Epcc chap3

34 El Paso Country Club

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3Chapter“It wasn’t unusual to see

a rickety contraption known as a golf cart

rolling down the fairway.”


Above: John Yowell, Leach Rogers, C. D. “Pappy” Lee, and Hub Mitchell show off an early golf cart. (EPCC)

The Forgiving Forties During Pro-Am Day of the Texas PGA annual golf tournament at the club, longtime member Malcolm Webb missed a critical putt on the eighteenth hole. In frustrated anger, he swung his putter at the ball and knocked it about one hundred yards. His professional partner commented, “Malcolm, that’s the best shot you’ve made all day!”

The club’s social calendar was increasing due to postwar euphoria, and parties filled the ballroom every weekend. Hostesses for a “Come as a Song,” party were Jane Perrenot, Peg Ballantyne, Irene Tuller, and Helen Gillete. Invited guests dressed to fit a song title. Other parties were given during football season, the Sun Carnival, Christmas, and New Year’s Eve.

In the late forties, it wasn’t unusual to see a rickety

contraption known as a golf cart rolling down the fairway. Some members made the carts by hand from compact automobiles, which were stripped down to the chassis and then fitted with side benches. Other carts were crafted from washing machine motors and bicycle parts. These enterprising designers included John Yowell, John Williams, and Hugh Steen, along with Frank Halla, Bill Crombie, and Charlie Kuper. Conventional carts were first introduced in 1954.

Even though war times were hard times, the forties proved to be a generally prosperous time for the country club.

Fort Bliss was the largest cavalry post in the United States, and as a patriotic gesture, the club allowed military personnel to play the golf course for a one dollar greens fee. Women were offering their assistance, and the Board of Governors approved the wife of the club golf pro, Mrs. Jack Harden, to run the golf concession while her husband was in the service. Harden, a former caddie and Southwestern amateur champion, would later win the Texas PGA title on the last hole in a battle with Byron Nelson and a field that included Ben Hogan.

Right: Jack Harden, EPCC club pro in the 1950s. (EPCC)

Below: Blaine McNutt, one of the club’s foremost golfers, in a 1949 photo. (EPCC)

With the end of the war, veterans began returning to El Paso by the thousands. El Paso was bracing for an incredible expansion. Membership increased at the club, and long-needed renovations were made. The board approved diving and lifeguard equipment, and the interior patio was remodeled as a teenage room. Improvements included air-conditioning, furniture, draperies, and carpeting. A Cyclone-type fence, ornamental gateway, and lights were installed at the main entrance. The military greens fee discount was upped from one dollar to two dollars on weekends. All cash business was discontinued, and members were required to sign a ticket with their club number.

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The fifties were a time of growth for the El Paso Country Club. In 1951, the club’s membership totaled 535. Profits were increasing, but expenditures were required to make long-needed improvements.

In the early fifties, the biggest need of the club was a new swimming pool. Another was a sprinkler system for the golf course. A special meeting of members was called to vote on an assessment to cover the cost of these necessities. The assessment to cover the sprinkler system would cost regular members $4.80 per month for twenty-four months. It passed. A motion to assess $9.60 per month for both a new swimming pool and sprinkler system failed. Golfers won…swimmers lost. However, in 1952, a resolution was passed authorizing the board to borrow $50,000 from El Paso National Bank to install a new swimming pool. Sam Young Sr., president of the El Paso National Bank, and George Matkin, president of the State National Bank, were instrumental in approving loans to the El Paso Country Club during these years. Slowly but surely, the board developed rules and procedures that still govern the club today. Closing the golf course on Mondays because of limited play was authorized as well as a 10 percent gratuity charge to be added to all food and beverage tickets. Tipping was prohibited.

The green scene was the focal point of the club in the fifties, and golf tournaments were abundant. Plans were finalized to host the PGA TOUR and the El Paso Invitational Tournament in 1952. The PGA TOUR was

pronounced a success with a $6,000 profit. Other tournaments followed suit, with the club hosting a women’s Southwest Golf Tournament in 1953, and a Texas PGA Tournament in fall of 1954.

