By Guy Coates

During its heyday, the Hassayampa Country Club was considered by many to be the crown jewel of Prescott’s social life. From 1919 until 1969, it was a favorite destination for people from Phoenix to escape their scorching summer heat.

In 1890, the 160-acre parcel that was to become Hassayampa Country Club was homesteaded to James W. Clay from Escondido, California. Seven years later, Clay and his business associates sold the property to H.M. Hartson and his wife, Mary, and it became the Hartson Ranch. The ranch was home to a local gun club during the early 1890s.

The south 85 acres were sold to a group of veterans and community leaders led by attorney and former state legislator, LeRoy Anderson, for the sum of $375. In 1919, Anderson formed the Hassayampa Country Club Corporation, its first president being Judge T.G. Norris. Some historians believe that this was the first country club in the state of Arizona. 150 shares were sold by the corporation for $100 each and the annual membership dues were set at $40.

It wasn’t long before the new owner recognized that the rolling hills, boulder out-croppings, dense forest of Ponderosa Pines as well as a majestic view of Thumb Butte was the perfect place for Prescott’s first golf course. Jock McLaren, a professional golfer from Philadelphia, was hired and worked closely with Alfred Gale to design a sporty nine-hole course. A clubhouse was constructed to provide the members with a place to socialize and the grand opening took place on November 19, 1919.

On December 24, 1919, the Prescott Journal Miner proudly proclaimed, "No more picturesque spot in America can be found than the site of the Hassayampa Country Club. Protected by the majestic sweep of old Thumb Butte and completely surrounded on all sides by beautiful snow-capped mountains, the vista to be had is one to inspire the gods."

The original nine-hole golf course had greens topped with sand and oil. Since there was no watering system, any sparse vegetation that grew on the fairways was produced by the late summer rains. When weeds popped up, they were simply mowed down.

Despite its primitive conditions, by 1921 the golf course had become quite popular among visitors, but began to experience difficult times during the Great Depression years. In late 1939, the country club as well as the adjacent 160 acres was purchased by a Chicago investor named Harvey Cory, who chose a local non-profit group of men for its operation. Through his acquaintance with Prescott resident Rankin Roberts, Cory became convinced that Prescott’s climate provided the perfect place to relieve his granddaughter’s asthmatic condition. In 1940, he moved his family to Prescott. Thrilled by his granddaughter’s recovery, he decided to advertise in the American Medical Journal, but the publication refused to run the advertisement unless his claims could be verified. Tests were conducted by the American and Arizona Medical Associations which confirmed that Prescott’s climate was indeed beneficial for relief of asthma in children.

Cory had the old clubhouse removed and constructed a new one in 1939 using native stone and hewn oak. The new clubhouse was enlarged several times to include locker rooms and a pro shop. The sand and oil greens were replaced with cotton seed and were rolled three times a day. Tennis courts and an Olympic size swimming pool were added and the pro shop was converted into a pool house. A round of golf on the nine-hole par-37 course cost one dollar. The new clubhouse offered everything from golf tournaments to pot luck dinners to wedding receptions. One notable gathering took place in 1941 when Tex Ritter celebrated his marriage to a Prescott girl, actress Dorothy Fay Southworth. Among those attending the gala reception was Barry Goldwater, just prior to his entrance into WWII and before he became involved in Arizona politics.

(Editor’s note: Actor John Ritter, who died in 2003 at age 54, was the son of Tex and Dorothy Fay Ritter. Dorothy died less than two months later at age 88 and is interred at Mountain View Cemetery in Prescott with her parents.)

(Guy Coates is a researcher and author of many historical articles, most of which were published in the Sierra Sun of Truckee, CA.)

Sharlot Hall Museum Photograph Call Number:(courtesy photo) Reuse only bypermission.

The Hassayampa Country Club original clubhouse was built in 1919 and served the club well until it was replaced by a new clubhouse in 1939.

Sharlot Hall Museum Photograph Call Number:(courtesy photo) Reuse only bypermission.

Original entrance sign was used as seen here until 2004 when it was re-painted to read, "Hassayampa Historic District Entrance." Many of the buildings at the site are now on the National Register of Historic Places.