Epcc chap2

18 El Paso Country Club

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“In 1923, cottonseed hulls saturated in crank case oil

replaced the sand greens. This was considered to be

a big improvement...”

2Chapter


It was on May 2, 1916, that the second clubhouse burned to the ground at a loss of $45,000. This was the first of two fires that were to cause calamity to the existence of the El Paso Country Club, but it did not dampen the members’ spirits. Once again, a decision was made to relocate the club, and in the meantime, a temporary one-story clubhouse was erected.

The clubhouse fire created a burning issue among members. They confronted each other and the board of directors with myriad suggestions as to where the club should be relocated. Considered sites were either El Paso’s Lower or Upper Valley, as the roster constituted members from both areas.

Left: This clubhouse, located near Fort Bliss, burned to the ground in 1916. (EPCC)

Above: The 1863 Zach White title—the future site of El Paso Country Club in the Upper Valley.

The Tumultuous TeensFinally in 1918, through

a majority vote, the Upper Valley won the campaign. However, this move could have been affected by the fact that Mr. Zack T. White made a donation of 137 acres of prime Upper Valley land. Today, our club still stands on the land that was so generously donated by Mr. White and his family.

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Financial Report from February 1916.

By 1920, El Paso’s city limits encompassed eleven square miles. Remarkably, the Sun City remained almost the same size until after World War II. By the start of this decade, the city’s population had increased to 77,000.

A small adobe building was used first, consisting of one large combination lounging and dining area, a kitchen, and a screened-in porch. The site was situated just behind the present number eight tee, where, to this day, parts of the original foundation can still be seen. By cutting through a bosque of salt cedar and mesquite, a golf course architect created a fairly decent eighteen holes, with greens carved from the clay river bottom. As far as the clubhouse was concerned, there were limited kitchen facilities, and the only menu choices the club offered were ham or bacon and egg sandwiches. But these choices seemed to suit early morning golfers just fine.

It was in 1920 that the El Paso Country Club’s board authorized $100,000 to build a new clubhouse on the donated Upper Valley land. A contract for the new Southwestern-style clubhouse was awarded to Robert E. McKee, and construction began on July 2, 1921. The building was completed on January 22, 1922.

In 1921, when our country was experiencing so many changes because of Prohibition, the club was following the trend. A mortgage had been taken for $50,000 to come due in 1926. The Board of Governors hired a surveyor to draw plans limiting any future construction to fit a harmonious building scheme.

The Lively Twenties


In early 1922, a junior membership category was initiated for those ages eighteen to twenty-five. The regular membership initiation fee was $200, and the membership roster was limited to 450. In July of 1929, the initiation fee was increased to $300. Even though there were limitations in the club, its usage by the membership grew steadily, and by 1923, revenue from all sources had reached an average of $950 weekly, on which a reasonable profit was made.

Original swimming pool located on the east side of the clubhouse. (EPCC)

Playing golf in January. (EPCC)

In 1923, cottonseed hulls saturated in crank case oil replaced the sand greens. This was considered to be a big improvement over the sand greens, but all it took was one carelessly flipped cigarette to burn an entire “green.” Thus, a little water wagon, which was rushed out to smoldering green, became a standard piece of equipment on the golf course.

To get to the club from the central area of town, members had to travel about ten miles, which took approximately thirty to forty-five minutes. One route was through Sunset Heights, down past the historic Hart’s Mill and former Fort Bliss buildings. Via this thoroughfare, automobiles had to go over railroad tracks, which was hard on early-design tires. The other alternative was through downtown El Paso, traveling along what’s now Paisano Drive. It was not an unusual sight on weekends to see various makes and models of automobiles, including four-door touring cars with or without their canvas roofs, moseying along the curvy road that followed the Rio Grande’s path. Golfers would often stop in Smelter Town to pick up caddies who otherwise would have walked to the golf course.

