Lester George and Country Club of Florida

[Scott Warren]

Of course there are exceptions to the rule...

The first thing you need to do is put forward a case as to why we should accept that this is a rule at all.

Flesh it out. Explain. Make your case for it.

[Brett Hochstein]

There are no such things as rules in golf architecture, only rough guidelines.

[Jay Flemma]

Golf Road, Boynton Beach, Florida...just steps form Delray Dunes and a drive and pitch from Quail Ridge and Pine Tree.

Jay,

Never having played CC of Florida, Delray Dunes and Quail Ridge, how would you rate them ?

CC Florida has the best architecture, Delray is my favorite, Quail is the best club because of the Society of Seniors.

[Bill_McBride]

Golf Road, Boynton Beach, Florida...just steps form Delray Dunes and a drive and pitch from Quail Ridge and Pine Tree.

Jay,

Never having played CC of Florida, Delray Dunes and Quail Ridge, how would you rate them ?

CC Florida has the best architecture, Delray is my favorite, Quail is the best club because of the Society of Seniors.

Jay, what does Quail Ridge have to do with the Society of Seniors?  Host one of their many events?

[Jay Flemma]

Golf Road, Boynton Beach, Florida...just steps form Delray Dunes and a drive and pitch from Quail Ridge and Pine Tree.

Jay,

Never having played CC of Florida, Delray Dunes and Quail Ridge, how would you rate them ?

CC Florida has the best architecture, Delray is my favorite, Quail is the best club because of the Society of Seniors.

Jay, what does Quail Ridge have to do with the Society of Seniors?  Host one of their many events?

Not only that, but they are the home of the Society.  It moved there shortly after its formation in the '80s.  They are a really passionate bunch and do a great service to golf with that tour they put together.

[Paul Jones]

Does anyone have the history of the club?  When was it built, who designed it, etc...?

[Jay Flemma]

Does anyone have the history of the club?  When was it built, who designed it, etc...?

CC Fla was built in '56, was an old dairy farm, was designed by Robert Bruce Harris, founding member was Carleton Blunt.  Art Hills did a renovation in '74.

[Lester George]

Jay,

Art Hills did his work in 84.  There is a club history.  I'll try to find my copy if anyone is interested, I'll put it on my website for reading.  You all let me know.  It really is kind of interesting.

Lester

[Jim O’Kane]

Jay,

Art Hills did his work in 84.  There is a club history.  I'll try to find my copy if anyone is interested, I'll put it on my website for reading.  You all let me know.  It really is kind of interesting.

Lester

I realize I'm a decade+ late to this topic, but I would be very interested in reading that. My late father was a member at Delray next door. He was an attorney from Chicago. I had read once that CCF had some Chicago roots. I played D1 golf in college, not well. Lost my scholarship. Quit the game for 10 years...only to play with my Dad. On one visit to see him over the holidays he took me to CCF with a member he knew. I had no idea what I was experiencing. Can't remember the guys name for the life of me. Then after my Dad passed, a friend of his invited me there. That time, I knew it was a special place. It really is. One of my favorite courses I've ever played, and I've played a fair share of stallions.


And also, while reading a putt on 13, I walked back to get the line, lost my bearings and walked right into the lake.


Memorable for a couple of reasons to me.

[Jonathan Cummings]

My best friend is a longtime member.  I play it all the time.  Played in a number of M/Gs there.  Also attended a 3-day "couples" school at CCF.  My friend is on the greens committee and reports that they are in the process of bringing Lester back for additional work although I believe (for reasons unknown to me) that work is on temporary hold.  It's truly a lovely spot.

[Jim O’Kane]

My best friend is a longtime member.  I play it all the time.  Played in a number of M/Gs there.  Also attended a 3-day "couples" school at CCF.  My friend is on the greens committee and reports that they are in the process of bringing Lester back for additional work although I believe (for reasons unknown to me) that work is on temporary hold.  It's truly a lovely spot.

Did you ever know RJ Reynolds?

[DFarron]

Having worked at Hunters Run and Quail ridge  back in 1996 and 1997, i had no idea this course was next door. I did play pine tree once as the members used quail ridge during a renovation. Maybe I was swimming in rum at the time.

Did you work for Charlie Bowie?

