History
Early History of Monroe Golf Club
The history of Monroe Golf Club 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 Stoutenberg, 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 Stoutenberg 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 Stoutenberg 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 Stoutenberg-Palmateer-Brizee site and to issue an Invitation-Prospectus for new members.
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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).
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Palmeter House
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The young club also began an extensive building program, whereby the Palmateer brick house was fitted for clubhouse purposes, the Stoutenberg 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.
John Kircher
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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 John H. Ryan Jr. Memorial Rochester District Championship three times since 1990. Joh Kircher is a local legend having won four CCR Invitational Championships, two Brook Lea Invitationals, six RDGA Tournament of Championships, two JR Williams Championhips, twice a runner up in the New York State Amateur Championship and was named the Rochester Press Radio Club Amateur Athlete of the Year in 1990.
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Tim Spitz
Tim Spitz, another gifted Monroe member is making his mark in local tournaments having won the last three club championships - seven all together, 3 Tournament of Championships, 3 Brook Lea Invitationals and has been a runner up 4 times in the John H. Ryan Jr. Memorial Rochester District Championship.
In the Fall of 2009, Tim finished as the runner-up at the U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship held in Kiawah Island, South Carolina. Tim was one of over 4,000 players to enter the tournament. After placing in the top three at a qualifier held at Crag Burn Golf Club in East Aurora, Tim shot 73-73 to qualify for Match Play at Cassique, the Tom Watson-designed course at Kiawah Island Club. Once in match play, Tim won his first five matches to reach the finals. Incredibly, Tim never trailed his opponent during the first four matches. In his semifinal match, Tim briefly fell behind his opponent, then rallied to win the match, 3 & 2. Although Tim lost his final match to Nathan Smith, the #2 ranked amateur player in the country, his performance was the finest for a Rochester player at a USGA event since Sam Urzetta's U.S. Amateur win in 1950. In addition to automatic entry to the 2010 U.S. Amateur at Chambers Bay and the next three U.S. Mid-Am Championships, Tim's runner-up finish also allows him to go directly to sectional qualifying for the 2010 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach.
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Rochester District Championships
Monroe has hosted the the John H. Ryan Jr. Memorial Rochester District Championship nine times, the first, won by Jack Tucker in 1934. Recent winners include Brian Bombard in 1995 and Tony DiBitetto in 2002.
New York State Amateur Championship
Monroe hosted several New York State Championships including: the 1959 Senior Women's State Amateur Championship, the 1979 Women's State Amateur Championship, the inagural 1963 Girl's Amateur Championship and the 2000 Men's State Amateur Championship.
Monroe Invitational Championship - Amateur Golf Championship at Monroe GC Since 1937
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 thorughout 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 two event on the PGA Tour.
For more information visit the Timeline tab under Golf Course.
“Yours is surely one of the greatest Ross courses I have ever seen. I am aware of other Ross courses of greater renown than Monroe yet only know of one that is its match–and Pinehurst No. 2 had the distinct advantage of being the winter home of Ross for four decades.” - Brian Silva, Past President, American Golf Architects Association
Donald Ross History
In 2004 John Purcell, a former President and Golf Chairman of Monroe Golf Club, wrote a series of articles that were published in Monroe's newsletter. Mr. Purcell traced the history of Donald Ross from his formative years in Scotland through early design work in Massachussetts to his work in Rochester, Pinehurst and throughout the United States. This is a must read for any golf course architecture enthusiast.
Click on each article to read about Donald Ross and his connection to Monroe Golf Club: