A Brief History of Our Club
In April of 1914, 22 local businessmen established a five hole golf course with gravel fairways and sand “greens” near the present site of the UNM golf course, which grew to 9 holes. Dirt tennis courts were added in 1915. Eventually the need for a first class golf course and better clubhouse arose.
The original land was sold in 1927 and the current site purchased. These 100 acres were originally part of the Huning Farm and Trimble’s Hog Farm ran along what is now the #9 fairway. The National Guard stabled their horses on a portion of it, and an irrigation canal from the river to Old Town crossed the area. Depressions from that old canal still remain on several fairways. It had something the old site lacked - access to the water from the nearby Rio Grande River, allowing for grass and maintenance of the canopy of trees all around the course.
An elegant private home adjacent to the golf course became available in early 1929 and was purchased by the members. Renovations were completed in time for a 1929 New Year’s Eve party, ringing in a new era of distinction for the Albuquerque Country Club. There have been many renovations and refurbishings since then including designs by the renowned architect John Gaw Meem, with the latest taking place in 2005.
In 1941, the first mortgage was paid off with revenue from the introduction of slot machines. Fearful of the image they might project, the slots were discontinued and buried unceremoniously somewhere out on the golf course.
From its humble beginnings, the dreams of those 22 founders have become a splendid reality.