Club History
The history of the Monroe Golf Club in Pittsford, NY actually began in 1920, when a committee of members from the long-since vanished Genundewah Golf Club of East Rochester were charged with finding a new site for the club after its lease could not be renewed.
After several months of searching, the committee eventually narrowed its choices to four potential locations for the new club: one in Penfield, the Harris farm in East Rochester, and two in Pittsford, one of which was the Stoutenburg, Brizee and Palmateer farms of 214 acres. Gordon Kellogg, an outside consultant to the committee who had chaired Oak Hill's recent relocation task force, took one look at the Stoutenburg site and reportedly exclaimed, "here's something that Donald Ross would rave about."
At this point, committee member Irving W. Robeson -- a close friend of the legendary Scottish golf course architect Donald Ross -- brought the architect before the committee for an interview, as well as to survey the Stoutenburg property. His enthusiastic reaction to the property all but decided the issue.
On October 20, 1922, during a meeting of the club's founding members, led by Henry L. Perrigo, the club's first president, at the Rochester Club, the committee voted to reorganize under the name "Monroe Golf Club," to buy the Stoutenburg-Palmateer-Brizee site in Pittsford and to issue an Invitation-Prospectus for new members.
In December, 1923, Ross was notified that he had been commissioned to design and construct the course and that he would have 150 out of the Club's 214 acres to choose from. In return, Ross was offered a compensation package that included a $2,000 architect's fee and a construction fee of $50,000 (based on an estimated cost of $3,000 per hole).
The young club also began an extensive building program, whereby the Palmateer brick house was fitted for clubhouse purposes, the Stoutenburg cottage was made ready for the greenskeeper, a locker house and a pro shop would be built and the course provided with rain shelters. Play on the new Monroe Golf Club course officially began on July 4, 1924. Formalities were limited to the start of two foursomes, as well as the presence of members who came to watch the official opening drives and then to play themselves. Included among the inaugural foursome was the noted Scottish professional Johnny Walker, who was to serve as the club's first head pro.
Memorable Players, Memorable Tournaments
One of Monroe's more memorable early champions was Dr. George Trainor, who, in 1940, won the club championship as well as the Rochester District Championship and the prestigious Monroe Invitational Championship, which was then in only its fourth year.
In the 1940s and 50s, Mort Reed won the club championship five times -- a feat soon matched by Carl Christ in the 50s and 60s. In the early 1970s, Dana Consler won the championship four consecutive years (a record that still stands), on his way to seven club titles between 1972 and 1984.
In 1979, a very talented member would win the Monroe Golf Club championship and soon begin to rewrite the club's record books. With that first win in 1979 in the books, John Kircher would go on to win the title 16 times in a career that is still very active. In 1985, Kircher also won the Monroe Invitational and he has added the RDGA Championship 3 times since 1990.
Speaking of the Rochester District Championship, Monroe has hosted the event eight times, the first, won by Jack Tucker in 1934, and the most recent won by Brian Bombard in 1995.
As for the Monroe Invitational -- or MIC -- the event has grown by leaps and bounds since its inception in 1937. Originally conceived as a gathering of the area's top amateurs, it has evolved into an annual showcase of the top amateur and collegiate talent throughout the country.
Among the MIC's past champions are several players who subsequently went on to lucreative professional careers, including Rochester's own Terry Diehl, Brian Kamm and Jeff Sluman, as well as George Burns, Bob Friend, Nolan Henke and Chris DiMarco. Dustin Johnson, who won the MIC in 2007 has already won an event on the PGA Tour, and played on the weekend in this year's Masters.