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The Early Days (1900 to 1930)
The Difficult Days (1929 to 1945)
The Post War Days (1948 to 1960)
The Modern Days (1960 to Present)
The Grosse Ile Invitational
-Past Winners
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Grosse
Ile, the "Big Island", was linked to the mainland and to
Canada only by the Detroit and Canada Railroad in the 1890's. Five trains daily traveled from
Slocum Junction, near Trenton, across to Grosse Ile and continued east
across the old railroad bridge to Stony Island where travelers could
connect with Amherstburg, Ontario, by ferry. A scow ferry provided Grosse Ile residents
transportation to Trenton from the foot of Ferry Road, and another
carried passengers from the foot of Horsemill Road to Sibley (now
Riverview).
The steel making and chemical industries already had established their
footholds as the cornerstones of the Downriver region's industrial
might. The Wyandotte
Indians had been gone from their Detroit River region farms and trap
lines for nearly half a century.
Life was bustling along the busy river.
The "Gay Nineties" had arrived and it was in this time and
setting that the predecessor club of the present Grosse Ile Golf and
Country Club was organized about 1890. A small group of island residents formed "The
Willow Bank Dancing Club" with meetings at the home of Archibald
Alexander. As the club's
social activities increased, the members formed the Grosse Ile Casino
Association and built themselves "The Casino", a large
rectangular-shaped structure on Casino Road (now Island Blvd.) about a
half-mile west of East River Road.
Frank A. Osborn was elected first President of the Casino Association. Among others who served as
officers in those early days were Horace Avery, L. D. Rucker, C. T.
Alexander, H. Strasburg and Mrs. S. M. Sterling. As the association expanded in
numbers, so too did the recreational needs of the members grow, and it
was about 1905 when the decision to add golf activities was made with
the Casino serving as the golf course clubhouse.
The Casino Association became the Grosse Ile Country Club in 1905 with
Burt Shurly as President, H. L. Wilton, Vice President and R. A. Alexander
as Secretary-Treasurer.
The club leased a tract of land for $1 a year from the Michigan
Central Railroad, which by that time had acquired the old Detroit and
Canada Railroad. A
nine-hole course was developed on the land, which was 1,000-by-3,000
feet in size and was located on the south side of Grosse Ile Parkway,
east of Meridian. The Casino was moved from its original site by the
membership using a log roller system with horses.
Picnic lunches were popular on weekends. Tennis, baseball, and target shooting were regular
activities as well as golf.
A three-piece band "from Detroit" provided music for
Saturday night dances during the summer and an annual "Country
Fair" was the major event of each golfing season.
In 1916, a young man named Elvin G. (Buddy) Krebs, saw the club and
decided to join - which he did a year later after he had acquired the
$100 membership fee.
In 1918, John Kelsey, founder of the Kelsey Wheel Co. and a summer
resident of Grosse Ile who loved golf, and a group of associates
conceived the idea of building a fine 18-hole golf course on the
island. After a careful
survey, the group acquired 290 acres in the center of the island and in
1919 the Grosse Ile Golf and Country Club was incorporated with the
following charter directors: C. S. (Cap) Vaughn, Yellot Hardcastle,
Thomas Stevens, Charles Hastings, T. Y. Leonard, Earl Roberts and
Thomas Winter.
Donald Ross, internationally know golf course architect, was engaged to
design and construct the course working with the $350,000 advanced by
Mr. Kelsey, and with William Connellan as general superintendent.
The construction took two years, as 12,000 yards of cinders had to be
mixed with 4,000 yards of sand and 4,000 yards of loam and then spread
across the land so grass could be grown. The new course was unique in that it was the only
all-watered course (fairways and greens) in the district and possibly
the state during the 1920's.
Grosse Ile was the third course in the United States to have
watered fairways.
When the first nine holes of the new course were opened in 1920, the
new Grosse Ile Golf Course merged with the established Grosse Ile
Country Club to form the Grosse Ile Golf and Country Club that still
exists today. Charles Christian
was charter president and the membership fee was set at $350.
Mr. Kelsey held a land contract for the construction money owed to him
and he also acquired the original nine-hole course for a reported
$150,000, with that property continuing to operate as a golf course
through the late 1930's. With the opening of Grosse Ile's second nine-hole
segment in 1921, the Club members marked the occasion by giving The
Casino its final horse-drawn ride on log rollers to its new location -
the site of the present clubhouse at Grosse Ile Parkway and Meridian.
