From Getting Burnt To Being Sold Twice, The Curious History of East Lake Golf Club; Home to The Tour Championship

The Tour Championship was played at the East Lake Golf Club for the first time in 1998. The championship found its way back to the Atlanta-based golf course again in 2004, and since then, the aforementioned golf course has been a permanent home to the tournament. It has now been 19 years since the tournament was played at the very same golf course, and it is still going strong. 

East Lake Golf Club is a golf course that has stood the test of time, and has undergone a lot of challenges to keep standing strong! It is the oldest course in Atlanta, Georgia, and has been a host to many prestigious tournaments, including the 1963 Ryder Cup. Let us take a nostalgic ride down memory lane to learn about the enriching history of this private golf course. 

How did East Lake Country Club come into being?

In the 1800s, American culture was moving a lot toward sports and was seeing a tremendous growth in people’s interest in amateur sports. As a result, a group of 65 men came together in 1898 to form the Atlanta Athletic Club (AAC). When the AAC was formed, it had no mention of a golf course, but things slowly changed.

Golf became more popular and a need for a golf club was felt at AAC to include the sport in the mix. With this decision in mind, AAC purchased a 178-acre tract of land in nearby DeKalb County. The land purchased formerly had an amusement park on it. In 1904, the work for East Lake Country Club started, and Tom Bendelow was the club architect. 

In 1906, the first few holes of the course were built and the following year, the course was extended to 17 holes. Finally 4 years later, in 1908, the East Lake Country Club fully came into being, and the ‘No. 2’ course was inaugurated. The grand opening of the 18-hole golf course was held on July 4, 1908. The golf legend, Bobby Jone attended the opening then with his father. 

The first reconstruction project at East Lake 

In 1913, the Club hired famous golf course architect, Donald Ross, to redesign the course. Ross did the routing plan of the holes that exist to date. The new plan provided for each of the nine holes to conclude at the clubhouse. Ross also redesigned the No. 2 course in 1928.

An unfortunate fire incident 

In 1925, there was a fire at the East Lake Golf Club, and it caused a lot of damage. Many artifacts and priceless possessions turned to ashes with the blaze. After the accident, the club hired famous architect Philip Shutze, to build East Lake’s present-day two-story Tudor-style clubhouse. 

The redevelopment era for the East Lake Country Club begins 

In the 1960s, the localities around the club started to undergo urban decay and the Club began to deteriorate. As a result, AAC made the decision to sell the ‘ No.2’ course and relocate to Johns Creek, the present home of the club. In order to save the oldest course, a group of 25 people led by Atlanta businessman Paul Grigsby came together to save what was remaining of the club. The group started the project to rework the club and in 1968, created East Lake Country Club.

In 1970, the East Lake Meadows public housing project was built on the site of the No. 2 golf course. The project soon became a center for poverty, drugs, and violence. By the 1980s, East Lake became a mostly forgotten golf course in a seemingly hopeless neighborhood where only low-renters used to live.

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The fate of the course was turned around in 1993 when a local charitable foundation headed by Tom Cousins purchased East Lake. The intent behind the purchase was to pay homage to the golf great, Bobby Jones, and other exceptional amateur golfers. 

After 5 years, in 1998 the first ever Tour Championship was hosted at East Lake. In 2005, East Lake was named the permanent home of the Tour Championship. East Lake has hosted the tournament 16 times since 1998.

East Lake Golf Club has been of significant importance right from its start in the golf fraternity. The course has had significant milestones after its final reconstruction in 1995 and has been a catalyst in revitalizing the neighborhood around the course. 

The motto of the club is “Golf with a purpose,” and it lives up to it every day. All the profits from the tournaments go to support the East Lake Foundation which further assists the neighborhood in health, education, and safety aspects. 

What do you think of this magnificent golf course? Let us know in the comment section below!

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