By the late fifties, remodeling or rebuilding the clubhouse became a priority. The board contemplated tearing down the existing building and starting from scratch, or simply remodeling, which would cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. Board members discussed the possibility of selling some perimeter property for home sites, but aside from an uproar from the neighbors, it was concluded that there was not enough land for such a purpose. In 1958, remodeling was estimated at $370,000, or about $10 a square foot. This compared to new construction costs estimated at a minimum of $20 per square foot. At the annual meeting, unanimously passed resolutions called for the approval of remodeling expenditures not to exceed $560,000 on a ten-year loan with certificate holders personally obligated.

In November of 1959, the Trust Committee was formed by action of the Board of Governors because of a substantial debt of $625,000 that had formed during a general renovation program. This committee protected the club’s resources and continues as a sounding board for the Board of Governors.

Original members of the 1959 trust committee were W. S. Warnock, H. M. Daugherty, R. S. Murray, Jack C. Vowell, and W. B. Warren.

Those serving in the interim were Paul Borschow, J. S. Brown, Richard Calhoun, Louis Daeuble, Frank Feuille III, Tom Foster, Larry Francis, W. F. Hanley, William V. Holik, Dan B. McKinney, James McRimmon, Larry L. Patton, Mart Pederson, Henry Taylor, Gene Rook Jr., Fred W. Zwick, Thomas Sloan, and I. T. Mickey Schwartz.

The current Trust Committee members are James R. Tritton, Greg Johns, Rick Amstater, Cliff Eisenberg, and Dr. Stuart W. Kahn.

Cooling off in the new swimming pool, 1955. (EPCC)

The Spirited Fifties

El Paso Country Club38

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Above: Bill Burton, Carlos Carter, Earl Drake, and E. T. Skipworth are ready to tee it up on a bright winter afternoon. (EPCC)

Top left: First golf carts at EPCC, October 1954. Left to right: Naomi Dart, Jackie McNutt, Rosalie Carter, Mrs. D. McFadden. (EPCC)

Bottom left: A party at EPCC in 1951 given by Mr. and Mrs. R. T. Hoover. Left to right: Ann and Fred McKinstry, Nena Shapleigh, Barbara and Jack Curlin, Patty and Tom Mayfield. (EPCC)

Opposite Page: Lady golfers have fun at a Tacky Party, 1953. (EPCC)


In 1961, the first of the ladies’ luncheons, held on alternate Wednesdays, was a great success. Women of the club would attend dressed in fashionable outfits almost always punctuated with hats and gloves. This was also the year that Bill Eschenbrenner was hired as assistant golf pro under head pro George Clark. He signed a contract as head pro in 1965. Eschenbrenner was instrumental in organizing the first Sunland Swingtime golf tournament, held in 1961.

This tournament has become one of the most popular continuous member/guest tournaments in the entire Southwest and in the history of the club. The club’s golf logo, a humorous caricature known as “the caddie,” was created by member and artist Neil Baker in 1966 for the Southwestern Golf Association and later modified as the Sunland Swingtime logo.

Even though things looked optimistic from the outside, the club was still having economic problems. The beginning of 1962 saw reductions in all services and some staff in an effort to cut costs. However, one major acquisition was made that year. The large chandeliers that grace the ballroom were purchased from the Junior League of El Paso. As the sixties progressed, so did club improvements. Five hundred iris bulbs were planted on the clubhouse grounds. Purchases of new china, furnishings, and fixtures were approved, as well as the construction of a new golf pro shop and other additions and features. Many more improvements were needed, and each year’s incoming Board

of Governors and respective committees worked toward the goal of “rehabilitating” the El Paso Country Club.

For many members of the board, there was a competitive concern. It was the completion of the Coronado Country Club in the early sixties. With much regret, the El Paso Country Club lost members to the club

“on the hill,” and with little wonder. The so-called “greens” of the EPCC were more like

“browns,” and the clubhouse and facilities were no comparison to the new and elegant Coronado Country Club.

