From July 17-19, the Kenyon Country Club will mark its 100th anniversary with a three-day celebration of golf and community events for the Kenyon area.
An appreciation dinner honoring past and current members is scheduled for Friday, July 17, from 5-7 p.m., with live music on the patio from 5-9 p.m. Attendees should call the clubhouse to RSVP.
On Saturday, a big cup tournament will be held with shotgun starts at 7 a.m. and 1 p.m., while Sunday marks the return of the Ball Rack.
The clubhouse is seen here in modern day.
(Photo courtesy of Kevin Anderson)
The Kenyon Country Club was founded during Minnesota’s Golden Age of Golf, spanning 1900 to 1937. In this era, five country clubs emerged in southeastern Minnesota: Faribault (1917), Owatonna (1919), Rochester Golf and Country Club (1925), Kenyon (1926) and Zumbrota (1927).
In the early 1900s, some residents created a three-hole golf course just west of Kenyon. As golf’s popularity increased across the country, a group of local business and professional individuals envisioned establishing a nine-hole course in the area. According to Frank Callister’s “Recollections” book, the key figures behind this effort included James Feeley, Dr. E.H. Marshall, Clarke Cole, Dr. J.A. Gates, Albert Hillstad, Tom Brattvet and Lawrence Picha.
In 1923, the course was located at a site where the Zumbro River and Pearl Creek meet. This area, called Luebke’s pasture or the town pasture, was where families with cows would lead their animals in the morning and bring them back in the evening.
The late Vernon Reko noted that a new village pasture was created north of the existing swimming pool, marking the start of a new generation of golfers. Young boys would often find a curved tree branch to serve as a club and play “pasture pool” in that area.
The course was originally designed by well-known golf architect Nick Barrett of the Lafayette Club in Minneapolis and Nate Gates of Kenyon, with Knute Finseth and Gates managing it.
During the Great Depression, the golf course faced severe financial difficulties that nearly led to its closure. To ensure its survival, Gates and Finseth sold shares to local residents, raising funds to prevent the land from being lost. Shareholders established a separate entity called the Kenyon Realty Co., which continues to exist and still owns the land today.
Original layout of the Kenyon Country Club in 1926 is depicted here.
(Photo courtesy of Kevin Anderson)
Pam Angelstad, Finseth’s granddaughter, described Knute’s early dedication to maintaining the course. She remarked, “If there was missing equipment on the farm, Knute probably took it to the country club.”
Longtime head groundskeeper Greg Canton talked about the challenges of maintaining the course. He showed photos of a tractor buried up to its axle in a low spot on hole eight. Canton also recalled hearing about a similar issue from the 1930s, when a horse pulling a mower got stuck up to its belly in the same location.
Canton began his work on the maintenance crew during high school, replacing Axel Flaten while mowing greens under the supervision of groundskeepers Alvin Wickum and Herb Engel.
When he initially started working, the country club did not have the equipment it has now. Workers had to mow around the trees manually since herbicides like Roundup were not available to control weeds. The fairways and roughs were kept at about three-quarters of an inch.
The most challenging part of the job as a groundskeeper happens when the river floods, making the course unplayable and requiring closure until it dries. After the water subsides, cleaning debris and reseeding the fairways begins.
To boost interest in the organization and promote its social side, Gates reached out to Picha and Halvor Dahl to discuss building a clubhouse. Several of Picha’s high school industrial students helped construct the 1924 building.
The Kenyon Country Club Clubhouse was built in 1924.
(Photo courtesy of Kevin Anderson)
As membership increased, there was a need to expand the original clubhouse, and in 1972, a dining room and locker room addition more than doubled the building’s size.
In the kitchen, Dora Wallaker used her experience as the high school lead cook to help set up food service, with assistance from Florence Walker.
Angelstad, who managed the clubhouse and kitchen for several years, described the weekly schedule for group events. Mondays featured the couples golf league, Wednesdays were Ladies Day and Thursdays hosted Men’s Night, often serving over 80 meals. On Fridays and Saturdays, the clubhouse was regularly booked for school reunions and various receptions.
She mentioned that Men’s Night would last until late October. One year, she sent the extra help home and was about to leave when seven out-of-town men arrived. This was on the same night as the Halloween Blizzard. After serving them, she got a ride home with one of the men.
Angelstad mentioned that on Sunday mornings, they could tell when each church service ended by observing people coming out to enjoy cinnamon rolls and coffee.
The Kenyon Country Club 100th anniversary logo.
Both Angelstad and Canton praised the talented young people who worked for them. During our conversation last week, they listed many who contributed in the clubhouse and on the grounds crew. They noted that everyone performed well and could not single out any one individual without omitting someone else.
Canton mentioned that Jim Sathrum began his career in golf course maintenance at the local country club. One day, Sathrum called Canton from a Florida course where he worked to share that Arnold Palmer had complimented the grounds’ appearance.
Golf tournaments
Archie Dalbotten’s 1995 bag tag.
Tournaments have a long-standing place in the club’s history. Notably, in August 1963, 123 men participated in the Kenyon Invitational, attracting players from across the country.
The championship flight in the men’s annual tournament always delivered an exciting event. One year, Tim Shields set a course record with a score of 29. The end-of-season ladies’ tournament was also highly competitive.
The club often organizes casual golf outings and tournaments, including the K-W Athletic Booster Club tournament held during Rose Fest and, more recently, the K-W Alumni Football Tournament.
Initially, fewer than 100 people were members of the Kenyon Country Club. As more local residents took up the game, the membership expanded until, by the late 1980s, it reached a cap of 600 members, with a waiting list of 50.
Extracurricular activity
A key factor in boosting membership happened in 1934 when Kenyon Public School introduced a golf team as an extracurricular activity, led by coach L.G. Picha. Since its inception, the team has featured many notable high school players, including Bob Finseth, Graydon Stromme, Steve Sands, Steve Bjelland, Mark Rodde, Paul Henke, Chris Emerson, Jay Anderson and Steven Tatge.
Many people wanted to play but lacked the skills needed for golf. I recall passing by the grassy area east of Kenyon Elementary School in the spring during the 1980s, where I saw adults taking lessons from Dick Anderson and LeRoy Ashland.
The view looking down the first fairway from the tee-off is pictured here.
(Photo courtesy of Kevin Anderson)
Retired individuals also enjoyed the game, finding it a fun way to stay active. When Canton started, golf carts were not yet available, so players walked the course. He fondly remembers early morning players like Art LeBlanc, Art Werdahl, Olaf Jorstad, Joe Hoidahl, Stanley Baker and Gaylord Brobeck. Many kept playing into their late 80s. Brobeck, in particular, still used clubs with wooden shafts, and his golf bag had a hole at the bottom from being dragged during walks.
During those years of limited membership, new 18-hole courses appeared nearby, and existing 9-hole courses expanded. Canton explained, “The Kenyon course stayed a 9-hole layout because, according to one member, adding nine more holes would double expenses without boosting revenue. The club’s board prioritized maintaining the course’s financial health.”
An article in Golf and Travel describes the country club as one of Minnesota’s top golf destinations, attracting golfers from both nearby and distant areas to enjoy its beauty and playability.
Over its 100-year history, the Kenyon Country Club’s leadership has addressed challenges and evolved the organization, ensuring it remains a vital asset in Kenyon.
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