As the first golf course on the Southern Oregon Coast, Coos Country Club was founded in February 1923 by I.R. Tower. “Ike” brought the game from Grays Harbor, Washington where he made trips to court the girl he married.

At its first meeting the board, including Tower, Claude Nasburg, W.J. Conrad and A.E. Adelsperger, voted to purchase the Watson Ranch for $8,000. The price of a membership was $100, and dues were $2.50 a month. When opened, the course represented a recreational investment of just over $30,000.

The original nine holes were designed by H. Chandler Egan. He was a prominent amateur golfer, winning the NCAA in 1902, and the U.S. Amateur in 1904 and 1905. Egan won the Western Amateur four times, and the Pacific Northwest Amateur five times from 1915 to 1932. Other Oregon courses he designed include Eugene Country Club (1912), Riverside, Eastmoreland, Oswego Lake, Tualatin, Rogue Valley and Hood River. He redesigned Pebble Beach in 1928, specifically for the 1929 U.S. Amateur, where he reached the semi-finals at age 45.

Egan’s Coos design quickly became known as “the best nine hole course in Oregon.” The founders’ theme was “recreation in natural terrain,” and today that theme carries forward into a beautifully developed 105 acre, forested facility nestled in hills and meadow lands. Development of the first nine led to the discovery of Coos’ naturally growing Seaside Creeping Bent Grass which became internationally known and the seeds in demand due to its spreading growth with interlocking blades, forming flawless turf.

The Club first attempted to purchase adjacent property for an additional nine holes in 1963, and completed the acquisition in 1987. Ten years later a dream became reality with the construction of Bill Robinson’s design for the new nine, which maintains the character of the original course by showing living evidence that unusual natural terrain can be utilized to bring constant beauty, pleasure, and challenge to the golfer.

The “New 9” opening on May 1, 1998 for play, commemorated the 75th Anniversary of Coos Country Club and represented a $1.4 million investment by members. A 20 acre “wetland habitat area” is integral to the new design where you can enjoy views of heron, wild geese and deer, as they make this new area their home.

Holes climb from the valley floor to surrounding hills. Good golf shots will be required for a good score, but not necessarily a “great day.” The constant beauty, pleasure and challenges for a golfer always makes for a great day at Coos Country Club.

The Clubhouse was dedicated in 1931 at an expense of $10,000. Originally the upper floor contained a lounge, coffee shop, kitchen, (women's locker room & showers-where the bar area is now); and an extra bedroom; while the lower floor contained the (pro shop-where the women's locker room is now); men's locker room with fireplace; and a furnace room. The attic area had living quarters for the pro.

Over the years, the Clubhouse has been remodeled several times: the interior was expanded south by having the outdoor veranda enclosed and large windows put in (current columns inside indicated where that expansion began); an outdoor deck was then added; the dining room and bar area were expanded by moving the women's locker room downstairs and building the adjacent Pro Shop.

Remodeling was done in 1997 - for $15,000: a complete exterior and interior facelift including: repainted clubhouse outside, and in the clubhouse - a mirror behind the bar; painted and wallpapered walls, new lighting system; and raised ceiling in the dining room fireplace area.

Also in 1997, the practice range changed from chicken wire/wood posts to permanent steel beams and a “high” net (to fend balls from the then new #9th hole) and was built for raising and lowering due to weather conditions; cart paths on original nine were completed to all paved.

In 1999 the Clubhouse was re-roofed and a new Standard (non-equity) Membership category was added to boost membership; #5 and #7 greens on the original nine were redesigned by Bill Robinson to complement the “new nine’s” 1998 designs. On May 1, 2000 the club acquired Pro Shop operations which were previously contracted out.

On June 6, 2001 the course was “reversed” or flip flopped with the new nine changed to play as the back and the “original” nine to play as the front. In 2001, a fundraising campaign began to plan for paving the new nine in 2002. On February 8, 2002, a severe storm damaged and/or blew down approximately 12 large trees, mostly on the front nine. In Sept. 2002 paving was done to the first 5 holes of the new back nine.

2003-2004: Completely remodeled Men's Locker Room: plumbing, showers, handcrafted wood lockers; new lighting system and flooring; Proshop remodeled.

2007: Major capital improvements made on front nine & opened in July.
#1 green tied in with #2 and became a par 5; fill in on 2,3 for new fairways; old #6 reshaped and became #5, and new par 3 added - over the pond behind the old #6 which became #6; #7 extended to a par 4. (Course brought up to a par 72).

New and repaved cart paths completed throughout the front and back nine.
Clubhouse interior and kitchen remodeled. Irrigation system enhanced, repaired and improved.

- Compiled by Gail Snyder, Mike Bodkin & Mike Whitty,
1998 (updated 11/99; 6/01; 2/02; 3/03; 10/07)