Frank Redman, Hal Dean Jr., Bob Redman, and John Kessler: 1963 Sunland Swingtime foursome. (EPCC)

Bill Eschenbrenner (Frank Redman)

The Swinging Sixties

The women’s 18 Hole Golf Association had been established for thirty-six years when another group of women golfers created the 9 Hole Women’s Golf Association in 1967. This group, founded by Bim Wendler, currently has fifty active members.

The late sixties were depressing times for the club. The Board of Directors came to terms with the amount of remodeling and refurbishing the club needed to bring it up to par, but the question of where the funds would come from remained unanswered.

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Left: Lady golfers, 1963, left to right, front to back: Virginia Dean, Susan Schwartz, Edie Wilson, Rue Dean, unidentified, unidentified, Kay Hatfield, unidentified, Agatha Lee, Maxine Fuentes, Betty McCombs, Betty Knodell, unidentified, Lois Dungan, Ruth Kahn, Mary Hoover, unidentified. (EPCC)

Below: Gilbert’s Tournament winners, October 1967. (EPCC)


El Paso’s First Family of American TennisThe family of Russell and Jackie Ball is an

important chapter in the history of tennis at El Paso Country Club. Their dedication and achievements led to being awarded both the Southwestern (SWTA) and USTA Family of the Year for 1990. This rare honor for Russell and Jackie Ball and their children (Don, Rusty, and Beverly) came after a lifetime of service by Russell. Unfortunately, Russell passed away on February 2, 1990, but his contributions to the game he loved are remembered. Beginning sixty years earlier as a SWTA junior competitor, his accomplishments include the following:

• Six top ten national rankings in various age groups;

• A record twenty-nine SWTA sectional championships;

• Plus, championships in eighteen different states, seven U.S. Tennis Association sections, and in Canada.

However, Russell was much more than a champion on the court. At the time of his death, he was the Southwestern delegate to the Executive Committee of the USTA and was president of the SWTA from 1983 to 1986. Russell also served as tournament director, referee, and umpire for many major

amateur and professional tournaments. Moreover, his legacy to Jackie and their children was impressive and continues with their grandchildren, all of whom play the game well.

Jackie began her tennis career for the children’s sake. “My greatest contributions were providing juniors with food, lodging, and transportation to tournaments,” she recalls.

As for their children, all three were outstanding junior players and are still very active in the game in various states. Son Don, a member of the All Army tennis team, became head coach of the men’s and women’s teams at New Mexico State University. He recalls his lasting impressions of their family: “Mom was there to watch all of us from behind the scenes and always making a lot of sacrifices. Dad bent over backward to be fair and honest. In coaching my teams at the university, I try to stress the sporting aspect of the game itself, not just the winning and losing.”

Thus, the Russell Ball family legacy lives on and is a lasting tribute to the founding father’s dedication.

1976–1980 Jan Karam

1981 Mary Ann Thompson

1982 Doris Eisenberg

1983 Cici Ely

1984 Judy Hodge

1985 Ann Opel

1986 Edna Pitts

1987 Linda Swafford

1988 Margaret Meyer

1989 Emily Grimm

1990 Ronda Karam

1992 Barbara Black

1993 Lourdes Gerzymisch

1994 Donna Neessen

1995 Marge Mirkin

1996 Cindee Klement

1997 Sylvia Marcum

1998 Blythe Larson

1999 Susan Hjalmquist

Ladies Tennis AssociationPast Presidents

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Leading Ladies

El Paso Times, February 21, 1948.

E1 Paso Country Club has produced a long and distinguished line of women golfers, dating back to the 1920s.

These exceptional players include Reba Armstrong, Agatha Lee, Mary Hoover, Sandy Aaronson, and Kristi Albers (who is featured on page 79). Mrs. Otto Armstrong was the first of these five members of the El Paso Golf Hall of Fame and was ahead of her time, shooting in the 70s when such

a feat was rare indeed. She won nine EPCC Championships from

1928 to 1940 and set course records in 1930 (79), 1933 (77), 1934 (76), and 1936 (75). Among her other accomplishments during the 1930s were five Southwestern victories and four close finishes in the Texas State Golf Association Championship. She also finished second in the 1933 Championship of Mexico and won the 1934 Cloudcroft Championship.

