Golf
Ahistory
lesson
A view of construction of Hole No. 9 at The Oaks. PHOTO PROVIDED
A L O O K BAC K AT G O L F AT L A K E O F T H E O Z A R K S BY PAUL LEAHY
As we celebrate the 90th anniversary of Bagnell Dam this summer, let’s take a closer look at the history of golf in the Lake area. How did the construction of the Dam aff ect the area, and in particular, the construction of the area’s courses throughout the years? As water began to fi ll and form the Lake of the Ozarks, communities around the newly-formed lake began to grow, and with that, golf came to the area. Three years after the Dam was completed the community of Eldon opened the fi rst course in 1934. A 9hole sand green course that has since expanded to 18 holes and regulation grass green complexes. Golf was slow to catch on in the area but in 1950 the second 9hole sand green course was opened in Camdenton adjacent to the airport, called the Camdenton Golf Club. The pace of construction began to quicken as the city of Versailles built the third and fi nal sand green 9– hole course, Rolling Hills in 1955. In 1962 the Turkey Bend Poultry Farm in Osage Beach was transformed into the Dogwood Hills Golf Course. It was the fi rst 18-hole course and the fi rst course to feature regulation grass greens and really started the three decades of golf course construction
in the area. Dogwood Hills had a 52-year run but closed in 2014 to make way for development. By 1969 two new courses were built and ready for play. The Camdenton Golf Club was replaced by Lake Valley Country Club, an 18-hole member-owned private facility, and The Hidden Lakes Golf Course, now the 9-hole course at Margaritaville Lake Resort, was opened at the Tan-Tar-A Resort in preparation for the 1970 National Governors’ Conference that was held at the resort. Golf construction slowed during the 70s with the economic downturn but by 1980 two new 18-hole facilities opened in the area featuring named designers Robert Trent Jones Sr., Bruce Devlin and Robert Von Hagge. The Trent Jones Cove Course opened in 1979 at the Lodge of Four Seasons. In 1980 the Tan-Tar-A ski slopes were gone and the Devlin/Von Hagge designed Oaks Golf Course opened. These two courses transformed the landscape of golf at the Lake and throughout the 80s were the gems of the area. Each course hosted many collegiate tournaments and other regional events that put the Lake on the golfi ng landscape in the Midwest. By the end of the decade the west side of the Lake opened a new 9-hole course called Indian Rock which later expanded to 18 holes in the mid ’90s. lakenewsonline.com | 9
