Winnetka Local History Digital Collections

Winnetka Weekly Talk, 20 Aug 1927, p. 17

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August 20, 1927 WINNETKA TALK 15 LUTTE in North Shore Golf Clubs Wn AS \ Sunset Ridge Country Club a Young Man's Golf Club Average Age of Members Is 35 Years Organization Started in 1923 on Happ Road, Not "Pro- moted" But Financed by Players This is the twelfth article of a series describing the great golf clubs of the north shore. It tells of an organization, formed and financed by young men who met the demands for more and better golf. Another story will appear next week. By RAY. C. PEARSON 1SUNeE? RIDGE" is an at- tractive name for any club. It is particularly fitting for the fine golf club bearing that name. When a group of young men stepped aggresively to the front and formed this golf organization a little more than four years ago they sought a name. A little jaunt over the acreage which now is the home of the Sunset Ridge Country club in the late afternoon one day quickly solved the problem of selecting a name. A ridge of ground on the western fringe; the setting sun --there was the name. It had to be Sunset Ridge. The Sunset Ridge Country club which is located on Happ road, one half mile north of Willow road has many distinguishing features which make the members prideful. We'll set down two of them here: 1--Sunset Ridge Country club is an organization which never was "pro- moted." Those who formed it and those who fill the membership are practically partners in the club. 2--Sunset Ridge is a young man's golf club made up of players from north shore suburbs. The average age of the membership is thirty-five years. Club Formed in 1923 Sunset Ridge Country club "happen- ed" because several Winnetka golfers saw the need of a young man's club. They felt that conditions produced by the meteoric increase of golf players necessitated a new club. That was in 1923 and on February 15 of that year a group of Winnetka business men got together and organized the club. These names of the founders have been hand- ed to me: Forest R. Lowrey, Howard R. Walton, Fred A. Healy, William J. Hough, Ward C. Pearl, Warren R. Hough, Harry I. Drake, Herbert B. Graffis, Kenneth A. Huszach and Charles F. Hough. Most of these men up to that time Country i| were exercised. THE PICTURES: Fine clubhouse at Sunset Ridge Country club (top) -- Miss Virginia Ingram, club champion (center) --Dave Tosh, professional (inset) --Howard Walton, one of club's star players (lower right.) had played their golf on the Winnet- ka-Playfield fee course. That had been satisfactory, but there was = demand for a new club--a youn man's club--which could not be denied. And so with the organization there hegan a splurge of aggressiveness. vhe next step meant the finding of acreage suitable for a course. A bit of scouting around revealed a nice spot--130 acres--on Happ road. The group put up their own money : secured an option on the land. This accomplished, the options were turned over te the club, and quickly With the new club assured, the golfers came along in flocks to join and within three months there were 250 members, which is the present limit. And it should be men- tioned here that even that early there was a waiting list. At the present time there are twenty-five summer members to attest the popularity of a young man's golf club. Work on the course was started late in the spring of 23 and on Decor- ation Day of the following year the (Continued on Page 33)

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