Mrs. Armstrong was replaced by another remarkable player—Mrs. C. D. Lee—who won many city, county, Southwestern, and EPCC championships in a grand career that began in the 1930s and extended into the 1970s. She was particularly

Inset: Sandy Aaronson—twenty-one-time winner of the El Paso Country Club Championship from 1976 through 1999.

impressive in the EPCC Club Championship, defeating Mrs. Armstrong in 1939 and winning her eighteenth title thirty-four years later in 1973.

This championship was very competitive during this era, and it required as many as five match-play triumphs to win the title. Nevertheless, Agatha dominated against these large fields of contenders and twice won the championships for five consecutive years from 1948 to 1952 and from 1957 to 1961.

Mrs. Lee was a golfer of the ages, and her records include the following victories: two Southwestern, seven city, and seven straight Texas Senior Championships beginning in 1959. She was finally defeated by 1962–63 winner Mary Hoover, who also replaced her as EPCC city and county champion.

Mrs. Joe Hoover, also a tennis champion, later added twenty-two Coronado Club Championships to her record that includes two Southwestern titles.

The next outstanding EPCC champion was Sandy Aaronson, who made her first impressions by capturing the 1976–77 titles. She then reeled off nineteen consecutive victories from 1980 to 1988 to break Agatha Lee’s record. Sandy “retired” after this to devote her energies toward her real estate business, and her main successor has been Terri Massey, a four-time champion in the twenty-first century.


Right: EPCC players at SWGA Tournament, left to right: Margaret Fortune, Annette Morgan, Maxine Fuentes, Mary Hoover. (Crile Photographers)

Above: Rubye Warren (left) wins the “Seniors” title again and is presented a silver tray by Agatha Lee, former City Champion, who sponsors the award. (EPCC)

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Agatha Lee—Legendary GolferAgatha had several golf stories that she

liked to tell. “My husband (Carroll D. Lee) played twice a week; he and his golfing friends would socialize, play cards, and so forth,” she said. “I got impatient. My husband said, ‘You should take up golf.’ He really wanted me to, so I did.” And take it up she did!

Raising two kids and taking care of her house, Agatha had her hands full. “I would have supper on the table, and my husband would stay out until after dark hitting golf balls,” she recalled. “I wouldn’t let the kids eat until he came home, and by that time the food was cold and everyone was in a row. Finally, he said he’d take me out and try to hit a few, just so I’d know why he stayed out so late.”

This encouragement from her husband was all that was needed. “We’d hit golf balls at Washington Park, and we both had so much confidence in our shots, we’d hit balls right over the baseball diamond while kids were playing. They’d look up and see what was going on, then keep right on playing baseball. I did that for a year before I even stepped on a golf course, which is probably why I won as much as I did.”

“My husband was telling the story of how I got started golfing. He really just told them how he got tired of coming home to a hot wife and cold supper. It was true, though, and I didn’t think it was funny.”

At just under thirty years of age, she began competitive golf. She won eighteen El Paso Country Club women’s championships, seven straight Texas State Seniors Championships, two Southwestern Women’s titles, and seven El Paso Times city amateur championships. She has been mentioned in Sports Illustrated and Golf World. In addition, she was the first woman golfer elected to the El Paso Athletic Hall of Fame and was inducted into the El Paso Golf Hall of Fame. She won merchandise

EPCC pro Jack Harden presents the championship trophy to Agatha Lee. (EPCC)

in about every two-person scramble or best-ball tournament she ever entered.

Agatha played golf well into her eighties. Her average handicap at that time was 18, and she was quoted as saying, “I really need to get my game back into shape.” She passed away April 21, 2003, about two and one-half months shy of reaching one hundred.

Source: El Paso Times

The Fabulous FiftiesBy Don Van Pelt

The 1950s were a fabulous time for the El Paso Country Club. Every prominent person in the city was a member of EPCC, which featured a PGA TOUR event, countless celebrities, and much more. It was and still is the social center of most major happenings.

The El Paso Open actually began in the 1920s and was revived during the fabulous fifties. This tournament continued to attract many of the nation’s best players, including Tommy Bolt, Jackie Burke, Cary Middlecoff, the Hebert brothers, the Furgol brothers, Johnny Palmer, Dow Finsterwald, and Champagne Tony Lema.