[Jonathan Cummings]

My best friend is a longtime member.  I play it all the time.  Played in a number of M/Gs there.  Also attended a 3-day "couples" school at CCF.  My friend is on the greens committee and reports that they are in the process of bringing Lester back for additional work although I believe (for reasons unknown to me) that work is on temporary hold.  It's truly a lovely spot.

Did you ever know RJ Reynolds?

No

[Jonathan Cummings]

Having worked at Hunters Run and Quail ridge  back in 1996 and 1997, i had no idea this course was next door. I did play pine tree once as the members used quail ridge during a renovation. Maybe I was swimming in rum at the time.

Did you work for Charlie Bowie?

Huh?

[Joe Bausch]

I had a very enjoyable day at the CC of Florida back in May of 2016.

Photos:

http://www80.homepage.villanova.edu/joseph.bausch/images/albums/CCofFlorida/index.html

[Stewart Abramson]

Photos of CC of FL from April 2022: https://www.flickr.com/photos/golfcoursepix/albums/72177720298096825

[Tim_Cronin]

Does anyone have the history of the club?  When was it built, who designed it, etc...?

CC Fla was built in '56, was an old dairy farm, was designed by Robert Bruce Harris, founding member was Carleton Blunt.  Art Hills did a renovation in '74.

Blunt was a Chicago lawyer and golf-connected through the WGA and Evans Scholars who bought a ton of land in the Delray Beach-Boynton Beach area. The Country Club of Florida was a Chicago-centric project, with Harris, a Chicagoan, brought in to scout for the proper land for the course. Blunt already owned the land, which helped, and the sandbar through the property made it special. Blunt set up the operation as a municipality – the clubhouse was the post office and village hall – Village of Golf, Fla., modeled after Golf, Ill., location of the Glen View Club. VoG included the horse farm across Golf Road and just west of what's now Quail Ridge.


Pine Tree, on nearby land Blunt did not own, opened in the early 1960s. It was Dick Wilson's pride; Ben Hogan called it the best flat course in the country when he played it. Nicklaus prepped for the 1962 Masters there. Brilliant routing – you never cross a road – and a tremendous test today.


Delray Dunes (Pete Dye's first Florida course) and Quail Ridge (Joe Lee, 36 holes) were also built on Blunt-owned property. So four golf properties with five courses, all within a mile of each other, three of the properties tied to Blunt, a guy almost nobody knows.

[Jim O’Kane]

My best friend is a longtime member.  I play it all the time.  Played in a number of M/Gs there.  Also attended a 3-day "couples" school at CCF.  My friend is on the greens committee and reports that they are in the process of bringing Lester back for additional work although I believe (for reasons unknown to me) that work is on temporary hold.  It's truly a lovely spot.

Did you ever know RJ Reynolds?

Actually, that was a typo. It's JR. He was a friend of my father's who was a member next door at Delray Dunes. Good, good guy. He passed away a little over a year ago.


No

[Jim O’Kane]

Does anyone have the history of the club?  When was it built, who designed it, etc...?

CC Fla was built in '56, was an old dairy farm, was designed by Robert Bruce Harris, founding member was Carleton Blunt.  Art Hills did a renovation in '74.

Blunt was a Chicago lawyer and golf-connected through the WGA and Evans Scholars who bought a ton of land in the Delray Beach-Boynton Beach area. The Country Club of Florida was a Chicago-centric project, with Harris, a Chicagoan, brought in to scout for the proper land for the course. Blunt already owned the land, which helped, and the sandbar through the property made it special. Blunt set up the operation as a municipality – the clubhouse was the post office and village hall – Village of Golf, Fla., modeled after Golf, Ill., location of the Glen View Club. VoG included the horse farm across Golf Road and just west of what's now Quail Ridge.


Pine Tree, on nearby land Blunt did not own, opened in the early 1960s. It was Dick Wilson's pride; Ben Hogan called it the best flat course in the country when he played it. Nicklaus prepped for the 1962 Masters there. Brilliant routing – you never cross a road – and a tremendous test today.


Delray Dunes (Pete Dye's first Florida course) and Quail Ridge (Joe Lee, 36 holes) were also built on Blunt-owned property. So four golf properties with five courses, all within a mile of each other, three of the properties tied to Blunt, a guy almost nobody knows.

Wow. Being from Chicago, and connections to Delray, the WGA, etc., I would love to know more. I had no idea.


I've played a lot of places. Not nearly as many as people here. But the CC of FL, my 2 experiences there, rank near the top.