Midland Country Club 90 Year Anniversary Celebration

Original club house rendering by Alden B. Dow.

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www.midlandcc.net

Midland Country Club 90 years Anniversary

MCC 90th ANNIVERSARY

or 90 years, the Midland Country Club has served a unique and vital role in our community. A gathering place, a dining experience, a place for family outings and a large part of the region’s great golf opportunities.

Midland Country Club underwent a major transformation in 2010. With support from Dow and Dow Corning, club leadership approved a new 92,000 square foot Clubhouse, Aquatic Center and remodeled golf course – all designed to embrace the community’s families in the pursuit of personal improvement and year-round activities. The response was overwhelming and today we are fortunate to have a healthy, young, and diverse membership that embodies the Club’s spirit. MCC is a model for successful clubs today.

As we celebrate this anniversary, I’m proud to see that the Midland Country Club continues to grow, continues to evolve, and continues to offer a friendly and welcoming place for people to come together. That kind of longevity shows just how much the community – and every member – supports the club and its endeavors and I want to personally thank each of you for everything you contribute to that success.

From its humble beginnings in 1926 – when Gilbert Currie and his friends (including Dr. Herbert H. Dow) first envisioned a golf course on farm land previously owned by the Haley and Peterson farms – the club has continued to thrive.

As we look to the future, I am excited to welcome the LPGA and the Great Lakes Bay Invitational to Midland Country Club in 2019. It’s a fantastic opportunity to showcase the Club to the world’s golf community as it hosts a brandnew LPGA “team format” event. It’s a unique occasion to show the world something we all know firsthand: that the Midland Country Club – at 90 years old – continues to evolve and thrive as it provides the ultimate lifestyle club experience.

Jim Fitterling

After the course itself was completed, HH Dow urged the architectural firm of Frantz and Spence (with Alden B. Dow serving as the associate designer) to move rapidly on the Clubhouse design. After just over seven months of construction, the Clubhouse was officially opened on May 1, 1931 and quickly gained the reputation as one of the finest clubhouses in the country. Designers had included private dining rooms, powder rooms, connections for radios, a ballroom with a lighted floor, both men’s and women’s locker rooms, and an elegant kitchen capable of serving 250 people.

After numerous smaller renovations and modifications, the entire

Congratulations Midland Country Club on your first 90 years. And a tremendous ‘Thank You’ to every member and club employee who contributes to the club’s ongoing success.

Longest Tenured Midland Country Club Members (Since the 1950’s) Rhea Currie Ruth Sheffield Hilda Aiken Anna Junia Doan Jacob & Mary Eichhorn James & Mary Kendall Carl & Ethel Mortenson Joan Ryan George & Virginia Ulmer

www.midlandcc.net

Midland Country Club 90 years Anniversary

Happy 90th!

May your hospitality and beauty continue to shine brightly in the Midland community.

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Midland Country Club 90 years Anniversary

www.midlandcc.net

McGraw Talks About 32 Years at MCC

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Joanne McGraw

Controller/HR (Retired) through the years.

he Midland Country Club recently bid a fond farewell to one of its longest-tenured and most respected employees: Joanne McGraw. The longtime controller retired after 32 years at the MCC, ending a distinguished career that saw her work under a number of general managers, including current GM Todd Beals.

the country club has continued its emphasis on becoming more familyoriented. There’s a Kids Corner, a fitness center and many activities geared toward young people and their families.”

While many country clubs face daunting financial challenges, McGraw and other MCC leaders have shrewdly kept the club in sound fiscal shape through physical and philosophical transformations

“I remember when we used to have a waiting list for as long as 5 years for golf and recreational memberships,” McGraw noted. “That has changed dramatically. People with young families just don’t have the freedom of time anymore. That’s why it’s important the country club can bring families together by offering something for everyone.”

“When I first started at the country club back in 1986, golf, dining and the pool were the main attractions,” she said. “Under Todd’s leadership

The construction of a 92,000 square foot clubhouse, a newly redesigned 18-hole golf course and a new swimming pool/entertainment complex are but a few of the major upgrades McGraw has seen take shape at the club. It’s no longer enough to simply cater to avid golfers to sustain a country club these days. Golf, of course, will always remain a central component of the country club, but fitness, fine dining, special events, spa treatments—amenities you associate with a resort—are becoming increasingly popular at the MCC.

