A milestone at Kitsap as Bremerton country club celebrates its 100th year

From humble beginnings in 1924, Kitsap Golf and Country Club started a journey of 100 years.

Following World War I, golf’s popularity gained momentum and golf courses began appearing all across the nation. On March 13, 1924, five men, consisting of an attorney, a dentist, a merchant, and two Puget Sound Navy Yard employees, filed for Articles of Incorporation of Kitsap Golf and Country Club.

The membership fee would be set at $100. When the membership reached 125, they hired Frank James, a well-respected golf course designer, who would later design Linden G&CC, Sand Point CC, Jackson Park GC and many other NW courses. 

Work on the golf course began immediately on a nine-hole course that would measure about 3,100 yards with holes ranging from 140 to 550 yards. The course was located on what is now the back nine.

On July 4, 1925, the full nine holes officially opened for play. A large farmhouse, that sat on the property, was remodeled and became the first clubhouse. It would serve as the clubhouse for forty-five years until a new clubhouse would be completed in 1969, it was located where the present clubhouse now sits.

The Club hired its first golf professional, “Jolly” Jack Rogers, to provide instruction and to oversee the construction of the new course. A Golf Pro’s typical salary in the mid 30s was $25 a month.

Golf was interrupted during World War II when the U.S. Army commandeered the course and placed eight antiaircraft gun emplacements on two fairways.

At the end of World War II, the Club wanted to expend to 18 holes so they acquired 100 acres of land on the hill above the course and in 1947 hired A. Vernon Macan, an Ireland-born course designer, living in Victoria B.C., to layout the course. His designs included Royal Colwood (1913), Shaughnessy Heights (1927) in British Columbia; Rainier (1919), Inglewood (1919), Fircrest (1923), Broadmoor (1924), Overlake (1953) in Washington; Columbia Edgewater (1924), Astoria (1924) in Oregon, and many others.

Macan’s design was delayed due to lack of money and was completed in piece-meal as financing became available. Macan’s design was finally completed in 1962.  The layout was called the “upper course.” With a new clubhouse location, holes #1 and #10 were added and few other holes were reconfigured. It was the first time the members could return to the clubhouse after completing nine holes of play.

The 18th hole caused some concern to members due to its narrow fairway between to sloping hillsides and the potential for rain water being funneled down the hillsides. In the end, Macan held firm and the 18th hole remains today as one of the most interesting holes on the course.

In 1957, a year after the opening of the 18 holes, Kitsap G&CC hosted its first major tournament, the Washington State Men’s Amateur.  Two years later it hosted the Washington State Women’s Amateur Championship which was won by Kitsap member and club historian Pat Brewitt, to whose historical research this article is indebted. In 1962, Kitsap G&CC hosted the Washington State Open.

The course’ layout has three par 3 holes, two par 5s and the rest par 4s. An unusual feature of the course is the starting hole, that is a 186-yard par 3. The hole plays to a large sloping green guarded by a bunker on left side. One memorable hole is the 444-yard 10th that plays steeply downhill, with a drop of about 180 feet, to a large rolling green. If you can hit it over the hill, there is a good change your ball will trundle down the hill and end up near the green. The 386-yard par 4 14th hole will get your attention on the teebox as trees on either side of the fairway, at 175 yards out, resemble goalposts and shrink the fairway to about 20-yards wide.  

The signature and most memorable hole is the 18th that is devilishly narrow as it plays uphill between to sloping hillsides covered with encroaching trees.  It’s not long but hitting a tee shot through the gab will tighten your pucker–valve.

After 100 years, Kitsap Golf and Country Club is a triumphant success with a beautiful clubhouse and golf course along with a spacious ballroom and excellent organized social activities and tournaments for their membership.

For those looking enjoy the many benefits of a country club, Kitsap Golf & Country Club offers social, junior, military, business and golfing memberships. See www.kitsapgolfcc.com for more.