Porches, dining room, locker room and grill were added and a huge stone
fireplace became the focal point for family gatherings and social
events.
In 1923, the Club's coat of arms was adopted with the design based on
the original deed, which transferred the title of Grosse Ile from 18
Indian chiefs to the Macomb brothers on July 6, 1776. The elm tree represents the
original tree under which the treaty was signed. The totem marks are symbolic of
the variety of Indian tribes that inhabited the island. The initials J. K. in the lower
left represent a tribute to John Kelsey whose vision, personal effort,
and financial support played the major role in establishing the present
golf and country club. The
golf ball at the top, inscribed with "GI Golf and Country
Club", is flanked by winterberries, a native plant of the island.
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The
Great Depression created a heavy toll on the club as memberships declined
and losses from accounts receivable caused a severe financial
strain. Membership dropped
to less than 100 in 1932 and 1933 and only the generosity of John
Kelsey's son, Dallas, carried the Club through the difficult days. He waived payments on the land
contract, reduced the interest rate, and once made a $15,000 tax
payment on behalf of the Club.
The Club joined the rest of the country in battling back after the
depression and was able to build a swimming pool in 1937 for $21,000
with the construction financed by the members who bought bonds. General William Knudsen, then
club president, purchased the major portion of the bonds. Some five years later, with
membership dwindling and activities curtailed by World War II, and the
Club again in financial straits, another generous act helped out. The bond holders held a
"bond-fire" one night, burned the bonds and eloquently ended
the general membership's indebtedness for the pool.
During World War II, slot machines were brought into the Club and used
as "an unusual" method of fund-raising with the busboys
always on the alert to cart the "slots" off to the kitchen
storage area if law enforcement officers happened to visit the
premises. Officers and
pilots from the nearby Grosse Ile Naval Air Station were frequent
visitors at the Club during the war and their continued presence in the
lounge and dining room helped the Club financially during a period when
Club functions were curtailed and membership dwindled.
The Club suffered a severe setback in 1947, when a fire destroyed a
major portion of the club house and all records were destroyed. The
golfing continued that season, however, with a tent serving as the pro
shop and clubhouse. Nearly
100 members withdrew following the fire, apparently wary of future
special assessments to help finance the new clubhouse construction.
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Dominic
J. Gorno was Club president and directed construction of a new clubhouse
in 1948 at a cost of $65,000.
Cap Isler, a builder and Grosse Ile member, completed the
project replacing the tent that had been erected behind the first
tee. The Club
members financed the new clubhouse cost (less than 200 at the time) who
pledged $225 each to raise about $40,000.
In 1949, the Club decided to sell a portion of its property on the West
Side of Meridian to a group of club members for development as home
construction sites. The
tract sold for $19,500 was 1,625 feet long, and was located between the
12th hole fairway and Meridian.
The Club carried on business as usual during the 1950's and was
recognized as one of the few courses in Michigan that had never been
altered from its original design.
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The
late William Reno, Sr. initiated the first assessment for trees in 1961
($30 per member) to enable the club to purchase 1,500 pine trees from
the Fritz Lowrey Estate and replant them on the course. Grosse Ile had been hit hard by
Dutch Elm disease and lost 3,000 trees. This special replacement plan continued for six or
seven years as maples and pines gradually replaced the lost elms. The "Sizzling
Sixties" marked a boom period of business and membership activity
at the club but the Dutch Elm disease devastated the golf course.
In 1965, the clubhouse was completely remodeled with a new reception
area added, the exterior and interior modernized and made more
attractive, the locker rooms more functional and the men's grill
remodeled to provide a view overlooking the golf course.
One of the major golf tournaments staged at Grosse Ile during the
modern era was the 66th Western Amateur Golf Championship played during
a torrid August heat wave in 1968. That tournament attracted 180 of the nation's finest
amateur players and was won by Rik Massengale of Texas, who soon after
joined the PGA pro tour. Massengale followed other notable Western
Amateur winners into the pro ranks - specifically Jack Nicklaus, Western
winner in 1961, Tom Weiskopf, 1963 and Tommy Aaron, 1960. The 1968 event produced a
competitive course record score of 64 by Hal Underwood, of Houston,
Texas, an All-American golfer who posted seven birdies and 11 pars.