It wasn’t long before the club’s golf course was improved with grass greens and plush cottonwood trees, all irrigated with river water distributed through an intricate network of canals and ditches. Surrounded by cotton fields and the growing shade trees, the country club became a refuge for city dwellers on weekends. Golfers were warned about using “unbecoming language” on the golf course since many women had taken a fancy to the game. In 1925, Mrs. Otto

Realizing that members had more interests than playing golf, tennis courts were approved at a price of $5,000, and plans for a swimming pool were developed showing a proposed pool measuring thirty by seventy-five feet. When the pool was completed, the manager was directed by the house committee to remind swimmers to take a “thorough soap and water bath before entering the swimming pool.”

An even bigger project that generated plenty of excitement was on the drawing board in 1921. A committee was formed to construct a polo field in cooperation with the U.S. Army. The club was to pay for plowing, leveling, and seeding, not to exceed $500, while the Army would supply equipment and labor.

Not forgotten were the social activities of the country club. In December of 1922, directors made a motion that the social entertainment committees “adhere strictly to the policy of having a dance every Saturday night.”

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Armstrong shot a 39 on the back nine and received a laudatory write-up in both daily newspapers.

In the late twenties, preceding the stock market crash, the mood among club members was generally lighthearted. Weekly greens fees were $1.50, weekends were $2.50, and The President’s Cup Tournament was a big event.

Interesting correspondence between J. C. Wilmarth, president of the club, and the greens chairman of Coffeeville Country Club regarding the maintenance and care of cottonseed greens, 1928.


on club property and managed by Corporal Dougdale of Fort Bliss. The Hunt Club offered riding lessons, morning and moonlight rides, and horse shows. However, in the mid-thirties, a suitable stable manager could not be found to replace the corporal, so the Hunt Club came to an end. Discontinuance of the club had been “in the air” for some time because of complaints from members and club neighbors about flies and odors.

Socially, the club’s annual “bathing beauty revues” were a big attraction, and they lasted for many years. Young women, many of whom were the daughters and wives of club members, modeled current styles of bathing suits from popular swimsuit designers. These revues were held beside the pool, then located on the east side of the clubhouse, and the two tennis courts were used as dining and dancing areas. The revues temporarily came to an end in 1938

with an impromptu burlesque performed by a few daring male members. Fueled by spectators tossing cantaloupe slices that had been served with dinner, a near riot ensued. The revues were revived for a few years in the late 1940s and early 1950s.

The “horse set” created the Hunt Club in 1929, which attracted equestrian members. Stables accommodating fifty horses, most of which were boarded by members, were built

Aerial view of El Paso Country Club, probably taken in the 1930s. Note the old No. 9 green at lower left. Center shows Camino Real and Meadowlark. (EPCC)

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percent, with the exception of the golf pro. He and his assistant were to be furnished food at a discount, and caddies could buy a sandwich and soda for a nickel. There were more resignations than new members. The board set up a “special associate members” classification limited to one hundred, with dues of $12.50. Participating members could not hold office or vote and would not have proprietary interests in the club.

The early thirties were hard times for the club, and there was mention of borrowing money from the State National Bank. Greens fees were reduced from $1.50 to $1.00, and the golf pro was dismissed, leaving committee members to search for another whose salary was not to exceed $100 monthly. Caddie rates at this time (1932) were eighty cents for a Class A and sixty-five cents for a Class B caddie.

Although times were tough, members kept their heads high, and a group of women golfers established the 18 Hole Women’s Club Association. This group is still active and once had as many as ninety members.

By 1933, dues were reduced from $150 to $100 per year, and it was voted to combine the duties of the greenskeeper and the golf pro at a salary of $125 a month. The Board authorized the first pro shop, or

“display room,” to be built for the pro (at a cost not to exceed $175), constructed on the east end of the grillroom porch.