One of the most significant events during McGraw’s career was the construction of a new clubhouse in 2010. It replaced the original clubhouse that was designed by Alden B. Dow, at the request of his father, Herbert H. Dow, while he was a student at Columbia University in 1930. The unveiling of the new clubhouse, though, was not an

Happy 90th anniversary to the Midland Country Club!

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Thank you for hosting this international event and bringing great exposure to our special region!

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Midland Country Club 90 years Anniversary

immediate hit with everyone.

“It upset some of the club members because it didn’t really resemble Mr. Dow’s original design,” McGraw said of the mix of Art Deco and International style that captivated the community when the country club officially opened on May 1, 1931.

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“As long as Dow maintains its presence in Midland and with the way they support the community, I don’t think the Midland Country Club is going anywhere,” McGraw said.

“You’d like to see a structure like the original clubhouse continued to be modified and renovated, but there does come a time when that’s no longer feasible,” acknowledged Craig McDonald, director of the Alden B. Dow Home and Studio. “The original clubhouse was Alden B. Dow’s first project in Midland and it was huge news at the time. Everyone in town had some kind of input.”

McGraw said she enjoyed working at the country club, but once you “reach a certain age you start thinking it’s time to retire.”

It hasn’t been the easiest of transitions, largely because she brought her work ethic with her into the sunset.

“It’s terrible,” she said, smiling. “I read a book and I feel guilty. I’m busy all the time. When you work your entire life, you keep putting off all these household and other things you have to do because you tell yourself you don’t have the time. Now I have the time, so…”

Despite a decline in the number of private country clubs nationally-and Millenials not exactly flocking to the sport--the MCC is in sound fiscal shape. The support of The Dow Chemical Company, now DowDuPont, is a big reason why.

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Congratulations on 90 Years!

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Midland Country Club 90 years Anniversary

www.midlandcc.net

Two Lives Brought Together at the Club

By Jon Becker for the Daily News

I

t was never supposed to happen. Yet a twist of fate, one that unexpectedly brought Christopher Jue all the way from China to the Midland Country Club by way of California back in 2008, led to a chance introduction to a woman who would later become his bride. As John Lennon once said: “Life is what happens to you while you’re making other plans.”

Claudia and Christopher Jue have now been married for just over 6 years, a union that owes its origins to the annual Midland Country Club Invitational Golf Tournament.

“We were never supposed to meet,” said Christopher Jue. “I was in China on a family vacation but had to cut it short a few weeks because a family member got sick.”

Jue rushed back to California, where he lived at the time. Two days after returning home, he spoke with John Carras, his best friend dating back to their college days at USC where they met on the tennis court. (Jue was a highly ranked junior player in Northern California and was an Assistant Coach for USC’s Women’s Tennis Team). Carras’ father was planning on competing in the MCC Invitational, but his partner was forced to withdraw due to an injury.

“John asked if I could come out in two days to be his Dad’s partner,” Jue said.

“One phone call and two days later I was in Midland for the Invitational.”

Still, the stars weren’t quite aligned for Claudia and Christopher to meet. It took a last minute change of mind on Claudia’s part, prompted by her parents, for the fortuitous introduction to happen. They met at the Wednesday Welcome Reception that kicks off the golf tournament.

“I wasn’t really interested in attending the event, but my parents insisted because it was always such a fun event,” Claudia Jue said. “Wouldn’t you know it, I ran into John and the rest is kind of history.”

At the reception, Claudia’s father, Walter Scherzer, whom Christopher knew from playing golf, asked Carras if his buddy was single. John told him yes and then quickly introduced “me to Claudia,” said Christopher Jue. “He was nice enough to leave us alone after making the introduction. John even went so far as to drive to MBS International Airport to retrieve my golf clubs and baggage that arrived on a later flight—my bags didn’t make the flight with me.”

“There was instant chemistry between us,” recounted Claudia Jue. “It was like we knew each other for a long time. Everyone who saw us together couldn’t believe that we just met. It didn’t take long to know that this chance meeting was more than that.”

After the tournament, Christopher Jue returned to San Francisco, but the two, clearly smitten with each other, were determined to continue seeing each other. ‘”We dated for three years, became engaged and got married a year later,” Claudia Jue, a graduate of Midland High and Northwood University, said.

Said Christopher Jue: “I was born and raised in Fresno, CA. I graduated from the University of Southern California. I lived and worked in California for most of my career until moving to Michigan after marrying Claudia. She’s the reason why I am a Michigander.”

Carras and Jue may have met on the tennis court during their freshman year at USC, but these days its golf that strokes their competitive drive.

“I maintain a membership at a club in San Francisco,” Christopher Jue said.