However, none of these touring pros matched the fantastic finish of Wild Bill Melhorn back in the roaring twenties when he played the last six holes in seven under par to win.

In addition to professional golfers, a variety of entertainers and movie stars came to EPCC. The entertainers included Don Cherry, Vic Damone, Wayne Newton, and Eddy Peabody, the world’s best banjo player. The best golfer in the bunch was Cherry, who played as an amateur in nine straight Masters. Entertainers would play golf at EPCC before performing at La Fiesta Restaurant in Juarez, Mexico.

Other performers, notably movie stars Burt Lancaster and Elizabeth Taylor, also came to

the club. El Paso was a pretty good site to shoot movies, and Lancaster was here on location; Taylor was married to Nicky Hilton, the hotel magnate who grew up in the city.

This was the colorful era when my association with EPCC began—a young college student hired to ensure that the pro shop would be opened every Sunday at 6 a.m. It was a memorable experience with names and characters of the 1950s coming to mind vividly—Malcolm Webb, Charlie Deerman, Simon Hernandez, Agatha Lee, Kay Koons, and. of course, golf professional Jack Harden.

Fred Hawkins, PGA Touring Pro. (Frank Redman)

Malcolm Webb, a longtime leader at EPCC, also led the league in beers (malt liquors) consumed on the course in one round. He usually had one small can of malt liquor per hole. One day he was billed for nineteen and all he said was, “I’ll be damned. I had only one per hole [18].”

Webb and his group also introduced the club’s first golf cart. It was a converted Cushman motor scooter that seated four in the front of the buggy. Real Cushman golf carts were introduced during the early 1950s and were very good moneymakers for the club, especially with two riders. Battery golf carts came several years later.

Charlie Deerman, a prominent farmer and gambler, would always take a cart for himself and his dog, a Dalmatian named Buster who would sit on the passenger seat. All went well until one day he was billed for two riders instead of one. Charlie had a lot more to say about his bill than Malcolm Webb did about his. In fact, he hit the ceiling!

One person who never complained was Simon Hernandez, our caddie master and a real Damon Runyon character. He was too busy working and winning money from members. Controlling forty or fifty caddies and making sure they were sober were his first concerns. Simon also was at the beck and call of the members, many of whom he fleeced by betting on their golf scores or playing gin with them.

Then there were the ladies, who played leading roles on and off the golf course. Perennial club champion Agatha Lee and Kay Koons, a tall and statuesque player, quickly


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come to mind. Agatha was simply outstanding and queen of the hill…easily the best of the lady players. Kay was reminiscent of the incomparable Babe Didrikson Zaharias, but was much better looking.

The women’s group was quite large and equally active off the course in EPCC functions. This group was very instrumental in helping build the club’s party business—weddings, company parties, et al.

Last but certainly not least, there was Jack Harden, whose accomplishments are too long to list. Suffice it to say that he beat Ben Hogan and Byron Nelson in match play to win the Texas PGA and shot a very rare 63 in the PGA TOUR’s Long Beach Open back in the 1940s.

He retained his talent into the 1950s and won a number of challenge matches at EPCC, the most famous of which was against Fred Hawkins in 1958. This was a day after Hawkins, an El Pasoan, came within a fraction of an inch of tying for the Masters with young Arnold Palmer. His putt on the last hole rimmed the cup, and he and Doug Ford finished second.

Fred joined his friend Jack the following day in a very talented foursome that included Frank Redman (El Paso’s best amateur) and Dub Yowell, who was another good player and EPCC member. Jack beat Fred quite badly, which was pretty good for a club pro who was spending more time teaching and tending to members.

The only challenge that Jack dodged came from a noted hustler named Titanic Thompson, who showed up at the pro shop

looking for a pigeon. Jack had already been warned and was instructed to leave word that he was out of town, not wanting to be associated with this notorious gambler.

I don’t think Jack ever got the respect he deserved, either as a player or teacher. Following the 1950s, he was stunningly fired and replaced by an assistant, George Clark, who played golf at North Texas State on a very good program. Jack went on to prestigious teaching pro positions at the Broadmoor in Colorado and Houston Country Club. He also gave private lessons to several touring professionals.