Imaginative steps were taken to keep members’ accounts current. The club sold its Atwater-Kent radio to a member for $107.50 and credited that amount against his dues. The grand piano was sold to another member for $225. One member chose to beautify the front of the club with flowers and shrubs in exchange for his dues.

As the dog days of summer approached, the porch overlooking the swimming pool was screened in at a cost of $700, with a payment promised in one year. Men were not allowed to swim in the pool in “trunk” bathing suits but were required to wear bathing suits with a tank-style top until 1936.

By the mid-thirties, the enthusiasm of members was low. Steps were taken to urge the members to patronize the club, and a member was appointed chairman of the entertainment committee. The Board voted to set aside Wednesday nights as “Country

By the beginning of the thirties, the effects of the stock market crash were starting to be felt in El Paso. Throughout the country, wages had dropped since 1929, and unemployment rose to a record 25 percent of the labor force.

Most of El Paso was in the depths of the Depression, but it seemed that the El Paso Country Club managed to maintain its dignity through these tough times—as it would in many years to come.

The list of delinquent members grew longer, and in August of 1930, the board moved that all those owing in excess of $100 be suspended. By the end of 1930, the board voted to waive the $100 initiation fee until December 31, and effective January 1931, all salaries and wages were reduced 10

Dr. P. H. Brown (left) and friends on the first tee at El Paso Country Club in early 1930. (EPCC)

EPCC scorecard dated September 1932.

The Lean Thirties

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Club night.” A good dinner was served at one dollar a plate, and music and entertainment were provided.

By 1935, the club found itself in serious debt, and the holders of approximately $125,000 in Country Club bonds were threatening to take over the club and subdivide the property.

On May 1, 1936, the clubhouse burned to a mere shell. Fortunately, the property was insured, and architects Trost and Trost were appointed to rebuild at an estimated cost of $20,000. In 1937, slot machines, or “one-armed bandits,” were installed in various places around the club and proved to be very lucrative. Revenue generated by the slot machines solved many of the club’s financial problems; the mortgage was paid off a year after their installation.

The machines came to their demise in 1951 when policemen surprised members with an unexpected raid, evidence the legality of these “gold mines” was in question. Left: Winners in the White House Tournament

played by the Woman’s Golf Association of El Paso Country Club. They are (front row, left to right) Mesdames H. E. Hicks and J. W. Yowell, Miss Mary Harden, and Mrs. C. D. Lee. Rear row: Mesdames W. R. Adair, W. F. Walker, Spearl Ellison, Jake Miller, W. R. Sullivan, E. S. Jaggars, and F. L. Williams. Not shown is Mrs. R. H. Given, also a winner.

Above: Ladies Sears-Roebuck Tournament, 1936. (EPCC)


Pernice Jr., Jay Haas, Mark O’Meara, Craig Stadler, Ted Purdy, Nick Watney, and Ryan Palmer.

However, its first star was Dr. James Vance, a legendary member of El Paso Country Club. Vance, a six-time SWGA champion, dominated the tournament with victories in 1916–17, 1921–23, and 1929. His six titles were matched by Verne “Spec” Stewart but never bettered. Dr. Vance was a remarkable golfer and the Southwestern version of all-time great Bobby Jones, whose competitive career span was almost identical, 1916–30.

Another El Paso player who made SWGA history was Frank Redman. Redman, playing in the scheduled 36-hole final of

the 1957 championship, was eight down after the morning round against Gray Madison. With Cuco Lujan as his caddie, Redman rallied during the afternoon round to even the match after thirty-six holes. He then won on the thirty-eighth (No. 2 hole) by holing out a wedge through the fork of a tree for an eagle two.

Dan Ponder and Malcolm Webb present the trophy to Pat Rea, winner of the 1952 SWGA at El Paso Country Club. (EPCC)

Dr. James Vance, EPCC member, six-time SWGA Champion. (EPCC)

El Paso Country Club and the Southwestern Golf Association (SWGA) have been linked for nearly a century. The SWGA Men’s Invitational dates back to 1915 when it was conceived as a regional competition. Its rich history has taken it to sites throughout Arizona, New Mexico, West Texas, and now Las Vegas, Nevada. EPCC has served as the site of this highly ranked competition for thirteen years, including nine times in the match play era, which ended in 1965. Since then, the tournament has been a 72-hole, stroke-play event.

