History

For over 100 years, members and guests have enjoyed playing the beautiful nine-hole golf course at the Cresco Country Club.

Located on the mill pond at Vernon Springs, just a few miles south of Cresco, the Country Club has been thriving since 1923, offering members a place to play golf, but to also eat and socialize.

Actually, this was not the first golf course in the Cresco area. The initial course started on the John McHugh farm northwest of Cresco. It had only six holes, but it created enthusiasm for the sport.

According to the Times dated May 3, 1922,

"It looks very much as though golf has come to stay and is destined to become the most popular form of amusement and recreation."

The Times issue also pointed out that,

“In order to circumvent certain legal complications it was decided to have two distinct organizations––one a corporation to be known as the Cresco County Club, which will hold title of the grounds and lease them to another organization to be known as the Cresco Golf Club. Each member of the golf club must have one share of stock in the country club. Membership would be limited to 75.”

Historical black & white image of the entrance to Cresco Country Club.
Historical black & white image of the Cresco Country Club Clubhouse.

The first stock issued was to E.J. Thomson on April 25, 1923, following the legal work of getting things established.

The Cresco Country Club and the Cresco Golf Club were merged into one organization in 1923. The land for the new golf course was purchased from Roy and Mary Salisbury for $5,247.60 in July of 1923. Work began immediately to put the grounds in shape on the newly purchased land. A nine-hole course was designed with abundant hazards, including one water hazard. The course was ready to play shortly after the purchase of the land.

The Cresco Country Club Board of Directors included John McCook (a lawyer in Cresco and had strong ties to the Democratic party as a delegate to the national convention), Ray Burgess (owned the lumber yard in Cresco with his brothers, was also on the school board), E.L. Davenport (Mayor of Cresco), J.W. Howard (clothing store owner and served on the Iowa House of Representatives as a Democrat in 1956 and ‘57) and C.W. Reed (a lawyer, member of the Cresco City Council, a Judge of the 13th Judicial District and served as State Senator for Howard-Winn. District in 1938-1941). As you can see, they had a prestigious group of individuals heading up this endeavor.