AUGUSTA COUNTRY CLUB IS THE FIRST ESTABLISHED GOLF CLUB IN AUGUSTA WHICH HAD ITS BEGINNINGS DOCUMENTARY WISE IN 1899. IT ACTUALLY BEGAN A FEW YEARS EARLIER AND CERTAINLY HAS ITS PLACE AMONG THE VERY EARLY GOLF CLUBS IN AMERICA.
THE CLUB WAS FIRST KNOWN AS THE BON AIR GOLF CLUB BECAUSE OF THE CLOSE CONNECTIONS OF THE FOUNDING FATHERS WITH THE BON AIR HOTEL. DOCUMENTATION HAS SHOWN THAT THE CLUB BEGAN APPROXIMATELY 1897-1898 BUT WAS LEGALLY RECORDED LATER ON IN 1899 PER RICHMOND COUNTY COURTHOUSE RECORDS OF MARCH AND APRIL OF 1899. A NAME CHANGE FOLLOWED IN 1900 TO THE COUNTRY CLUB OF AUGUSTA AND IN 1921 TO THE AUGUSTA COUNTRY CLUB. IN 1942 THE CLUB CHANGED THE LEGAL NAME TO THE AUGUSTA COUNTRY CLUB, INCORPORATED.
THE FOUR GENTLEMEN WHO INTRODUCED AN OUTDOOR SPORT AND GAME – A GAME CALLED GOLF – TO AUGUSTA AND SUMMERVILLE RESIDENTS, WERE DR. WILLIAM HENRY HARISON, JR., MR. MORLEY HARISON, MR. HENRY H. CUMMING AND MR. LOUIS P. BERCKMANS. AS THIS HISTORY OF THE GAME OF GOLF AND THE AUGUSTA COUNTRY CLUB, INC. UNFOLDS, ONE CAN TRULY BE GRATEFUL TO THOSE FOUR MEN, WHO HAD THE FORESIGHT TO LEARN ABOUT AND BRING GOLF TO THE VILLAGE OF SUMMERVILLE IN AUGUSTA; FOR GOLF HAS BEEN ONE OF THE LARGER INSTRUMENTS IN OUR CITY’S HISTORY AND HAS CAUSED AUGUSTA TO BE HERALDED IN OUR STATE, COUNTRY AND THROUGHOUT THE WORLD AS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT GOLF CENTERS IN AMERICA.