“In many cases John has come out to play in our member/guest tournament. It was great when we could compete with each other, but now and as a member of the Midland Country Club we compete against each other.”

The Jues have a young son, Ryder, 5, who already is turning heads with his golf game.

“Ryder has been swinging a golf club since he could stand,” Claudia Jue, herself a golfer, said. “He plays almost every day with Christopher. He absolutely loves golf.”

“He was introduced to the game just a few weeks after he was born,” said Christopher Jue. “I took him to the course with Claudia. I think he started hitting balls and running around the course when he was 2 years old. It was great way to tire him out.”

For the Jues, golf is a family affair. They all have enjoyed it (including their other children, Madison and Devin) and feel fortunate that Midland offers such a premier country club with attentive and skilled staff. It makes a difference when they all know Ryder—and even what he likes to eat. Both of Claudia’s parents, Walter and Margarete Scherzer, play as well, especially after retiring in 2016 when they closed their family business, Stanley’s Furniture, a fixture in Midland for 65 years.

“Golf is such a great game that can be played a lifetime,” said Claudia Jue. “It’s such a great way to spend time as a family. We are extremely lucky to have the country club and all that it has to offer in a community our size. The staff is so wonderful, so kind and accommodating. They are more like friends and family to us.”

And it’s not just golf that brings the Jues to the country club. Ryder learned to swim there and his Dad typically begins his day at the club. Its aquatic facility, adroitly managed for 46 years by Tom Messinger, is a prime attraction.

“The country club is a special facility in a special community,” Christopher Jue, who runs his own business, said. “It has been a big part of our lives in so many ways but more as a respite from daily life because it offers so many things. I use the workout facilities and take classes almost daily to start my day. During the summer at the pool, you don’t feel like you’re in the Midwest.”

The country club has fueled Ryder’s passion for golf. Club pro Jim Deiter’s development of the junior golf club has “taken Ryder’s enjoyment to a whole new level. He’s having a ton of fun, making more friends, and he’s improving too. When I’m on the course and Ryder’s not with me, everyone asks where he is.”

From witnessing his father-in-law’s hole in one and outlasting Carras in a 26hole match that lasted two-days, to splendid social events and enjoying family time on the links, Christopher Jue has made a lot of lasting memories at the MCC through the years. One, though, will always above the rest: His chance meeting with Claudia, in 2008.

“We love to share that story with everyone, because it means so much to us,” Claudia Jue said. “Without the country club and golf tournament we would have never met.”

www.midlandcc.net

Midland Country Club 90 years Anniversary

Saturday, November 3, 2018 | Page 7

ourmidland.com

Congratulations on celebrating 90 years of service in the Great Lakes Bay Region!

From Owners and proud members of the Midland Country Club Happy 90th anniversary to the Midland Country Club. Wishing you many more years of success and prosperity!

Christine and Nick Schwall.

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Midland Country Club 90 years Anniversary

www.midlandcc.net

A New Generation Welcome at MCC

he Midland Country Club, steeped in tradition spanning generations, continues to evolve as a premier facility that brings people of all ages together.

Its youngest member, 23-year-old Josiah Cormier, travels extensively but always relishes returning home (Sanford Lake), thanks in no small part to his attachment to the Midland Country Club. It’s become a central part of his life.

Cormier credits General Manager Todd Beals for promoting a more diverse environment at the club. He said there’s a different vibe, one you wouldn’t necessarily expect at a country club.

“Todd is just awesome,” he said. “Country clubs have the reputation for being snotty and pretentious, but it’s not like that here.

Todd has made it a lot of fun. “ “Todd is personable and willing to try new things,” said Tom Messinger, a 46-year veteran employee of the club. “We try to be creative in what activities we offer and Todd’s vision is a big part of that. One of the big differences in today’s country club is all the services and amenities we now offer.”

“It’s been a great outlet for me to socialize and gain some lifelong friendships and relationships,” Cormier said. “The facility is better than the Beverly Hills Country Club but it’s the people that make the club.”

Cormier is working on an MBA at Northwood University’s DeVos Graduate School while holding down two part-time jobs. It’s a hectic lifestyle, one that doesn’t allow him a lot of free time. When he does get a chance to unwind, the country club is at the top of his list.

“Sometimes all I have is an hour and a half,” he said, “and I’ll go sit by the pool or dine outside and enjoy the beautiful view overlooking the golf course and fountain.

You don’t even realize you’re in Midland.”

