The document provides a history of the Des Moines Golf and Country Club from its founding in 1897 to the present, including details on 4 different locations, renovations of the courses, and biographies of 7 head greenkeepers who helped care for and develop the grounds over the decades. It traces the club's growth from an informal 9-hole course to its current home with two 18-hole championship courses in West Des Moines.
1. Des Moines Golf and Country Club
History of Grounds and Greenkeepers
2. DMGCC Locations, Dates,
Descriptions, and Architects
Potential Members met on September 28,
1897 at the sporting goods store of W.P.
Chase and Company to discuss a possible
golf course.
Harry Polk announced that his father had 40
acres at the end of the Ingersoll car line that
could be used if the “new club” agreed to pay
the $150 a year for the taxes on the land.
4. DMGCC, Location #1
The club was located at the intersection of
Ingersoll Avenue and Polk Boulevard.
The first club was a haphazard 18 hole with
no definition. It later became a 9 hole golf
course under the design of Warren Dickinson.
The “new” 9 holes had a “modern look” with
fairways, trees, bunkers and a few traps.
On August 28, 1900 the first Iowa Golf
Association Championship is held on the
grounds of Des Moines Golf and Country
Club.
5. Founders Photo
Left to right, front row: club pro and manager,
W.O. Finkbine, Dr. George Glick, W.D. Skinner,
J.B. Weaver, (last man; unidentified)
Left to right, back row: (1st man; unidentified),
J.G. Berryhill, D.W. Corley, G.F. Henry, E.E. Clark,
H.S. Nolan
7. DMGCC, Location #2
On October 2, 1903 then club president
Warren Dickinson announces that the present
golf links would be turned back over to Polk
and the club had secured a 20 year lease on
98 acre site owned by the Gilchrest family.
The new location would be adjacent to
Waveland Golf Course on the North, 49th
Street on the east, 56th street on the west and
on the South a line between Woodland Ave
and Waterbury Road would mark that
boundary.
8. DMGCC, Location #2
December 4, 1903, Thomas Bendelow an
employee of the Spalding Company comes to
Des Moines to design the Des Moines Golf.
Spalding just had released the new Haskell
Golf Ball and the new “DMGCC” will be
designed to accept the longer flying golf ball.
Bendelow was known as the Johnny
Appleseed of Golf Course Architects. He
designed over 600 in the United States.
16. DMGCC, Location #3
Planning started in 1921 to move the club once again, because
the 20 year lease was not going to be extended. Burt German
Realty and 20 business men bought the land to start a housing
area called “Country Club Knolls”. This is done behind closed
doors and DMGCC is not given an option to buy.
At this time a faction of golfers split off to build their own golf
course on the south side of Des Moines called the Wakonda
Club, the group was led by the Hubbells and Denmans.
In 1923, a 147 acres is purchased from the Ashworth family just
off of White Pole Road, later named Ashworth Road.
The new DMCCC is designed and prepared by the Landscape
Architect firm of Pearse, Robinson and Sprague.
Warren Dickinson is also very prominent in the design of this
new club and has designed many other clubs in the Midwest.
27. DMGCC, Location #4
In 1965 the members learned that their current golf
course was in jeopardy with the construction of a new
Interstate through Des Moines, planning was then put
into place to find an alternative site.
The members purchased 475 acres in West Des
Moines in 1966.
55 acres of the old site was sold to the Catholic
Diocese for $320,000.
80 acres of the old site was sold for a commercial
plaza, residential and apartment housing for $650,00
First 18 holes of the “New” DMGCC are dedicated in
the spring of 1968.
34. DMGCC Greenkeepers
A Greenkeeper in Webster’s Dictionary is
defined as: a person responsible for the care
and upkeep of a golf course.
35. DMGCC Greenkeepers, #1
John P. Westgreen
John P. Westgreen was hired as the greenkeeper for
DMGCC in 1899. He is noted as the first employee of
DMGCC. He left the club in 1907.
He was a local Swede who was known as a good
gardener, born in 1868.
He later was known to help design the Interlachen
Golf Course in Minneapolis and Westborough
Country Club in St. Louis.
1920 US Census shows him as a resident of St.
Louis, where he resided until his death.
36. DMGCC Greenkeepers, #2
Joseph A. Roseman
Began his career in Philadelphia. Later worked at
clubs in Lake Placid, New York, Des Moines, Iowa,
Racine, Wisconsin, Fort Lauderdale, Florida and
Chicago, Illinois.
Worked at DMGCC from 1907-1916 as Golf
Professional and Greenkeeper.
He was credited as the inventor of a hitch to draw a 3
gang mower with horses to mow.
He later adopted a Model T Ford to do the same
thing.
He was the owner and President of Roseman Mower
Corporation at the time of his death.
42. DMGCC, Greenkeeper #3
Jack Welsh 1916-1922
He is listed as the Des Moines Golf and
Country Club Golf Professional and
Greenkeeper in January 1918 edition of
Golfer’s Magazine.
We do know that Welsh moved to the
Wakonda Club in 1923 so the assumption is
made that he was at the club from the time of
Roseman’s departure to when the club split in
1923.
1st President of the Iowa Greenkeeper Assoc.
45. DMGCC, Greenkeeper #4
William Keating
Worked at the Ashworth Road location from 1922 –
1957. 35 years.
Bill was a farmer who farmed the land around that
area, he had an interest in the golf course and he
was asked to take care of the property
His son John was involved in Globe Machinery who
was a local Toro Distributor in Des Moines.
His son in law, Norm Westfall was a DMGCC
Employee and later became superintendent of the
Wakonda Club.
His grand daughter is Mrs. John (Patty) McGuiness,
her father is Norm Westfall.
Past President of IGCSA 1942-1945
47. Toro Roller
Bill Keating purchased this piece for DMGCC
in the early 1930’s from Globe Machinery.
Only one known in existence today.
DMGCC donated it to the Toro Company in
2008 and it now sits on display at their
company headquarters in Minneapolis.
49. DMGCC, Greenkeeper #5
John Richard (Dick) Raher
Little is known of this man.
He worked from 1957 – 1964
50. DMGCC, Greenkeeper #6
William E. Byers
Hired as a summer helper in 1957 while attending
Valley High School. He worked under Dick Raher.
He attended the University of Massachusetts and
majors in turfgrass management.
He is hired as Golf Course Superintendent in 1964.
IGCSA Past President 1969.
Builds 36 hole golf course at current location and is
responsible for where we are at today.
Host 1999 USGA Senior Open.
Retires in 2007, entire career is spent at DMGCC.
52. DMGCC, Greenkeeper #7
Rick Tegtmeier
Started in golf course maintenance in 1973.
Worked as superintendent at Rockford CC,
Urbandale CC, Hinsdale Golf Club and
Elmcrest Country Club.
Worked at DMGCC as North Course
Superintendent 1983 – 1989.
Did North Course Renovation in 1987.
Hired as Director of Grounds November 1,
2006.
Retiring Unknown ???