The modern era of club improvement and thriving membership had a strong
carryover into the 1970's, with the addition of a complete new golf
course watering system in 1975 at a cost of $200,000 and the
construction of four new tennis courts during 1973 and 1974.
A major addition to the golf course landscape was the construction of
Lake Reno, named after the late William Reno Sr. This scenic
improvement, initiated in the fall of 1975, replaced a swampy pond
bordered by the 11th and 12th fairways. Reno was a Life Member and former club president who
died in 1975.
Refinements to the premises during this period included installation of
a portable wall between the main dining room and the mixed grill
thereby providing more usable space for major dances and dinners. A new integrated sound system
for the clubhouse and improved lighting for the parking lot was
installed as 1977 improvements.
Grosse Ile's present swimming pool, with its functional arrangement of
racing lanes set apart from the diving area, was installed in 1978 at a
cost of about $100,000.
A major redecoration and redesign of the clubhouse interior was
competed in 1980 under the presidency of Ian MacDonald. The main dining room and lobby
took on a more refreshing open look. The redecorated porch area with new lighting, modern
wicker chairs and decorative accents combined with peach tones became a
favorite dining and apres golf and tennis gathering place.
Another project completed in 1980 was the installation of cart paths
serving the entire golf course.
This improvement was one of many financed independently through
the generosity of the Club's Life Members. In the early 1980's, Life Members also provided
refurbishing of the Men's card room, installation of the men's handicap
board, construction of the starter's shack at the first tee, and
initiation of a master plan for tree location for the golf course.
Another factor contributing to the Club's operating success in recent
years has been the active participation of its social members.
The mid-eighties will be remembered for what was dubbed "The
Project," the year that the clubhouse was completely rebuilt. Several new facilities were
added including an expansion of the formal dining room, a large outdoor
patio, a mixed grill, a new Men's card room and a new bag storage room
with a basement to accommodate our laundry and club house maintenance
needs. All the drafty
plate glass on the west side of the clubhouse was replaced with energy
efficient windows, which in addition to being cost efficient presented
a uniform appearance. The
pro shop was also moved and completely outfitted. For the employees, there were
new restrooms, locker rooms and eating space. A new coatroom and
private dining room, checkroom as well as offices for the manager, club
secretary and controller were developed. All of this surrounded a new
entry area opening from an expanded, covered driveway
The 1984-85 Board of Directors under the presidency of Norman Gawlik,
and the Future Planning Committee, introduced the project planning,
When architectural drawings were presented, they were displayed on
several occasions for comments by the membership. Past President Tom Misko made
the final presentation to the Board and Club members at the 1985 Annual
Meeting. The members
approved the plan and its twenty-year assessment. With Ed Morgan now President of
the club, ground was first broken at the North end of the clubhouse to
create the basement under the new bag room.
The renovation project finished on schedule under the presidency of Jim
Black. The outlay served to bring the facility up to service and
appearance standards of other clubs in the district by providing
facilities for food and beverages that were badly needed to compete for
the members' business and personal needs.
The decade of the Eighties saw another generous endowment by the Life
Members, with the donation of the new greens maintenance building which
included two shelter buildings, laser course measurements and winter
greens covers. The Ladies Locker Room facilities were also brought up
to the standards of the major refurbishing and addition project.
In 1989, Grosse Ile hosted the Michigan Match Play Championship. Over 128 of Michigan's top
professionals competed for over $10,000 in prize money. Buddy Whitten of Blythfield
Country Club won this tournament.
The nineties have been a flourishing time for Grosse Ile. Through a growing, younger, and
more active membership, the Club has been very profitable. The Capital
Fund that was established in 1987 has grown consistently and has been a
great tool in making capital improvements. Improvements in the early 90's have included the
renovation of the Men's and Ladies' Locker Rooms, yearly golf course
equipment purchases, computerized irrigation system and the resurfacing
of the swimming pool.
