E.J. Ottaway, publisher and co-owner of the Port Huron Times Herald, was the first president of St. Clair River Country Club. Other founding fathers were Russ Jenks, president of St. Clair Commercial & Savings; Fred Moore, president of Diamond Crystal Salt Co.; H.A. Hopkins, newspaper publisher and postmaster of St. Clair; Hugh Hart, local attorney and Judge of Probate for St. Clair County; William Hartman, a leading coke oven engineer in the United States; John Gillespie a prominent figure in the automotive industry and one time commissioner for the City of Detroit; Hale Saph, president of Marine Savings Bank at Marine City; Franklin Moore, treasurer of the Diamond Crystal Salt Co.

On June 28, 1923, the club leased fifty more acres on the north side from John Gillispie, a portion that had been part of his orchard. Legendary golf course architect Donald Ross was retained to design an eighteen-hole layout that quickly became one of the premier golf courses in the area. On April 15, 1928, Hale Saph of Marine City purchased the back nine and leased it to the club. In 1934, a consolidation of ownership took place and the entire eighteen holes course was owned by Hale Saph, Bob Farr, Fred Moore and Joe Fields.

Fred L. Hunter, a co-designer of Walter Hagen Golf Clubs, was our golf professional in 1929. He split from the Hagen Organization and started a factory here called "Ste. Clair Golf Products Co." that produced a line of clubs named for the company. The clubs were of classic quality and are now collector items. In 1934, unsupervised caddies started a fire in the fireplace. The fire got out of control and the clubhouse was destroyed. It was rebuilt the following year as a one-story building (see photo in clubroom).

In the late forties and early fifties, Harold "Mose" Werner was the club president six different times and club champion eight times; the last in 1958. Mose was truly a "legend in his own time".

The club was purchased by Fred Cowan in 1946. In 1948, he sold it to Lee Kosten. Mr. Kosten operated it until 1953 when it was purchased by the St. Clair Inn Co. While under its ownership, Creighton and Bob Holden were instrumental in making a great transformation and many improvements. Such as a new pro shop, swimming pool, automatically watered fairways, tennis courts and enlarging and renovating the clubhouse. They added sand traps and planted the apple orchards that we all enjoy.

The Holden's were responsible for recruiting several well-known golf personalities of that era. Peggy Kirk Bell and husband Warren, who now own Pine Needles Resort in South Carolina, were their first management team. The Bells hired nationally acclaimed PGA professional Don Perne and sponsored prominent amateur of the time Wiffi Smith to represent the club on the national amateur circuit in the Mid- Fifties. At 18 years of age, Wiffi became the youngest woman ever to win the Michigan's Woman's title. She won a string of 20 consecutive match-play victories that ended in the second round of the United States Amateur Championship. Turning professional, she set a course record of 68 in the final round as she was runner-up to the great Mickey Wright at Lochmoor in 1957.

A new graduate of Michigan State, with a degree in hotel management, went to work for the St. Clair Inn in 1956. He oversaw the management of the club from 1958 to 1966 -- his name is Don Reynolds.

One June 22, 1961, the club was again destroyed by fire, claiming the life of George Woodruff, the beloved locker room attendant who lived in the building. The members operated out of a "tent clubhouse" until a new one could be constructed. It was our good fortune in 1965 to have George Davis come aboard as greens superintendent. He then proceeded to win the club championship in 1973. When he won it again in 1979 at the age of 64, he set a record as the oldest person ever to hold the crown.
Creighton Holden was a man years ahead of his time. In March 1971, with an eye towards expansion, St. Clair North and 5144 Corp., a wholly owned subsidiary, borrowed one and a half million dollars from Alan Feldman, Toronto investor. St. Clair North acquired more land, made payments on previous acquisitions and paid for architectural drawings and plans with the money. However, the timing for the venture was not opportune and the project failed. In 1974, they were unable to meet their obligation to Feldman, He took title to the land rather than foreclosure.

In the following few years, several groups leased the facilities to run the club for profit, but were unsuccessful.

A small contingent of prominent members lead by Doug Murphy and Dick Woods began lengthy negotiations with Feldman to purchase the club and surrounding property. They were joined by Dave Hopp Jr. and were ultimately successful after many setbacks. They were also able to find seventeen other interested investors to assist in purchasing the club. The group successfully purchased the club on February 17, 1981. Unable to secure the rightful name, St. Clair River Country Club, the new owners were forced to change the name. The club operated proudly as the St. Clair Golf Club for the next 21 years.

The new owners had a goal to preserve the facility as the quaint, small town private club that it had always been and ultimately return it to a member owned country club. Their goal was achieved on February 7, 2002. After several months of negotiations the club became what once was, and is now, the St. Clair River Country Club, a Private, Member Owned, Country Club.