When a group of friends living in Laurel Heights organized a club in 1904 for “the support, maintenance and promotion of golf, tennis, and other innocent outdoor sports” they founded the entity that became the San Antonio Country Club, an institution that celebrated its 100^th anniversary in 1904. The year of its founding was the same year that Henry Ford started the Ford Motor Company, Theodore Roosevelt was President of the United States, and construction began on the Panama Canal.  The San Antonio Country Club’s rich history is a kaleidoscope of the past hundred years of memories and experiences of its members.  Activities on the golf course, tennis courts and swimming pool have provided entertainment for thousands of people.  The buildings and grounds echo with sounds  - voices, laughter, music, children playing and the thwack of golf balls and tennis balls being hit.

The industrial revolution changed America: many people had more leisure time, and the game of golf, a recent import from Scotland, attracted many enthusiastic players.  The first club in Texas was organized in Dallas in 1895 and by 1899 the first golf course in San Antonio was built. The nine prominent business men who established the San Antonio Golf and Country Club wanted a private club for themselves and friends where they could play both golf and tennis and even entertain with parties.  Three years after the San Antonio Golf and Country Club was organized the founders reorganized it into the San Antonio Country Club, bought land and built their own facilities which are still situated on the same site almost 109 years later. The original architect is none other than Alex Findley, consider by most as one of the Founding Fathers of golf.

The state of Texas played a major role in the development of the golfing tradition in America and some of the game’s greatest players have been Texans.  Likewise, the San Antonio Country Club, a founder of the Texas Golf Association in 1906, has been dominant in shaping golf in Texas.  Many champion golfers have played at the Club, including Bobby Jones, Walter Hagan, an exhibition match in 1913 between Harry Vardon and Edward Ray.  Ben Hogan, Gene Sarazen, Bryon Nelson, Ben Crenshaw, Jack Nicklaus, Tom Kite, Babe Zaharias, Tom Watson and young Tiger Woods, who won the AJGA in 1992 here at SACC, and our own Bill Rogers who was Director of Golf at the Club for ten years and British Open Champion in 1980.  Betty Jameson, one of the greatest women golfers in America and a founder of the Ladies Professional Golf Association, played out of SACC from 1937, following her win at the Women’s Trans-Miss tournament, until her retirement.  As a teenager she was a student of Tod Menefee, San Antonio Country Club Golf Professional for forty-two years, 1938 to 1980. 

San Antonio Country Club was also a major factor in the development of tennis in Texas, and many of the world’s greatest tennis players have played at the Club, including U.S. Secretary of War Dwight F. Davis, donor of the Davis Cup.  Other famous players are Roy Emerson, Fred Stolle, Chuck McKinley, Dennis Ralston, John Newcombe, Tony Roche, Dick Stocktron, Dick Savit, Frank Froeling, Art Larson and Hamilton Richardson.

The San Antonio Country Club is a family club providing a variety of activities for Club members of all ages, from the two-year-olds learning to swim, to their grandparents enjoying a game of bridge.  The dining rooms and ballrooms have been the scene of countless parties and dances, and the places where many courtships began and weddings were celebrated. 

The strong military presence in San Antonio is also reflected throughout the history of the Club.  Membership rolls have included many prominent military officers who were stationed at the Club’s neighbor, Fort Sam Houston and other military installations in San Antonio.  The Club can point with pride to its military members; among them are John L. Bullis, Arthur MacArthur, Leonard Wood, Frederick Funston, John “Black Jack” Pershing, Walter Krueger, and, of course, Five-Star General and 34^th President of the United States Dwight D. Eisenhower.  Ike loved golf and he played his last round of golf before World War II and possibly his first round of golf after the war at the San Antonio Country Club.