Cormier also enjoys working out in the Fitness Center, after which he may enjoy good conversation and fine dining with fellow club members. He wants his peers to realize what they are missing out on by not stepping out of their comfort zones to embrace new experiences.

“Where else can I do yoga with an 84-year-old gentleman and then have dinner at the same place? The biggest thing, what’s incredibly unique about being the youngest member, is how the club facilitates the bridging of generational gaps. It’s about so much more than golf these days.”

That’s not lost on Cormier. He acknowledges he’s a bit of an anomaly as a 23-year-old among the membership. But somebody has to defy convention and he’s having a blast being the one doing it.

Josiah Cormier

“Certainly people my age don’t hang out with 84-year-olds,” he mused. “Yet we need young people to realize that older folks have so many life experiences we don’t.

Where do they think wisdom and guidance comes from?”

Cormier has been a member of the country club for more than 2 years. No matter where his travels and career path take him following graduation, his deep ties to the MCC make maintaining his Midland connections and a membership a distinct possibility.

“My overall experience has been extremely positive,” he noted. “It’s going to take young people like me to keep country clubs going. The Midland Country Club is not stuck in the past. It’s willing to try different things. I hope I can say the same about people my age.”

www.midlandcc.net

• Spending

Midland Country Club 90 years Anniversary

a Lifetime With MCC •

By Jon Becker for The Daily News

R

The gentleman, said Currie, had started his own automotive polishing business and told Chet he had just sold it for $8 million dollars.

hea Currie, slowly but surely, enters the lobby of the Midland Country Club on a recent crisp and dreary fall morning. Currie, 102, has driven (yes, she still drives--and uses an iPad) to the club for a meeting. She walks, aided by a cane as a result of a broken hip suffered 18 months ago but remains fiercely independent and as spirited as ever. Smartly dressed, Currie flashes a bright smile as she is greeted by Todd Beals, the country’s club’s general manager, and her guest.

“You look lovely this morning,” said Beals.

“It’s so nice to see you.” Currie, the oldest living member of the venerable MCC, has been enjoying socializing and dining at the club since shortly after World War II when she and her late husband, Chester, an avid golfer, joined. These days Mrs. Currie makes it a point to come to the club at least a couple times a week for lunch and bridge. She’s a regular on Wednesdays for Family Night.

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As much as the couple enjoyed Florida, they would invariably find their way back to Midland.

The country club, for which Chet once served as president, was a big reason why.

“We liked the fact that it was a small town and we knew so many people,” she said. “We used to attend a lot of great parties here. Chet traveled a lot on business but we loved to play cards and dance. Bridge and gin rummy were our favorites.”

Rhea Currie

“The reason I come on Wednesday’s is to see people I know,” she said. “I’m a people person.

At my age I’m lucky if I have 4 or 5 friends. My husband used to tease me because everywhere we would go I would know someone. My husband wasn’t an outgoing person. There were two things he could talk about: golf and Dow Corning.”

As outgoing as Rhea Currie is, Chester, or Chet as he was known, was rather reserved. A longtime chemist for the Dow Corning Corporation, when he wasn’t working, he could usually be found on the links. When Rhea Currie was in the hospital going into labor for both her sons, Robert and William, “The nurses joked if Chet was going to take off his golf shoes before he came. He loved the game.”

Married 67 years, the Curries, after raising their two sons in Midland, would go on to spend about eight months a year in Venice and other parts of Florida.

“We would try a place for a couple years and then move to where there was a better golf course,” said Currie.

One day while Chet was playing golf in Venice, a man approached him and asked if he was Chet Currie from Dow Corning. When Chet said yes, he told him he had bought a patent for an automotive polish the chemist had developed. Curious, the man asked Chet how much he had sold it for.

“Chet told him $1 dollar,” said Currie. “He was incredulous, but Chet told him that it wasn’t about the money. Dow Corning paid him well and the patent belonged to the company not him.”

Rhea Currie has been living independently in Midland since Chet passing in 2008. She and her two sons and daughter in-law whom she enjoys spending time with and is more active than many people far younger. She works out, mainly exercises designed for balance, and continues to volunteer at the MidMichigan Medical Center.

“I’ve been doing it for more than 70 years,” said the former school teacher who fondly remembers Steve Arbury and Jim McCandless as former students. “If the hospital has some things I can do at the front desk, I help out.

Doing it her own way comes as no surprise to anyone who has known Rhea Currie during her long and incredible life. Just ask Midland Country Club Manager Todd Beals.

