100th Anniversary Celebration Ideas

[Brad Treadwell]

The club I belong to will turn 100 in 2019.  It is still a ways out but we are beginning to discuss ways to celebrate our Anniversary.  We are in the process of designing a new restorative based Course Improvement Plan, which includes a much over due Tree Management piece, but I'm curious if anyone has been a part of any anniversary celebrations that were successes or failures?  These might include Member events, hosting a local or national tournament, or just having a good old fashioned party.  Any advice is as always appreciated.  

[Joel_Stewart]

Party.

A course I knew had a similar anniversary. During the year they had a match between two well known pros and on another day they had a big party with the The Beach Boys playing a concert.  Good family fun.

[Jamie Pyper]

My home club in Stratford Ontario celebrated their centenary this year, in fact Nov 27, 1913 was the day the charter was executed. There were some special golf days and dinners throughout the year, but the most impressive event by far was a Hickory tournament. We contacted the Historical Golf Society of Canada ( sure there's a similar society in the US- ask Randy Jensen) who came in for the day and supplied the equipment of period hickory clubs, balls and bags, of course all dressed in plus fours and Tam O'Shanter's . The membership dressed up in period outfits as well, or most made an attempt at least.  One Historical Society member played with each mixed foresome who advised on club selection and offered advise and a history lesson throughout the round. Everyone left appreciating the skill that was required to play the game a century ago. It was a huge success - great fun for all and an event I would highly recommend for any club celebrating their centenary.

[Thomas Dai]

Echo Jamie's recommendation of a hickory event.
All the best

[David Davis]

In some countries you can try to be deemed as a Royal club when you reach the 100 year mark.

We will reach ours in 2015 year, I like the idea of a hickory event and party.

[Rich Goodale]

When my local club had its 100th (1996) we had a 100 person match vs. another nearby (20 miles) club that also had their 100th that year.  50 of our members went there to play a match against 50 of theirs and vice versa.  We also did a hickory event (in period dress) over our best understanding of what the routing of the course was in 1896.  Finished off with a black tie dinner.  All were highly successful.

Good luck!

[Ricardo Ramirez Calvo]

I can give you examples of two clubs. Mar del Plata Golf Club celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2000 and I was part of the celebrations' committee. We prepared a wonderful centenary book, full of old and new photographs. We had a 72 holes championship and a huge formal dinner and party in which we danced until 6 o'clock in the morning. We had fireworks, tenors singing and a band.

This year for the 125th anniversary of the Hurlingham Club we celebrated with an English tea gathering at the Club House and we will close the year on December 7th with a big party in the gardens of the Club. For the 130th anniversary we will ask the Argentine Golf Association to have the Argentine Open again at our course, but that is a secret, so don't tell anybody.  

My recommendation is that you do something that is remembered for many many years.

[Brad Treadwell]

Great ideas....thanks and keep them coming.  Also, if anyone knows who helps put on Hickory events in the US, please post. 

[Chris_Hufnagel]

Great ideas....thanks and keep them coming.  Also, if anyone knows who helps put on Hickory events in the US, please post. 

I think a hickory event along with period outfits sounds like a great idea - good luck.

I cannot vouch for the company below, but a quick Google search returned this...

http://playhickory.com

[Wade Whitehead]

Bring in two professionals for a nine-hole hickory match, followed by an 18-hole member hickory tournament.  Do everything you can to restore tee positions, decor, dress, etc. to 100-year-old norms.

WW

[Mark Chaplin]

Red arrows and the Royal Marines band.

[Sean Leary]

The club I belong to will turn 100 in 2019.  It is still a ways out but we are beginning to discuss ways to celebrate our Anniversary.  We are in the process of designing a new restorative based Course Improvement Plan, which includes a much over due Tree Management piece, but I'm curious if anyone has been a part of any anniversary celebrations that were successes or failures?  These might include Member events, hosting a local or national tournament, or just having a good old fashioned party.  Any advice is as always appreciated.  

Good to hear. Did you hire Jeff Mingay to work on the restoration I hope? The work he has done at Overlake is fantastic.

[Brad Treadwell]

Sean, yes we did.  Can't wait to see what he comes up with.  We're fortunate to have a lot of old photos to help guide us.  And it was a great week for chainsaws.....

[Mike Feeney]

Perhaps you have already done this....I saw some interesting ideas when I google'd variations of the following:

"country club" 100th anniversary festivities
"golf club" celebrates anniversary

[Jud_T]

Hundred Hole Hike, obviously....

[Frank Giordano]

My recommendation is that you do something that is remembered for many many years.

A club that has lasted 100 years deserves a "memorial" worthy of it.  And Ricardo's final words of advice recall the British poet John Keats's idea that "a thing of beauty is a joy forever."  Many clubs commission a history and/or painting(s) to celebrate their centennials.  A work of art, a thing of beauty, might well be a part of the mix of projects and events.  Find the best writer and/or painter available to create that longlasting pleasure, that joy forever,  your club deserves.

[Bryan Lewis]

Brad,

I liked the idea of playing an event with period equipment and attire.  Another idea is to play an event with the Rules that were in play in 1919...

http://www.ruleshistory.com/rules1912.html

Should be fun!

Bryan

[John Scharon]

I second the idea of publishing a book for the membership.  If you club has a historian, that's a great place to start.  Old photos of the course, clubhouse and popular events are terrific to include.  Architectural drawings, plans and routings are wonderful to include.  

If you are going to have a "period" golf event, why not a "period" party as well?  Might look very much like the scenes in The Greatest Game Ever Played.

Have fun.

[Thomas Dai]

I omitted to mention in my earlier post, but I recommend you do a video tour of the whole club. Everything! All the clubhouse rooms including locker rooms. pro-shop, back rooms and kitchens etc, throughout in the maintenance sheds including all the equipment and pump rooms etc, the admin offices, any land you own but are not using, plus every aspect of the golf course, range and practice facilities, plus any special celebratory events you hold. Record everything on video.

I did this myself for a special anniversary year at my club and the videoI took is now a visual historical reference document of the club at a point in time. You can have even have it as a link on the clubs website or sell DVD's of it to members and raise a little cash for charity.

All the best.

[Ricardo Ramirez Calvo]

I just remembered another thing we did. In one of the clubs I am a member of, 70 years ago a "time box" was prepared. They put newpapers from that year, a score card and other golf and non golf items in a sealed box and put the box in a niche especially prepared in the clubhouse, to be opened on the 100th anniversary. We opened it and did the same with things from today. That could be part of the celebrations.

[Bill_McBride]

When Pensacola Country Club turned 100 in 2002, we were pretty low key.  The big event was a black tie dinner with a fashion show with couples wearing golf apparel from each decade over the years.  We also had a one off handicap tournament.  Not a big deal.