In 1993, the Long Range Planning Committee hired the McMahon Design
Group of St. Louis to review the Club facilities for future
renovation. It was
determined that the Club needed to renovate its antiquated kitchen,
update the dining facility, upgrade the exterior architecture, correct
a variety of infrastructure problems, and enlarge and resurface the
parking lot. In January of
1994, Parlovecchio Building and Design Company presented a
comprehensive plan encompassing all of the McMahon Group's
recommendations. Their project proposal recommended that the Mixed
Grill be enlarged to provide for increase seating, a bar as a key focal
point, windows overlooking the golf course and a fireplace. Additionally, they recommended
a smaller, more intimate formal dining room to accommodate up to 50
with space for some upholstered furniture and a piano, a larger
ballroom with seating for up to 270 also overlooking the golf course, a
completely new kitchen, a new board room, and a two-story porte cochere
entrance and lobby. The
proposal also provided for new furniture and interior decorating, a new
brick exterior and roof treatment, new heating and cooling equipment,
an upgraded electrical service and transformer and an enlarged and
resurfaced parking lot.
Over the next several months, President Raymond Mittino, the Board of
Directors, the Future Planning Committee, the staff and others refined
this proposal, developed a financing plan proposal and a marketing
presentation to secure membership approval.
This proposal plus the financing plan was presented to the membership
by William Iverson, Vice-President and Chairman of the Future Planning
Committee on July 12, 1994. The membership subsequently approved an
expenditure of $3,250,000 by a comfortable margin and the financing
plan which included a $3,000 capital assessment to Class A members plus
a new construction monthly assessment to Class A, A-1 and Z
members. All other
membership classes were levied a 25% dues increase. Lastly, the proposal provided
for a mortgage of $2,450,000 to finance the balance of the project
cost.
Foundation work began in September 1994 and the club continued to
function right up to Christmas.
At that point, the clubhouse was turned over to the
contractor. Virtually
everything between the Men's and Ladies' Locker Rooms were removed and
subsequently rebuilt.
Progress was swift and efficient and the clubhouse was
officially reopened on June 1st 1995 on schedule.
Several problems were dealt with during the construction, which
resulted in cost overruns, which were subsequently funded by an
approved capital assessment of the voting members. The additional costs were
incurred to resolve unforeseen sewer and drainage issues and poor soil
conditions in the area of the parking lot expansion. It was also
decided to upgrade the electrical service (new main transformer),
further improve the kitchen, and to expand the furniture and decorating
program. A grand opening
celebration for the entire membership took place early in July with
rave reviews for the new clubhouse. The Board of Directors, the
Clubhouse Planning Committee of Raymond Mittino, William Iverson, Peter
Glaab, Jr. and Doug Treadwell and the entire staff worked tirelessly
for well over a year to accomplish this major program which will be to the
benefit of the membership for many years.
During the Dr. Henry Beaudry's presidency in 1995, two of the four
asphalt tennis courts were converted to state-of-the-art clay courts
and all new fencing was installed. Shortly thereafter, the two
remaining asphalt courts were totally replaced, giving the Club a first
rate tennis facility.
In late 1996, President Peter Glaab, Jr. and the Board of Directors
instructed the Future Planning Committee to study and develop a
proposal for a new cart storage facility to replace the inadequate
facility immediately adjacent to the clubhouse. The Future Planning
Committee, chaired by Vice-President Gary Latendresse, interviewed
several architectural firms and in the end selected Bob Howey of R. J.
Howey, Inc. and a respected member of the Club. Together with the Carts
and Caddies Committee and Caddy Superintendent Jim Coleman, it was
concluded that the new facility should be located in the same location
as the existing facility. Key considerations included convenience,
safety, and cost. It was further concluded that the new facility should
have sufficient space to provide for golf club storage and a cart
maintenance and repair area.
The Future Planning and Carts and Caddies Committee developed a
design and project cost budget, which provided for architectural
compatibility with the clubhouse. This preliminary proposal was then
presented to the voting members in May 1997 and was subsequently
approved along with a financing plan that was premised on securing bank
financing via a mortgage.
R. J. Howey, Inc. then developed a detailed design package suitable for
competitive bidding. The
construction project was ultimately awarded to DiPonio Construction
Co., Inc. of Trenton, Michigan.
Construction for this new facility commenced in the fall of 1997
and was completed on-time and on budget and the new facility was turned
over to the club on March 1, 1998. Shortly thereafter, the Board of
Directors sought bank mortgage proposals from four different banks to refinance
the Clubhouse and add the new cart storage facility. First of America was selected
as the lender based on its overall low cost 10-year fixed rate
proposal.