“Rhea is a remarkable woman,” he said. “She’s sharp as a tack and will keep you on your toes. When she speaks we listen around here.

She’s earned our respect and admiration and it has little to do with age.

She’s bright, articulate and unafraid to speak her mind.”

“Believe me, I’ve gotten the message a few times since I’ve been here,” Beals adds, smiling.

Currie has made few concessions to age, but does acknowledge that “I have to stop some days and tell myself I shouldn’t do that.”

Predictably she has fielded questions about her longevity.

“When I turned 100 people asked what it felt like to be 100. I told them I don’t know, I’ve never been 100. If I knew the secret to longevity I would bottle it and make my fortune.”

As it is, Rhea Currie is content living in Midland, where the Midland Country Club and the friends and camaraderie she has enjoyed for more than 70 years, continues to brighten her day.

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www.midlandcc.net

Midland Country Club 90 years Anniversary

LPGA Event to Showcase Midland Country Club on a Global Stage Midland Country Club will host The Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) for the 2019 Dow Great Lakes Invitational, taking place July 15-20, 2019. The new official LPGA Tour event will feature a full field of 144 of the world’s most talented female golfers, paired up in 72 two-player teams. Teams will play a 72-hole, stroke play format, competing in alternating rounds of Foursome (alternate shot) and Four-Ball (best ball).

For the first time on the LPGA Tour, players will have the opportunity to choose a teammate and play in pairs to earn both official points and a portion of the tournament’s $2 million purse. All of the action will be broadcast on the Golf Channel, showcasing Midland Country Club for four days to over 150 countries. The international exposure will provide Midland Country Club brand and reputation reinforcement, while also accentuating the newly renovated clubhouse, playing facilities and new outlook.

“Gone are the days of a singularly focused club, interested only in the golfer,” said Todd Beals, General Manager of Midland Country Club. “Our club prides itself on the inclusive nature of its facility and programming.”

Since rebuilding in 2010, Midland Country Club has incorporated additional amenities geared toward kids and family. The LPGA’s familyfriendly and community-oriented brand will only help to enhance the club’s efforts to appeal to all lifestyles and create an atmosphere that mirrors the new tournament’s fun and interactive format.

With LPGA tournaments typically drawing in 30,000 to 40,000 spectators on average, attendees will have the chance to experience all that Midland Country Club has to offer, firsthand.

For more information about the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational, visit www.DowGLBI.com and follow along on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (@DowGLBI).

General Tournament Info Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational July 15-20, 2019 Midland Country Club Visit us: www.DowGLBI.com Follow us: @DowGLBI

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Saturday, November 3, 2018 | Page 11

Midland Country Club 90 years Anniversary

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Midland Country Club 90 years Anniversary

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Midland Country Club 90 years Anniversary

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Midland Country Club 90 years Anniversary

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A Second Hand (But Favorite) Memory of the MCC Opening

By Nancy Barker, August 2018

W

hen I first moved to Midland in 1961, Marjory (Mrs. William C.) Britton became my good friend. She was full of wonderful stories… such as that of building their lovely home at 1414 West Sugnet in early days BUT not being able to find anyone for cleaning help because the house was “too far out of town”…two miles!

The other tale which was quite wonderful was that of the committee which worked on the décor of the newly building Midland Country Club. She (an artist of much accomplishment), Dorothy Arbury (MCC architect Alden Dow’s sister) and Floyd Wood (A local leading furniture businessman) were tasked with choosing and purchasing the accouterments for the Club dining room. They visited Toledo Ohio, famous for its glass factory, and chose the amethyst goblets which were such a distinctive part of the table settings, and I’m sure they chose the beautiful china with its vivid green border--- both pieces complementing Mr. Dow’s choice of royal purple for the Club’s carpeting. That purple carpet became a hallmark of MCC and several of Mr. Dow’s residences (including ours) still have rooms carpeted in this most unusual but very satisfyingly rich color.

and of course Mr. and Mrs. Dow… Willard & Martha, that is. They had been wholly supportive of the entire new building endeavor. There was just one small problem; Mrs. Dow was a devoted member of the local Women’s Christian Temperance Union and of course did not believe in the use of alcohol (which indeed had been the scourge of Midland City in times past… a saloon on every corner I’m told.) Thus, the new MCC was decreed to be ‘dry’.

