By J.I.B. Jones
The Brentwood Country Club opened its first nine holes on March 25, 1916, less than a year after founding president, Thomas Bundy, secured the land, and founded the Santa Monica Country Club. The new club had great plans for golf, tennis (lighted courts), and polo, all on 160 acres at Brentwood Park, Santa Monica.
The Santa Monica Country Club aimed to be a real “country club”, with tennis represented by Santa Monica tennis legends, Tom Bundy, May Bundy (Sutton), Herman Janss, Claude Wayne, and Florence Sutton. Golf was led by first vice president, and green chairman, Thomas McCall of the Los Angeles Country Club, with help from a “Los Angeles expert”, and player advisors, E.S. “Scotty” Armstrong, and Norman Macbeth. The polo faction was headed by Riverside, and Santa Monica, golf and polo legend, George Waring, poloist, J.B. Proctor, and Thomas Dudley, the Mayor of Santa Monica. The legendary architect and real estate developer, Robert Marsh, was also a founding director.
Plans for a two-story frame club house eventually fell through, and by the opening weekend, lockers and conveniences were installed in the former San Vicente Land Company real estate office, located across the street from the golf course.
No tennis courts were built by the opening, but three were available adjacent in Brentwood Park; two at the Bundy estate, considered the best in Southern California, and one at Herman Janss’.
The club held a two day golf competition on March 25 and 26, hosting 500 guests, at what they called “an informal gathering.”
Hutt Martin, of the Los Angeles Country Club, acted as temporary professional, and contests for silver cups were held for, approaching, driving, and putting . Only practice rounds were played on the new 3400 yard golf course, which apparently required some learning, and some growing in, before scoring could be considered. The second loop of nine holes would open later in the year.
© 2019 J.I.B. Jones/GolfHistoricalSociety – All rights reserved.