During 1999, it was necessary to undertake a major swimming pool
program to address the pool's gutter system, which after more than
twenty years of service could no longer be adequately maintained. This was a major undertaking in
that it required the pool decking to be removed to allow for the installation
of a new stainless steel gutter system. Given the opportunity, the
inside of the pool was also repaired and a new
"marcite"surface was applied. The project also provided for a new pool heater and
chemical distribution system plus new ladders and starting
platforms. Lastly, a new
more decorative aluminum fence was installed along with a landscaping
update. The project cost was $250,000 and was contracted to B& B
Pools. The pool reopened
early in June of 1999 to rave reviews from the members. Although the need for a new pool
changing facility was discussed, financial constraints precluded that
project at the time.
The years 1998, 1999, and 2000 were marked by the undertaking of a
multi-phase project to repair, modernize and upgrade the golf course.
Although this effort spanned three different boards, the project was
well thought through and coordinated by the Presidents and the various
board members in conjunction with the Greens and Grounds
Committee. This
all-encompassing program included the refurbishment of all fifty-three
bunkers, a new drainage system for the bunkers, fairways, and selected
greens, and a totally new irrigation system designed to extend well
into the rough.
Bunker / Drainage Program- The bunkers and drainage system were the
first matters to be addressed. After considerable evaluation by W.
Bruce Matthews II, a golf course architect and Turf Drain, Inc., an
experienced and highly recommended golf course contractor, a work plan
and a project budget was developed. Following approval of a $630,000
project expenditure by the membership on July 21,1999, work commenced
in the fall and was finished before the end of the year. All of the bunkers received new
drainage and sand and many were reshaped and resodded. Additionally, a
few were moved or modified to add to the challenge and aesthetics of
the golf course. All of
the designated fairways had new drainage pipes and collections points
installed by the end of 2000.
After allowing the "scars" to settle over the winter,
they were subsequently graded and seeded in the Spring of 2001. The
drainage of several greens, the last phase of the program, was
undertaken and completed at the end of the 2001 golf season. On a few
holes, the cart paths were moved to reduce the frequency of them coming
into play. This was particularly the case on holes #1, #10 and #16. The
final cost of the project turned out to be $600,000 or $30,000 below
the approved amount.
Irrigation Program- At the 1999 Annual Meeting, the board presented a
second golf course modernization program to the membership covering a
new irrigation system.
Again, the membership was overwhelmingly supportive and the
proposal was easily approved.
The installation of the new irrigation system was started during
the fall of 2000 and all of the holes south of Bellevue were finished
by the end of the year.
The holes north of Bellevue were finished just before the start
of the 2001 golf season.
The contractor for this project was Marc Dutton Irrigation, Inc.
and the total cost was just under $600,000.
With all of these necessary improvements completed, it was
overwhelmingly agreed that the eighty-year Donald Ross golf course was
ready to provide another eighty years of good golf to the membership
and their guests. This
program required a tremendous amount of coordination and oversight spanning
three different boards to assure its success. Therefore, we believe it appropriate to recognize
the special efforts of all those who were involved but especially the
presidents, Harry M. Somerset III, Steven T. Falzone and Dr. Fred M.
Bisaro, plus Greens and Grounds Chairman, Ben F. Aycock, and Greens
Superintendent, Andy Socie, CGCS.
With the golf course recovering from the bunker, drainage and
irrigation programs and membership recovering from the corresponding
assessments, Club President Rick Nykiel and the 2002 Board of Directors
targeted smaller projects.
New back tees were added to make holes 3 and 17 longer and more
challenging. Forward tees
were added to holes #9, #10 and #11 taking 150 yards out of the course
for the ladies and making these holes reachable in regulation for the
better lady players. The
Board also approved a $100,000 program without an assessment to replace
the cart paths on #1, #3, #4, #6, #11, #14 and #18. They were completely removed
and replaced with a heavy-duty base and three inches of asphalt.
In 2003, President Larry Curran successfully managed the Club through a
difficult economic period and a drop in membership. Without any
construction, the golf course was in beautiful condition throughout the
season. Some golfers said
it was “better than it had been in 25 years”. The practice green next to number 10 tee was
reconstructed making it much larger and more contoured. It gives the Club an excellent
practice facility for putting and chipping.