Rated among the top ten open amateur events in the world by Golfweek magazine, modern era winners have included PGA TOUR players Jim Carter, Corey Pavin, Tom

Southwestern Golf Association

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Juanita (Mena) Gaxiola is almost as old as El Paso Country Club, where she was born on November 15, 1916, in her parents’ home located on the eleventh hole.

Still alert and active at age ninety, the Whittier, California, resident recalls in great detail the early years of the club where her father, Paulino Mena, helped build the course and was greenskeeper from 1910 to 1948. Although only seventeen years old when he began at EPCC, Paulino had ten years of experience. He was an orphan who began working at the age of seven in 1900 for the old Valdespino Golf Club, renamed General George Underwood Golf Club and located near the present-day airport.

Paulino married Camilo Burrola in 1914, and they had seven children, two of whom became golf professionals and one who still is a superintendent in California. All of the children grew up on the course, playing with sawed-off discarded clubs their father crafted and working at EPCC in various capacities. Juanita, for example, began a seventy-five-year golfing career at age five, and also worked in the ladies lounge when she was twelve. Working at EPCC was a family affair, and her uncle, Peter Burrola, made daily grocery deliveries to the club in his truck.

Meanwhile, her five brothers and grandfather all worked on the course for her father. This was long before the days of modern equipment, and she explains that

hard labor was required to water the course and maintain the “greens,” which were composed of cottonseeds. Irrigation usually was limited to one week a month when the Rio Grande was allowed to flow into the course’s many ditches. It required six men to lift the wooden floodgates and two men to push the heavy greens roller.

Even when her father “retired” to Escondido, California, in 1949, he continued to work at the Circle K Golf Course until 1958.

This was also the year when the annual Paulino Mena Golf Tournament began as a get-together for family and friends. These

The Mena family. Standing, left to right, Edward, Ester, Ramon, Rafael Paulino Jr., Paulino Sr., Juanita, and Raymundo. Seated is Camila. (The Mena family)

friends include ex-caddies from Smelter Town in El Paso and their children and grandchildren.

Each year, the Father’s Day tournament is held at a different location. The 2006 event was in Las Vegas. Rancho Mirage, California, hosted the 2007 edition, and the fiftieth annual tournament is fittingly scheduled for El Paso in 2008. It should be an interesting homecoming, especially since Juanita’s surviving brothers, Edward (74) and Ralph (83), plan to dig up the mysterious “buried treasure” at El Paso Country Club.

Born and Raised at EPCC


On August 13, 1933, a team of El Paso Country Club players and caddies established a world record by completing eighteen holes in the astounding time of eighteen minutes and five seconds.

The former world’s record of twenty minutes, forty-one seconds had been set earlier that year by a group of golfers from Columbus, Ohio.

A blow-by-blow account of the feat over the 6,412-yard El Paso layout was provided by Times reporter Paxton H. Dent as the old record was eclipsed by two minutes, thirty-six seconds. “The contest, conceived locally by Carl Beers, chairman of the greens committee of the Country Club, and planned in every minute detail by Phil Hesler, professional, provided plenty of entertainment and unusual situations,” according to Dent’s report.

“With virtually every golfer on the course co-operating and a group of picked shooters moving from one strategic point to another to give impetus to the ball, country clubbers propelled the pill around the front nine in eight minutes, 30 seconds and appeared well on their way to an exceptionally good mark…Trouble on the incoming nine, however, delayed the ball about three minutes but still allowed the mark of the Columbus shooters…to be bettered.” Dent’s article, which was the feature story in the Times, went on to describe how each hole was played. For example:

Starting off No.1 tee, Hesler sliced a long drive after awaiting tensely the firing signal on No. 1 green. Harry Vaughan had to dash across the fairway and into the rough but played a nice second across the river bed to Herman Andreas…[He] pulled the third and left Mrs. Otto Armstrong a pitch to the green across a trap. The Country Club women’s champion layed the ball up fairly close but Andreas required two putts to hole out.

