The Johnson City Country Club, celebrating its 100th year this year, was established in 1913. The club’s first location was on East Holston Avenue and New Street on 60 acres of land leased by Harry Gump, said former Johnson City Country Club president and co-chairman of the centennial committee Tony Ferro. The location included a nine-hole golf course and a cabin used to store equipment and clubs, as well as hold social functions. Ferro said the club grew and was able to relocate to its current location, 1901 E. Unaka Ave. In 1919, A.W. Tillinghast was selected to design an 18-hole golf course, but only nine holes were built at the time due to funding issues. Ferro said Donald Richard Beeson Sr. was also chosen as the architect to construct the clubhouse in 1919. The club’s pool, which at one point included a slide, was added in the late 1930s, under the direction of then-president Dan Wexler. The pool was opened in 1941. Over its 100 years of operation, the club has had numerous expansions on the course and inside the clubhouse. In 2011, the country club was placed on the National Register of Historic Places and received a plaque to commemorate the achievement, Ferro said. This week, the country club will observe its centennial with a three-day celebration, including a time capsule dedication, a centennial luau and a centennial ball.
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