Frank
Colvin and James Robb decided to give from their land
holdings a sizable piece of land for a club to build a
golf course, the first north of Duluth.
They gave their land holdings for a dollar, plus
life memberships in the Club for themselves and for
their children then living.
Share-holders were entitled to a 99-year lease
for a plot of land, providing they built a cottage on it
at once.
The Club borrowed
money, built our Clubhouse, and laid out the three-hole
golf course, which was quickly expanded to nine holes.
About 1919, a large addition to the Club-house
was built, consisting of a large dining room with
basement locker rooms and showers. The new kitchen and ten sleeping rental-rooms were added on
the second floor with one bathroom between floors to
service all the rental rooms and to be a “powder
room” for diners.
The golf course had
sand greens for many years.
The wooden tee wasn’t invented until 1926, so
tees had to be fashioned from pinches of sand, moistened
with water, to make pyramids on which to balance the
ball. Boxes
holding both the sand and water, necessary supplies,
were located at each tee. There were many inventions to hold the ball, but the wooden
tee solved that problem.
The sandbox became a ball washer as time went by.
On June 17, 1937,
the original clubhouse burned down.
The second nine-holes, started in 1932, were
closed to make way for new 99-year leased lots.
This revenue, plus insurance money and a loan
enabled the new Clubhouse to be built, and donations
from members made possible the additions of more dining
areas to be added to the Clubhouse as needed.
After World War II ended, many cabins were
upgraded, and the Club’s tennis courts were built. As
the population increased, social activities increased.
Dinner dances were held every two weeks, and
there were many golf events and tournaments.
Management personnel of the predominant mining
industry and other business leaders used the Club
facilities extensively for business-related gatherings.
In the 1950’s,
many families made their cabins year-round residences.
Soon, the remaining lots of Club property were
snapped up, beginning the transition to year-round homes
on the lake. Social
events included four large dinner dances each season;
elaborate “theme” parties were planned and executed
by committees--some of these were a Hawaiian luau (with
fountain and fresh flowers), a country fair (with midway
attractions and home-canned goodies), and Roaring
Twenties (everyone in costume).
In 1967, the
Clubhouse was expanded by the addition of a sizable
cocktail lounge known as the “Grill room.”
The purchase of chairs with member nameplates
attached helped fund the furnishings.
The Grill Room continues to be used extensively,
preferred by diners in golf and casual clothing in an
informal setting.
1979 brought
renovations to the Clubhouse, addition of a new entry,
more restrooms, remodeled kitchen, shower and locker
facilities, golf-club storage, etc.
The Pro Shop, starter desk and clothing displays
were moved to the Clubhouse’s lower level.
The 1980’s and
‘90’s have brought younger families, motorized golf
carts, more boats (especially pontoons), and more family
activities to the Club: children’s golf camp, private
parties and weddings, while maintaining our traditional
golf tournaments, Fourth of July parade, and social
events.
Historically, the
success of Eshquaguma Country Club has been due to
considerable volunteer effort.
Often their efforts are invisible to the majority
of the members. Individuals
who join ECC become members of a family—each
maintaining independence, appreciating individual
differ-ences, yet pulling together to insure the success
of our Club. We
are a community of caring members with a variety of
talents and skills.
May we ever continue to be so.
LONG
LIVE ESHQUAGUMA!
by
Millie Shank (edited by Sandy Douglass)
