Kansas City Country Club

Infobox_Golf_Facility
golf_facility_name = Kansas City Country Club

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location = Mission Hills, Kansas
coordinates = coord|39.021518|-94.620223|format=dms
establishment = 1896
type = Private
owner = Kansas City Golf Club
operator = Kansas City Golf Club
holes = 18
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designer1 =A. W. Tillinghast/Robert Trent Jones
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record4 =The Kansas City Country Club, founded in 1896, is a country club in Mission Hills, Kansas, USA, an affluent suburb of Kansas City, Missouri located in the Country Club District of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area. The Club claims to be the third oldest country club west of the Mississippi River. [ [http://www.mvc-sports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=7600&ATCLID=839514&SPID=2907&SPSID=38966 Illinois State Wins 2007 State Farm MVC Men's Golf Championship - April 24, 2007 - mvc-sports.com] ]

History

The Club has its roots in an informal golf course in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Kansas City, Missouri. In 1896, Hugh C. Ward, Chas F. Morse, Jefferson Brumback, H. L. Harmon, A. W. Childs, C. J. Hubbard, J. E. Logan, Gardiner Lathrop, St. Clair Street, Ford Harvey, E. H. Chapman, E. S. Washburn, and W. B. Clarke incorporated the Kansas City Country Club [ [http://www.kchistory.org/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/Mrs&CISOPTR=1030&CISOBOX=1&REC=17 Kansas City Country Club - kchistory.org] ] and leased a pasture at what today is Loose Park in the Sunset Hill neighborhood of Kansas City, Missouri. The tract of land belonged to Ward's father Seth E. Ward, a pioneer who made his fortune outfitting settlers on the Oregon Trail.

In 1907, J.C. Nichols began buying land surrounding the course to develop the Country Club District, and later to develop the Country Club Plaza. In 1925, the Club moved its course a mile west to the banks of Brush Creek in Mission Hills. The Club's former grounds then became Loose Park.

The course was designed by A.W. Tillinghast and later redesigned by Robert Trent Jones. [ [http://www.golflink.com/golf-courses/course.asp?course=410845 golflink.com] ]

Members

The club's most famous player is Tom Watson, whose father, Ray Watson, still holds the amateur record of 64 for the course. Tom Watson holds the professional record of 60. The course par is 70. [ [http://www.thefirstteekc.org/club/scripts/section/section.asp?NS=TW Tom Watson - thefirstteekc.org] ]

In 1991, Watson resigned after the Club declined the application of H&R Block founder Henry Bloch, because Bloch was Jewish. Watson's then-wife was Jewish. [ [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D0CE1DD1F38F933A25752C0A967958260 SPORTS PEOPLE: GOLF; Watson Sees Progress - New York Times - January 10, 1991] ] The club subsequently changed its policy to permit Jews to become members, and Watson rejoined. Today, the Club has several Jewish members.

As a result of the Bloch matter, the Club permanently lost its status as a stop on the PGA Tour.

References