And Marjory’s tale of the MCC opening night ‘gala’ was priceless. I wish she were here to tell it, because actually I am not sure if the night in question was the night before the big opening, or the culminating night of the big ‘to do’. In retrospect I think she said it was the night before, because everyone on the committee had stayed very late putting on the finishing touches. At any rate, these then-young upstarts who would of course become Midland’s leading citizens, were the first to stay overnight at the new Midland Country Club. The committee was there

So, Marjory told hysterically funny stories (especially coming from this lovely, beautifully dressed, dignified, composed and ever so correct 80 year old!) of the committee’s younger couples sneaking up and down hallways into and out of various rooms to share a toast (or two or three) to the completion of their task… and being super quiet and stealthy (and I might add I’m sure, respectful) so as not to awaken the slumbering Mr. and Mrs. Dow (who supposedly never found out. Hmmm. As astute as both of them were, I wonder. ) We’ll never know.

Marjory (Mrs. William C.) Britton

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Midland Country Club 90 years Anniversary

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Congratulations on your 90 year Anniversary!

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Page 16 | Saturday, November 3, 2018

Midland Country Club 90 years Anniversary

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Congratulations to the Midland Country Club on their 90th anniversary!

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Congratulations on Your

90th Anniversary!

The Midland Cancer Services Board of Directors congratulates the Midland Country Club on this impressive milestone and extends our thanks for their many years of partnership in support of our clients.

www.midlandcc.net

Midland Country Club 90 years Anniversary

Saturday, November 3, 2018 | Page 17

CONGRATULATIONS MIDLAND COUNTRY CLUB ON YOUR 90TH ANNIVERSARY!

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Midland Country Club 90 years Anniversary

www.midlandcc.net

Alden B. Dow Designs ‘The Place to be’

By Jon Becker for The Daily News

O

ne of Midland’s favorite sons, famed architect Alden B. Dow, created the buzz that led the Midland Country Club to become a community landmark with his breathtaking design of its original building.

A mix of art deco and international style, the Dow-designed clubhouse was hailed as artistically original and unique to Midland, down to every intricate detail, when the Midland Country Club officially opened with a dedication ball on May 1, 1931.

Asked by his father, Herbert H. Dow, for design ideas, young Alden B.

course was there and they wanted a clubhouse around it. Everyone in town had some sort of input.”

The town was so captivated by the new clubhouse that the newspaper of the day, the Midland Republic, devoted an entire special edition to the splendid new structure. The rest of the nation may have been reeling

Dow drew his first sketches for the country club in 1930 while studying architecture at Columbia University.

“He sent the gorgeous pencil and watercolor drawings to Herbert H. Dow, who sadly passed away before the clubhouse was built,” said Craig McDonald, director of the Alden B. Dow Home & Studio. “The golf

from the Great Depression, but The Dow Chemical Co. was flourishing and its founding family already was heavily invested in the community.

“Building the country club speaks to the Dows and what they did for Midland,” McDonald said. “It became a symbol of progress and growth in Midland. You knew you were somewhere special when you walked into the country club.”

The crisp setbacks and vertical lines of the clubhouse façade gave it an Art Deco look. Its horizontality and angularity reflected the thennew international style. The buff-colored stucco covered a cinderblock

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Midland Country Club 90 years Anniversary

structure that contained dining rooms, lounges, locker rooms, and guest rooms. Doors and windows were inset with geometric art glass.

Alden B. Dow also was in charge of furnishings, and it was here where his penchant for striking colors burst onto the scene: lounge and dining room carpets were purple, walls were salmon and green. Perhaps most striking, though, was the “rainbow lighting he created in the dining room/ballroom,” McDonald noted.

Even as a fledgling young architect, Alden B. Dow demonstrated a fierce attention to detail.

“This was Mr. Dow’s first project in Midland. He created an atmosphere and feel that people still talk about today,” McDonald said. “My goodness, even the plumbing and heating were celebrated.”

Remarkably, Dow wasn’t yet a registered architect when he designed the original Midland Country Club. While he would quickly distinguish himself and, like Frank Lloyd Wright and Richard Neutra, go on to be recognized as one of the leading architects of the day, Dow’s brilliance was first recognized outside of his hometown.

Saturday, November 3, 2018 | Page 19

a lifetime and the original MCC created lasting memories for generations of members. Herbert H. Dow’s vision played a major role in opening up the country club to a wider circle of people.

“He wanted to establish a place for Midland residents to gather,” McDonald said. He said ‘Let’s have a central place, not just for golfers, where family and friends can congregate.’ Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow had a sense of duty and commitment to the community. They were a tremendous force who impacted every aspect of Midland life.”

