosts its first Washington State Golf Association tournament.
1936 - As the club falls behind on interest payments due Deming on the $40,000 in bonds, Deming donates the interest due to the club - a reported $16,857 - and reduces the interest rate from 6 to 4 percent. The Lions Club holds its first tournament at the country club. The club also hosts its first Caddies Championship Tournament.
1938 - Deming pays for the labor to re-roof the leaky clubhouse in 1938.
1940 - Slot machines are placed in the clubhouse to help raise money.
1941 - To help offset its economic troubles, the clubhouse, except for the locker rooms and card rooms, is closed. It remains closed until 1945.
1945 - H.W. Harvey signs a contract to become the first manager of the club, club house and golf course, and he becomes responsible for the club finances. He lasts only seven months, and is replaced by Frank Rippe. The by-laws are also amended to increase the board of trustees to 12 so that the bond holders can have a seat on the board. Mrs. Bart Drake is selected as the bond holder representative, becoming the first female on the club's board.
1948 - Though the club's facilities begin to operate at a profit, the principal amount of the bonds, plus the delinquent interest and various other chattel mortgages held by the bond holders come to a total of $88,277.50. Club president McKinley Ellis, who served from 1945 to 1950, negotiates with the bond holders to reduce the debt to $73,000 and rewrite it as a real estate contract, payable at $200 per month plus 4 percent interest, to bring the debt into current status.
1950 - Club hosts Washington State Open.
1951 - Club hosts Washington State Women's Amateur.
1955 - The board creates a committee to draw up a plan to pay off the real estate contract balance.
1956 - The board approves the committee's plan to require members to purchase a share of stock for $200, and the real estate contract is paid off two years ahead of schedule.
1961 - The country club constructs a pool and changing room. Because of the pool, the 15th green is moved from where the pool is now to its current location.
1964 - Practice putting area is built at a cost of $6,056.43.
1967 - The club begins the process of adding a sprinkling system. It was not completed until 1968 and cost $80,000. Club hosts the Hudson Cup.
1971 - The clubhouse is remodeled at a cost of $134,152.77, creating a new bar and lounge area, adding decks and installing new heating and air conditioning systems.
1978 - Bob Hope plays the course.
1986 - A fire that starts on the roof of the clubhouse burns parts of the office, dining room and bar.
2005 - A new clubhouse opens with expanded facilities. Construction also includes improvements to the swimming pool area and maintenance facilities.
2009 - The Country Club hosts the U.S. Senior Open qualifier, won by Blaine's Jeff Coston.
2011 - The Country Club hosts the Washington State Senior Amateur Championship, won by Tom Brandes of Bellevue.
2012 - The Country Club hosts U.S. Women's Open qualifier, won by Kentucky high school senior Emma Talley. Club also celebrates 100th anniversary and is honored as one of only 33 companies in the state of Washington that incorporated in 1912 to still be in existence.
SOURCE: "The Bellingham Golf and Country Club: Since 1912" written by Steve Hager in 1980.
BGCC GOLF PROFESSIONALS
Head professional Term
Frank Orchard 1912-1920
Dalgliesh 1920-1922
W. (Willie) Black 1923-1925
A.E. (Bert) Wilde 1926-1936
Frank (Repoz) Sadler 1936-1971
Tom Parkhurst 1971-1978
Ken Musser 1978-1981
Steve Ruhle 1981-1984
Rick Verbarendse 1984-1990
Dean Russell 1990-2005
Mike Montgomery 2005-present
SOURCE: BGCC
BGCC GREENS KEEPERS
Head greens keeper Term
Frank Orchard 1912-1913
Curtiss 1913
David Terry 1913-1952
Bill Enderlen 1952-1955
Dick Gettle 1955-1965
Robert Larson 1965-1977
Dale Zimbleman 1977-1990
Bill Fulton 1990-1998
Dave Bocci 1998-present
SOURCE: BGCC
BGCC PRESIDENTS
President Term
L.R. Coffin 1912-1913
E.B. Deming 1913
L.R. Coffin 1913-1914
H.H. Ells 1914-1918
F.J. Woods 1918-1919
W.H. Abbott 1919-1920
J.L. Easton 1920-1922
Daniel Campbell 1922-1930
R.A. Welsh 1930-1933
Daniel Campbell 1933-1935
George Livesey 1935-1937
Harry E. Bacon 1937-1940
W.R. (Roy) Miller 1940-1942
W.J. Grenier 1942-1944
Elmer Seaman 1944-1945
McKinley Ellis 1945-1950
J. Edgar Wood 1950-1951
Glen W. Keith 1951-1952
Gale Pfueller 1952-1953
F.J. Herb 1953
John Kienast 1953-1956
Howard Wasley 1956-1959
Allan Evans 1959-1962
George Moore Jr. 1962-1964
Bud Grenier 1964-1965
Robert Hall 1965-1966
Robert Stephens 1966-1968
Wes Langley 1968-1969
Larry Daughters 1969-1971
George Rosser 1971-1973
Tut Asmundson 1973-1975
Al Levin 1975-1977
Kale Harden 1977-1978
Bill O'Neil 1978-1979
Al Stamey 1979-1980
Primo Piovesan 1980
Laury Evans 1980-1981
Bill Brunhaver 1981-1982
Al Marsh 1982-1983
Hal Vaughn 1983-1984
Fred Graham 1984-1985
Bill Follis 1985-1986
Ed Lowery 1986-1987
Hal Arnason Jr. 1987-1988
Morris Tarte 1988-1989
Dr. Robert Ebright 1989-1990
Ray Scott 1990-1991
John Griggs 1991-1992
George Gust 1992-1993
Wayne Young 1993-1994
Richard Lindsey 1994-1995
Alan Knutson 1995-1996
David Miltenberger 1996-1997
Barney Yorkston 1997-1998
Mike Wasley 1998-1999
Tom Follis 1999-2000
Merle Perkins 2000-2001
Terry Todd II 2001-2002
George Myiow 2002-2003
Fred Sexton 2003-2004
Craig Allen 2004-2005
Tass Galley 2005-2006
John Sitkin 2006-2007
Mike Bayless 2007-2008
Gragg Miller 2008-2009
William Hager 2009-2010
John Macpherson 2010-2011
Don Van Andel 2011-2012
SOURCE: BGCC
Reach DAVID RASBACH at david.rasbach@bellinghamherald.com or call 715-2271.