In 2004, under the leadership of Club President William Nachtrab, the
club hosted the 93rd GAM Michigan Amateur Championship
Tournament. While there
were many highlights surrounding the tournament play, Grosse Ile pride
was at its highest as Jeff Cuzzort, a 2004 graduate of Grosse Ile High
School, won the Michigan Amateur in front of a large crowd of hometown
supporters. The course was
in superb condition for this tournament under the direction of Greens
Superintendent Scott Kreger with all participants in this tournament speaking
very favorably of the general conditions and specifically our Grosse
Ile “greens”. Membership
growth continued to be the focus during Mr. Nachtrab’s presidency. The Invitational Committee
successfully conducted its annual tournament with net funds contributed
to fund a new forward tee hole 17. Finally, discussions at both the committee and board
level began in earnest regarding efforts to update the card room.
Under the leadership of President Paul Calligaro
DDS, in early 2005 the Club membership approved renovation plans for
the former club storage room, creating the Men’s Locker Room Bar. The former Men’s Card Room was
completely renovated at the same time and subsequently renamed the
Donald Ross Room. Both
projects were completed with much input and assistance from committee
members insuring timely completion and budget responsibility.
During 2005 the Board of Directors approved
removal of 280 trees including those that had become infected with
emerald ash borer disease, a disease that had impacted ash trees
throughout Southeastern Michigan over the past three years. Dr. Calligaro initiated a
program that enabled members to donate trees that would be planted in
strategic areas to replace the removed one. In the fall of 2005 over 100 trees were
planted. This project
continues to enhance the golf course for many years to come.
Finally, the Future Planning Committee began
working diligently to identify improvements to the golf course and to
the Club’s facilities.
Membership levels at the Club remained stable
during 2005 and 2006 despite the continued difficult economies in the
Greater Detroit area and throughout all of Michigan. Under President Larry Kearney,
a multifaceted facility improvement program was developed and presented
to the membership. This
program provided for a final phase of irrigation improvements, cart
path repairs, a new greens and grounds maintenance building, a major
refurbishment of the ladies locker room, repairs to the tennis courts
and a variety of other clubhouse upgrades. Support by the membership continues to be very high
as evidenced by the overwhelmingly favorable vote to proceed with this
program. These projects
were funded by refinancing the club’s mortgage which precluded any
increase in dues or the need for an assessment. All facets of this program will
be complete by the fall of 2007.
After seventeen years as general Manager of the
Grosse Ile Golf and Country Club, John Paul accepted a similar position
at Lochmoor Golf and Country Club in Grosse Pointe. John was very well liked and
respected not only at Grosse Ile but also throughout the district. He remains a staunch supporter
and good friend of the club and will always be remembered for his
leadership and many accomplishments while at Grosse Ile.
In the fall of 2006, Jim Johnson was named General
Manager of the club and quickly assimilated to his new position
bringing energy and attentiveness to the membership. He quickly developed an
excellent rapport with President Gary Meyers, the other board members,
department heads and employees.
Under the leadership of the Board of Directors and Jim Johnson,
the continued success of the Club has been assured.
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One of Grosse Ile Golf and Country
Club's proudest traditions is the annual Invitational Tournament.
Back in 1937, the Club needed funds for golf course maintenance, so
Buddy Krebs and John Foley originated the Invitation Tournament
format. That first tournament
entry roster was about 25 players short until Rollo Weyand, of Western
Golf and Country Club recruited some 25 golfers from the district to
enter the event. Chuck Kocsis emerged as the first champion in a
spirited competition, combined with camaraderie that remains as the
major attraction of the "Invite" today. But more important,
$3,000 was raised in that first Invitational and turned over to
Greenskeeper Archie Reame to purchase some much need fertilizer. Dominic Gorno provided a
tractor and other equipment to spread the fertilizer and wrote the bill
for his services on a chunk of ice.
Grosse Ile was the first club in Michigan to sponsor an Invitational
event. The popular and
highly successful idea has expanded to virtually every private club in
the state today.
Over the years, the Invitational has counted among its contestants
Arnold Palmer, Chick Harbert, Walter Burkemo and Frank Stranahan to
name just a few of the nationally-known golfers who have competed.
From its humble beginnings, the Invitational has grown to become the
premier event of the Grosse Ile golfing season and today attracts 128
members and their guest partners (256 players) in a four-day blend of
golf competition, fellowship, dances, dinners and awards for the
victors. It's a reunion, a
picnic, a sporting event, a happening all rolled into one memorable
week in August that has become one of Grosse Ile's finest traditions.
