THE MISTWOOD GOLF DOME IS OPEN FOR THE INDOOR GOLF SEASON AHEAD. This year it comes with improvements to the upper level hitting area, the chipping and putting area’s. Learn more at MistwoodDome.com or call the dome at (630)-739-7600 ____________________________________________________________________
THE GOG BLOG by RORY SPEARS, Director of Content and Creation for Golfers on Golf. Follow Rory on Twitter @GogBlogGuy or connect on LinkedIn or Facebook.
Mara Janess won the Women’s Western Golf Association National Junior Champion at Aurora Country Club this past June.
THE HISTORY STARTED in 1914, just ahead of WWI.
This year the Aurora Country Club in Chicago’s western suburbs, added the latest chapter of it’s 107 year old history, when it hosted the Women’s Western Golf Associations (WWGA) National Junior Golf Championship.
Mara Janess of Barrington Illinois who has committed to the University of Michigan, won the championship.
So what is the next big chapter in the clubs history, remains to be seen. As the club heads into the winter season, new first year head golf professional Matt Gebhardt will meet with the clubs board of directors to discuss what comes next in the golf operation and the golf course.
The golf course is a William Langford design. Langford who was a Chicago based architect, is a recent inductee (2019) to the Illinois Golf Hall of Fame. But Langford has a long list of top Chicago area clubs that he designed, between the years of 1910 and 1950. Langford is credited with designing 44 courses during his career.
The pins sits in the back left corner of the green on 18.
70 members started the club with Dr. H.A. Brennecke serving as the clubs first president.
The land for the club was acquired by buying the 120 acre Minard Farm, for $10,500 dollars.
But 40 more acres were leased from EL Louise Schoeberlein. Years later that land was purchased from Schoeberlein.
Due to railroad tracks on the southside of the golf course, the original course design was limited to 139 acres of the clubs 160.
The first of several clubhouses, was a stone farmhouse, there was also two buildings that were used to store course equipment. A swimming pool was added in 1924, and trap shooting was a sport at the club. But that was halted when the club annexed itself to the City of Aurora, to gain well needed fire protection.
The par 3, 14th hole.
FIRE IN THE HOUSE:
The first clubhouse burned down in 1941. But with the club having other issues, the new clubhouse did not open until 1950.
But then in 1964 there was a small first when the old trapshooting clubhouse went up in flames.
Then in 1968 the main clubhouse was almost completely destroyed by fire. But by 1971 the new clubhouse was open with a new pool complex and tennis courts.
The early 1980’s saw changes in the grassing of the fairways, that was changed quickly after some initial problems and flooding. By 1984 the interior of the clubhouse was decorated, and most of that plan remains today.
The club has had two amazing professionals who won numerous Illinois PGA Section awards. Felice Torza who collected two Illinois Open titles. Bob Ackerman, was a 3-time Illinois PGA section player of the year (1985-87-88), who won four IPGA major titles.
Aurora Country Club still plays very challenging, even though the back tees sit at only 6,785 yards. But for how much longer, as Aurora Country Club is starting to look to it’s future.