“The ball was rushed by a caddie to C. D. Lee on No. 2 tee… ” and Dent’s long, detailed account continued with a hole-by-hole description of the entire record round, during which members were helped on four occasions by their caddies, who were called upon to hit certain shots and speed up play.

Mrs. Armstrong, the perennial club, city, county, and Women’s Southwestern champion, also hit four shots during the record round.

A key player in El Paso’s early days, her dominance in the Southwestern Championship resulted in the association giving her the permanent trophy. Mrs. Armstrong and her club mate, Dr. James Vance, were the best players in the entire Southwest, giving EPCC two more claims to fame.

Unfortunately, Dr. Vance was unable to play in the record speed round or the time and score might have been better.

The thirty-nine-member team of men and women, with occasional help from their caddies, failed to break 80 but easily broke the world record.

Mrs. Otto Armstrong. (EPCC)

Eighteen Holes in Eighteen Minutes

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Long before the PGA TOUR was formally founded in 1975, the El Paso Country Club had hosted six open tournaments that attracted national attention, dating back to the 1920s.

The first El Paso Open, which began as a one-day, 36-hole competition, was won by the legendary Tommy Armour. His afternoon round of 67 equaled the course record, giving him a 138 total for an easy win over Johnny Golden and Joe Kirkwood, the trick-shot artist and touring partner of Walter Hagen.

After long shot Larry Nabholtzy’s victory in 1928, “Wild” Bill Mehlhorn set a world record in the 1929 event that had been expanded to seventy-two holes over two days. His 271 winning score was the lowest total ever shot on a course measuring more than six thousand yards. Mehlhorn’s triumph marked the end of the “Roaring Twenties,” during which the touring professionals began to share in the decade’s prosperity.

All of this growth came to a sudden stop as the Great Depression descended upon the country and was followed by World War II.

The El Paso Open, for instance, came to a halt and would not reappear until the 1950s. A strong field that included Jimmy Demaret, Jackie Burke, Tommy Bolt, and Dr. Cary Middlecoff was on hand for the El Paso Open in 1952. Middlecoff won the revitalized event.

Top: El Paso Times, January 24, 1927.

Right: El Paso Herald Post, January 21, 1929.

The El Paso Open


El Paso Times, February 1952.

Left: Jimmy Demeret gives Jackie Burke some putting pointers, 1952 El Paso Open. (EPCC)

Chandler Harper succeeded him in 1953. Harper defeated Ted Kroll by three strokes in an 18-hole playoff in what was to be the next-to-last El Paso Open. Local support of the tournament had been strong for these two years, but the lure of larger purses and cities resulted in a suspension of the event until its return in 1959. Marty Furgol won the 1959 edition, the last El Paso Open, before the age of television coverage and major corporate sponsors took over the national tour.

However, El Paso Country Club continued to be in the national spotlight, helping produce a number of noted PGA players and hosting major amateur events such as the Southwestern Golf Association Invitational and College All-America Golf Classic.

Above: Cary Middlecoff accepts the winner’s check from member Malcolm Webb, 1952 El Paso Open. Middlecoff won the tournament with a 269, 15 under par score. (EPCC)

Center: Jay Hebert, Lionel Hebert, and an unidentified player at the 1952 El Paso Open. Both Heberts scored a hole-in-one in this event. (EPCC)

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El Paso Times, February 10, 1953.

El Paso Times, September 21, 1959.

Doug Ford and Lew Worsham, El Paso Open. (EPCC)

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Epcc chap2