Most telling, “They made money and could have gone anywhere, but they stayed. Their sense of community and great generosity here never wavered.”

According to McDonald, the Dow family was heavily involved in the hands-on work that led to the formation of the Midland Country Club.

They assisted with certain aspects of the project, including funding.

“He was a genius and I don’t throw that term around lightly,” McDonald said. “Sometimes we are slow to recognize genius so close to us. Mr. Dow changed architecture locally, statewide and nationally.”

The MCC officially opened on May 1, 1931. Its young architect, however, could not attend as he was preparing to graduate from Columbia’s architectural school. A few months later, though, on September 16, 1931, Alden B. Dow married his childhood sweetheart, Vada. The place they chose to celebrate their union? The country club, naturally.

In all, Alden B. Dow designed over 600 projects during his illustrious career, including 130 in Midland. It’s said that first impressions can last

“It certainly was the place to be,” McDonald said. “The Midland Country Club becomes the social hub of Midland.”

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Midland Country Club 90 years Anniversary

MCC Pool is a Unique Place to Cool Off

By Jon Becker for The Daily News

A

long time local coach and educator has been a mainstay of the Midland Country Club for 46 years. While many educators look forward to summer vacation and time way from the classroom, Tom Messinger has always taken a different approach. Even though he retired in 2004 after 32 years as a teacher in the Midland Public School System, Messinger continues to leave his mark on young people as the country club’s aquatics center director. It’s a position he’s held for more than half of the country club’s 90-year existence.

“This is one of those jobs you just love,” Messinger said. “Meeting new members, teaching kids to swim and working with a staff of consummate professionals at a top-notch facility makes this enjoyable.”

As Messinger provides a tour of the country club’s pool and its attendant amenities, it’s abundantly clear no detail is too small. Meeting exact standards in every aspect of the pool’s operations translates to great enjoyment for members and guests. But it’s more than sound operational practices that distinguishes the MCC experience.

“I treat every one of the kids that come here as one of my own,” the former Northeast Middle School teacher and athletic director said. “The personal touch is a big factor in what we do. This is the 3rd pool I’ve worked with in my time here. It’s the best but also the most complicated

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because of everything we offer.”

Tyler Johnson is the MCC’s director of banquet sales. He’s seen firsthand the kind of impact Messinger has on people. He hopes to see it continue for years to come.

“One year at a time,” Messinger responded when asked of retirement plans. “I’ll consider it when I have 3 bad days in a row.”

Tom Messinger

“Tom is the one person here Aquatic Center Manager who knows everyone at the club,” Johnson said. “He knows people by their first name, their kids, and the kids’ teachers. It’s amazing.”

The unveiling of a swimming pool/entertainment complex in 2011 has proved to be enormously popular. The main pool has six, 25-yard long lanes, used for competition, recreational swimming and lap swimming.

A zero-entry splash pool for children and an 11-foot diving well are also part of the pools’ transformation. A circular slide and a hot tub, large enough for 25 people, are other features.

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Midland Country Club 90 years Anniversary

“The membership really likes the diving board,” Messinger said. “Most facilities don’t have them anymore. We started offering lap swimming five mornings a week when the new pool opened.”

A dry, hot summer saw people flock to the pool in record numbers.

‘We attract, on average, about 200 people a day to the pool area,” Messinger said. “We had roughly 15,616 individuals use the pool this past summer.”

The increasing popularity of the pool and offerings such as a cabana with food service, a teen room with table and video games, as well as family, men’s and women’s locker rooms is reflected in staff levels.

“When I first started here we had 10 staffers,” Messinger noted. “Now, we’re up to 33 at our new pool. Our menu has greatly expanded as well.

We currently offer a large menu with one or two cooks preparing food at all times.”

Remarkably, Messinger (46 years) and his assistant aquatic center managers, Buffy Hall (35 years) and Andrea DuBois (34 years) offer a combined 114 years of experience. Where else could one find that collection of vast experience and instructional talent in a country club setting?

Saturday, November 3, 2018 | Page 21

said.

Even the lifeguards, often competitive swimmers, tend to work at the country club 6 to 7 years.

“We usually hire top swimmers. They’ve been in the water their entire lives,” Messinger said. “Some of our top guards may even coach.”

Having accomplished swimmers reinforces what Messinger says is the staff’s top priority: swimmer safety. To that end, the country club offers private lessons.

“We like to get kids in the pool at 3-years-old,” he said. “That’s when they should be swim-trained. We like to get them early. It’s not uncommon to have 2 guards working with each kid.”

