Glen Echo Country Club: a North County treasure since 1901
Shannon Howard | May 19, 2010 | Comments 3
In the entire world, there’s only one country club allowed to fly the Olympic flag, and wouldn’t you know, it’s right here in North County. In 1904, Glen Echo Country Club in Normandy hosted the second and ultimately final appearance of golf at the Olympic games, in which nearly 100 golfers competed for medals designed by the club’s founder, George McGrew.
Inspired by his travels to Scotland, McGrew dreamed of creating a grand golf course for St. Louis’ most affluent residents, so in 1899 he started seeking investors for his then-named “Mound City Country Club.” With the help of his son-in-law, Albert Lambert, who later founded Lambert Airport and shepherded his father’s invention, Listerine, as head of Lambert Pharmaceuticals, McGrew gathered $200,000 to build Glen Echo, hiring Scottish-born Jim Foulis, winner of the 1896 U.S. Open, to design it.
When the course opened on May 25, 1901, it officially became the first 18-hole golf course west of the Mississippi.
Back then, Glen Echo was reserved for society’s elite. Today, tucked away on 130 lush acres off of Lucas & Hunt Road, the club is a welcoming oasis for all kinds of people, especially those who appreciate classic, old-style golf.
“If you want to play a fun, challenging course that’s really a great test of your golfing skill, our club beats everyone else hands down,” says Jim Healey, Glen Echo’s director of membership and marketing. And he should know. The author of twelve books on St. Louis golf courses, Healey says that Glen Echo is special primarily because it offers a more organic design than modern courses, following the natural flow of the landscape.
“There are no gimmicky holes here, and what we have was not created by earth-movers,” he says. But that doesn’t mean the course is easy. In fact, at last year’s Missouri Mid-Amateur competition held at Glen Echo, amazingly, only one player came in under par.
Fast, sloping greens, many with false fronts, require plenty of skill, even though the course is generally pretty short. (You can read Healey’s hole-by-hole description here.) The other feature that sets Glen Echo apart from other country clubs is its relatively small membership.
Unlike Norwood Hills (also in NoCo), where there might be 1,000 golfers vying for tee times, Glen Echo has just 300 members, and only 200 of them play golf. “If you want to play, we can almost always fit you in,” Healey says. “And we’re open all year, even when there’s snow on the ground.”
At the heart of the club is a gorgeous 1927 Tudor building designed by Preston Bradshaw, the architect of the Chase-Park Plaza Hotel. Built to replace Glen Echo’s original Victorian-style clubhouse, it’s from here that members can enjoy access not only to golf, but to tennis courts, a swimming pool, regular special events and exceptional meals. Award-winning chef Rob Marbs serves up an impressive buffet every weekday and also makes cooked-to-order meals, well beyond the club’s menu. “If he can make it, he definitely will,” Healey says. “We aim to please.”
Back in 1901, these same amenities set members back $100, plus $10 a month – a hefty sum. Today, though the cost is still substantial for most families, the club is actually more affordable then ever, drawing doctors, lawyers and business people largely from Clayton, University City, Olivette and North County. The initiation fee is $4,900 and monthly dues are $425, and yes, membership is open to all. Currently, about 20 Glen Echo members come from the Normandy area.
“Every club has a vision of the kind of members they want,” Healey says. “Here, we’re looking for people who love golf, who appreciate the fact that we have a casual, family atmosphere, and who want to develop camaraderie and be a part of a community.
“To be honest, many of our members could join any club they wanted, but they choose to be here because they consider themselves caretakers of this incredible place. They truly understand what they’ve got in Glen Echo and they want to make sure that this beautiful hidden gem lasts another 100 years…or more.”
For more information about Glen Echo Country Club, located at 3401 Lucas & Hunt Rd, visit the club’s website or call (314) 383-1500.
Filed Under: Local Lore • Outdoor Fun
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We were married at Glen Echo last June and our friends and family still tell us how gorgeous it was. From the beautiful, mature trees to the architecturally stunning clubhouse, this is a true gem in North County. Chef Marb’s food was fabulous and the staff was very accommodating. We recommend Glen Echo for anyone looking to host an unforgettable party.
Chef Marb’s is from North County too!!
I caddied at Glen Echo in the eary 1940s. I lived on Normandy Place and could walk to the club. The pro at the time was Fred Clarkson and had a son by the name of Don. We got a dollar for 18 holes and usually got a tip of $.25. The women would usually give us a dime. I also weeded greens at a rate of $.25 per hour. The greenskeeper was a Mr. Horton. This was in the days before chemical week killers. Five or six boys would kneel in a row and with a sharp knife delicately remove any weeds. We would scoot across the greens from 7:00 AM to 4:00 PM. There were many famous St. Louis people who belonged then. Foremost was Robert Hannigan who later became Postmaster General under Harry Truman. He was also Truman’s Karl Rove. He also had difficulty counting all his strokes. I ran across your website accidentally and it brought many memories for a former 12 year old boy. I am now eighty four, living in Florida and still playing golf that I learned at Glen Echo CC.