The San Antonio Golf and Country Club was formed in 1904 located in Laurel Heights. Then in May 1907 a group of members wanting to move to a larger parcel of land chartered the The San Antonio Country Club “formed to support and maintain a country club for dining, golf, tennis, swimming, and other innocent sports.”  By February 1908, the clubhouse was completed at a cost of about $30,000.  Built after the plans of Atlee B. Ayres, the building was constructed of shingles and weatherboarding in the English half-timbered style.  The clubhouse featured a dining room, billiard room, bowling alley, grill room and dance hall along with twelve dormitories on the second floor.  A veranda encircled the clubhouse where members could dine and view the golf course and tennis courts.  The untiring efforts of the club’s founders were eventually a success, and by 1913 the club purchased the land for $35,000 from Colonel Brackenridge.  That same year a new 18-hole golf course was inaugurated.

Just three years later, in March 1916, a tragic fire that took the lives of six residents destroyed the clubhouse. The design of the new clubhouse was an L-shaped Spanish style, with a red tile roof and ivory stucco walls. Located on the same site as the previous building, it was a greatly enlarged structure built largely of concrete and steel to help prevent another fire. The formal opening was held on June 9, 1917.

As the Club grew in membership, expansion of the clubhouse became a necessity.  Although the same building as it was in 1917, the clubhouse was remodeled in 1958 and again in 1972-1973.  During 1993, the Golf Shop and main dining room were remodeled and a fitness room was added for the physical well being of the members.  The tennis courts have evolved from the original four yellow clay courts to 14.5 courts; 8 clay courts and 6.5 hard courts.

In 1997 the Ballroom, the Ventana Room, adult only bar, Tavern Room, Main Dining Room, Tennis Shop and Men’s Grill were all renovated.  Then in 2005 the club passed a master plan to renovate the pool area, build a new year round pool grill, pump station, Lifeguard building, baby pool, expanded the Fitness Center from 2,500 square feet to 6,500 square feet, and do a complete renovation of the Golf Course by Brian Silva, Golf Course Architect. The course was updated with Tiff Sport Fairways and Mini Verde Bermuda on the greens

The Main Kitchen has had several remodels completed over the last 10 years, which included the removal of walls, the addition of a pot washing room, new tile, new hood and updated equipment. 

In 2002 new foundations for the Tennis Hard Courts 9-12 were installed with post tension slabs. This has helped preserve our courts over the long term. New LED light fixtures will be installed this summer 2018 in August.

In 2004 the Golf Course was renovated with new grasses and design enhancements under the leadership and direction of restoration architect Brian Silva. At the same time the Pool, locker facilities, circulation system, baby pool and Fitness Center were all remodeled or renovated.

Then in 2009 the Men’s Locker Room received a complete renovation followed by the Main Dining Room which was transformed into the new Wine Room which opened on October 1, 2009.

In 2011 the employee satellite parking lot was constructed on the corner of Burr Road and N. New Braunfels. At this time the employee men’s and ladies restrooms were remodeled. In 2012 a Technology plan was implemented to bring the Club into the 21^st Century with WiFi, ether net cabling, T lines, etc. In 2013 the whole upstairs of the Country Club, Ballroom, Supper Room and Loggia Room were all renovated and at the same time a new Ballroom patio was created.  In 2014 the Living Room and Fountain Room were renovated followed by the Ladies Locker Room in 2015.

Also in 2015 a new Edwards Well was drilled for the golf course irrigation system. At this time a completely new irrigation system was installed on the Golf Course and Clubhouse Grounds with HDPE pipe giving us a project life of 25 years with this new system.

2016 the Golf Mall was renovated, a new Chiller for the Country Club was installed, and new driving range nets were installed. Then in 2017 all new pool furniture was added and 70% of all roofs of the Country Club were replaced due to the hail storm of 2016.

2017 New Golf Cart fleet purchased four lots on Burr Road 

2018 Installed Wimbledon quality LED lights for all Tennis courts

2019 Completely remodeled the Men's Grill

2020 Completely remodeled the Ventana Adult bar and added a second bathroom on the back nine of the golf course

2021 updated the Fountain and Living Rooms