The 1986 Men's Invitational thus was the 50th renewal of this popular
annual event with a little extra in the form of effort and awards. Bob Taylor chaired the program
with an expanded committee and a year of lead-time to assure a perfect
result that all would remember.
In this objective, he was unquestionably successful - as was
member Dan Grahl along with his invited teammate Kevin Muir who won
this special event with a spectacular last minute finish.
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1937 --- Chuck Kocsis
1938 --- Jack Emery
1939 --- Walter Burkemo
1940 --- Jack Emery
1941 --- Walter Burkemo
1942 --- Jim Funston and Dick Whiting
1943 --- Frank Connolly and Dr. Philip Cornell
1944 --- Chuck Kocsis and Ellis Berry
1945 --- Chris Brinke and Red Butler
1946 --- George Victor and Hugo Krave
1947 --- Randall Ahern and Wade Young
1948 --- Ray Palmer and Ralph Ellstrom
1949 --- Ray Palmer and Ralph Ellstrom
1950 --- Charles Escoe and Chuck Kocsis
1951 --- Bob Thompson and Jack Zinn
1952 --- Ray Palmer and Ralph Ellstrom
1953 --- Stan Long and Roy Nelson
1954 --- Vince Stegman and George Kain
1955 --- Bob Billig and Ralph Ellstrom
1956 --- Glenn Johnson and Ray Palmer
1957 --- Charles Brethen, Jr. and Tom Draper
1958 --- Bill Michaels and John Miles
1959 --- Dr. Stanley Kwasiborski and John Driver
1960 --- Glenn Johnson and Carl Herrud
1961 --- Tom Draper and Floyd Burdette
1962 --- Calvin Cooke and Peter Devany
1963 --- Roy Burgin and Sam Kocsis
1964 --- Glenn Johnson and Bill Prew
1965 --- John Czarnik and Bill Buss
1966 --- Peter Devany and Hunter McDonald
1967 --- Peter Devany and Hunter McDonald
1968 --- Dr. Stanley Kwasiborski and Bob Armstrong
1969 --- Ray Palmer and Ron Palmer *
1970 --- Dick Fairgrieve and John Grace
1971 --- Gene Calderone and Tom Pendlebury
1972 --- Glenn Johnson and Tom Rex
1973 --- Glenn Johnson and Tom Rex
1974 --- Bill Ferguson and Jim Funston
1975 --- Stan Kwasiborski, Jr. and Bob Armstrong
1976 --- Dick Fairgrieve and Tom Fairgrieve *
1977 --- John (Corky) Hancock, Jr. and Dave Harris
1978 --- Dave Jones and Chris Adams
1979 --- Dick Fairgrieve and Tom Fairgrieve *
1980 --- John (Corky) Hancock, Jr. and Dennis McCosky
1981 --- John Czarnik and Jim Lipe
1982 --- John Czarnik and Bill Vandermass
1983 --- Tom Fairgrieve and Doug Lemanski
1984 --- Ben Aycock, Jr. and Brian Mills
1985 --- Glenn Johnson and Pete Green
1986 --- Dan Grahl and Kevin Muir
1987 --- Ben Aycock, Jr. and Brian Mills
1988 --- Jeff Geftos and Kevin Troyer
1989 --- Jeff Geftos and Robert Papp, Jr.
1990 --- John Czarnik and Bill Vandermass
1991 --- Jeff Geftos and Greg Stefan
1992 --- Bob Papp and Joe Creal
1993 --- Douglas Treadwell and Mark Johnson
1994 --- Douglas Treadwell and Mark Johnson
1995 --- Douglas Treadwell and Mark Johnson
1996 --- John Czarnik and Bill Vandermass
1997 --- Bob Buhl, Jr. and Chuck Huber
1998 --- Douglas Treadwell and Rick Hrdlicka
1999 --- Bob Buhl, Jr. and Chuck Huber
2000 --- Bob Buhl, Jr. and Chuck Huber
2001 --- Bob Buhl, Jr. and Chuck Huber
2002 --- Terry Bolthouse and Steve Gasper
2003 --- Gregg Bonamici and Jim Lewis
2004 --- Ben Aycock and Jeff Cuzzort
2005 --- Bob Papp and Ben Grandy
2006 --- John “Corky” Hancock, Jr. and Steve Cuzzort
2007 --- Todd Johnson and John Johnson*
* Indicates father/son team
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