A longtime hallmark of the country club—its youth swim teams— continues to be “our number one attraction,” Messinger said. “We’ve had has many as nearly 150 swimmers on our teams, with our most recent teams at about 80.”

Through the years, numerous swimmers who went on to stardom got their start at the Midland Country Club.

“There are too many to mention all of them, but Jackson Goethe and Claire Newman are certainly two prime examples,” Messinger said.

Hall is the head swim coach at Midland High and also coaches the Dolphins, a youth swim club. DuBois is a teacher at Bullock Creek High School.

Goethe began swimming in the 6 & under division and just graduated from the University of Michigan, where he captained the swim team his senior year.

‘We know each other well and know what needs to be done,” Messinger

“He just missed Olympic qualifying times,” Messinger said of the

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Midland Country Club 90 years Anniversary

sprint freestyler.

Newman, a junior at Dow High, is the owner of a number of national records in the 50 and 100-year freestyle events. She began her swimming career at the MCC as a 9-year-old. Today she already has received over 50 offers from schools across the country, according to Messinger.

“She sets a record virtually every times she gets in the pool. You’ll be hearing more about her.”

The MCC typically is the host venue for swim championships that, through the years, has seen Midland swimmers compete against competitors from the Saginaw Country Club and the Bay City Country Club before it went public in 2015.

“We have a parade to highlight all the swimmers,” Messinger said.

“We like to recognize them for their efforts.”

successful start this past summer and fitness-related activities, in and outside the pool, are also a draw.

As the suns attempts to peak out on a brisk early fall morning, Messinger gazes out at a spectacular sight from the pool onto the golf course’s 18th green. Surrounded by a pond with a fountain, the “signature hole on the newly-designed course offers a million dollar view,” Messinger said. “We’re hosting a LPGA event here next summer and we’re expecting 30,000 people.”

Members of the Midland Country Club can expect a delightful experience anytime they step on the fabled property.

“I’ve been doing this a long time and, to me, there is no other place like the Midland Country Club,” said Todd Beals, general manager. “This is a special property and we keep that in mind with everything we do here.”

Swimming, of course, is a focal point of the club’s pool/entertainment complex. But as the MCC continues its emphasis on providing a resortlike experience to become more relevant with younger audiences, newcomers may be pleasantly surprised by today’s atmosphere. It’s not just your grandparents’ club any longer.

“We try to be creative in what we do for activities,” Messinger said.

This includes after hours parties and club functions, DJ’s providing musical entertainment, birthday parties during the day, arts camps, movies and day camps. A new mermaid class got off to a swimmingly

Congratulations on 90 years!

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Midland Country Club 90 years Anniversary

Saturday, November 3, 2018 | Page 23

YEARS OF SERVICE•

Tom Messinger - 46 years

Christina Linton - 13 years

Mitch Bos - 9 years

Ryland Bever - 7 years

Buffy Hall - 35 years

Jim Deiters - 12 years

Kendra Johnson - 9 years

Scott Bejcek - 7 years

Andrea Dubois - 34 years

Shaena Reder - 12 years

Angela Schweinsberg - 9 years

John Sutphen - 7 years

Lanny Yeakle - 34 years

Dianne Eggers - 12 years

Tyler Johnson - 8 years

Stephen Peters - 5 years

Petra Mergard - 34 years

Joe Ferguson - 12 years

Rudi Hahn - 8 years

Kevin White - 5 years

Debbie Holcomb - 31 years

Colleen Vanslambrouck - 10 years

Anna McGee - 8 years

Arturo Cuellar Ramirez - 5 years

Marlene Wenzel - 26 years

Kevin Schroeder - 10 years

Matt Temple - 8 years

Zach McKenna - 5 years

Connie Mose - 22 years

Tina Rowe Shaffer - 9 years

Samantha Schuhmacher - 8 years

Rod Dutton - 5 years

Jason Brief - 19 years

Scott Selby - 9 years

Austin Deiters - 7 years

Randy Ferren - 5 years

Katie Lewis - 19 years

Kendra Matthews - 9 years

Howard McGraw - 7 years

Todd Beals - 5 years

Mark Butcher - 17 years

Leslie Thom - 9 years

Megan Garner - 7 years

Gavin Levely-Loose - 5 years

Heather Chamberlain - 15 years

Tim Cote - 9 years

Lauren Hall - 7 years

BrandyJo Thomas - 5 years

Melissa Dibenedetto - 14 years

Nate Sell - 9 years

Carrie Postma - 7 years