The history of the Johnson City Country Club reflects, in large part, the history of the Johnson City Area over much of the past century.   The Club is a non-profit organization that has a rich HISTORY, IMAGE and TRADITION.  Over the past 93 years the Club’s tradition has flourished to include an outstanding golf course, premier year-round tennis facilities, swimming and diving pools for all ages and casual and gourmet dining to satisfy every taste.

The foundation of the Club started in 1909 when a group of local sportsmen formed the basis of what was to become the JCCC.  The Club was formally established in 1913 as a nine-hole private golf course with 200 charter members.  In 1919 the Club solicited the services of world-famous golf course architect, A. W. Tillinghast, who is known today as the “Dean of American Golf Course Architects”.  Besides designing much of the JCCC golf course he is well-known for designing courses that have been the home to many U. S. Open and PGA Championships; these courses include Pine Valley, Oak Hills, Inverness, Baltusrol, Bethpage and the U. S. Open course, Winged Foot.  Known to his friends as “Tillie”, he learned many of his skills in Scotland under the tutelage of Old Tom Morris - - one of the game’s icons.  Those who have played the JCCC golf course have experienced, first-hand, Tillie’s imaginative approach which utilized what nature provided and enhanced it to create golf holes that are visually attractive.

The Clubhouse was built in 1920 and soon became the center of the Club’s activities with a ballroom, meeting rooms, bar and kitchen facilities.  For the community, the Clubhouse hosted theater, fashion shows and, during World War II, many fund-raisers to support relief efforts.

The Club has also played host for many national golf legends such as Babe Dickerson Zaharias in 1949, considered to be the greatest woman athlete of the 20th Century.  In 1965, in front of 4,000 spectators, Arnold Palmer and Doug Sanders played an exhibition match during which “Arnie” scored a hole-in-one on the par 3, number two hole.  In Arnold Palmer’s forward in “The History of Tennessee Golf, he wrote, “I played exhibitions in many places in Tennessee back in the 1960’s and 1970”s, perhaps the most memorable one at Johnson City Country Club, where I made my sixth of seventeen career holes-in-one.”

Current professional players who, while students at ETSU, played or honed their skills at the JCCC golf course are J. C. Snead, Ed Sneed, Bobby Watkins, Mike Hulbert, Davis Love III, Billy Andrade, Robert Wrenn, Larry Hinson and Garrett Willis, who holds the course record of 61.  The JCCC course has been the home of the 1995 NCAA National Golf Champion, Chip Spratlin.

Today, keeping with its Tradition for members and non-members, the Johnson City Country Club plays host for many charitable fund raising golf tournaments, special tennis events, weddings, social clubs as well as the Taste of Johnson City.  The Club has recently expanded many successful activities and added several new ones that include weekly dining specials, monthly gourmet events, holiday cookout events, card playing extravaganzas, golf and tennis lessons and free clinics, night dining on the terrace, happy hours featuring specialty refreshments, dance lessons, and a “Kids Zone” entertainment center, just to name a few.  For potential new members a convenient a new membership package designed for individuals, families and corporations has been developed. 

The Tradition of the Johnson City Country Club has more to offer new members than any Club in the Tri-Cities area.  The Club is currently looking to add 50 new members and invites interested parties to come “JOIN THE TRADITION as a Member of the Johnson City Country Club”.   For those interested, please visit the Club or call Robert Havlik, GM or Deborah England, Membership Director, at 423 975-5520.