Meanwhile, life at EPCC also went on and great strides were made in changes to the course, pro shop, locker room, and men’s grill.

The startling redesign of the golf course in 1983 was a huge project. What was once a Lady golfers tee off on the No. 10 hole. (EPCC)

flat, nondescript layout built on an old farm turned into a lush championship course featuring some elevation, plus great greens and bunkers. Since the redesign, we now hold local U.S. Open qualifiers.

Other dramatic changes had already been made to the locker room, which was a black morbid dungeon with old metal lockers. Now it is a showcase facility, as are the new pro shop and men’s grill. Mark Schumacher, the design firm for PGA National, did a masterful job in all three areas during the 1960s.

The net result of these changes has made the El Paso Country Club a state-of-the-art facility, but it’s still worth recalling the formative years in the 1950s as well as the past traditions.


A Member’s MemoriesRecollections of Fifty-Year Member

Neil C. Baker

1957. At age twenty-seven, Sunday morning golf games with Mendel Laviage, Paul Borschow, Marvin Roth, Sam Ellowitz…One-armed caddie master Simon and Nacho…caddies Cuco Lujan (who was later to become caddie master and almost a legend at the club), Roberto, Joe, Alfonso, Bennie, Salas, Jesse, Pete, Tommy, Luis, Bacho, Juan, Chuy, Abe, Efren, Felix, Johnny, Jimmy (we all had a favorite caddie and occasionally if your caddie had to carry double because of a shortage, we were not happy)…Pro Jack Harden and the pro shop located under the present Vista Room…No. 1 a par 5…fairways lined with big cottonwoods so that you could walk down the fairway in the shade on virtually every hole…small, flat greens in those days.

No. 2…where, in the 1957 SWGA Cham-pionship, Frank Redman hit his second shot wedge from the right rough through the crotch of a tree into the hole to defeat Gray Madison on the thirty-eighth hole of the championship. Cuco was Redman’s caddie. I recall Madison sipping on a bottle of scotch all the way around that match…but he was a hell of a player and won many championships.

I recall some of the big golf games when Ricky Feuille, Louis Scott, Bill Crombie, Blaine McNutt, Dean Cole, J. W. Yowell, Frank Redman, and others teed it up. They

often had a gallery of Charlie Deerman and a couple of other guys I can’t remember betting it up all the way around. Then came the Jones boys: Jack, Grady, Claude, and son Mitchell from Oklahoma in the late fifties to spice up the action. They also brought with them a guy named Jim Morgan, as I recall a non-golfer but an inveterate gambler and gin rummy player. He could play gin all day and night, drank nothing but coffee out of his own personal coffee pot.

Thursday afternoon games in the early 1960s with Dan Ponder, Malcolm Webb, Johnny Schwartz, Dr. Sherrod Mengel…these guys knew how to have fun…Ponder and Webb met at the club at 11:30 for two

“double pussies” (martinis) and lunch, teed off about 1:00 p.m. and sent Bacho the caddie back to the clubhouse from No. 3 tee for a six-pack or two of Country Club beers. Bacho usually had to make several runs back to the clubhouse, the last usually from No. 16 tee. Arlin Maddox and I played with this group regularly, and the standard bet in the group was quarter Mexican automatics, two-man teams. Arlin recalls the day he shot 68 with Malcolm as his partner (who effectively couldn’t play past No. 15) and won 625 ways (quarters).

Pro George Clark with Bill Eschenbrenner as his assistant in the ’60s…all of the many changes to each hole on the golf course over the years before the big renovation in 1983.

During the early sixties, one of our favorite pastimes after a round of golf and a few beers late in the day, when all golfers were off the course, was to gather a five- or six-some, place the bets, and play the course to our

whim; for instance, tee up on No. 1 and play to 15 green, then from 15 play to No. 7 green and then back to 18. I think we picked up this idea from Dan Jenkins’s book. Around that same time, every July Fourth, about sixteen or twenty of us would gather in the afternoon, put twenty bucks in the pot, make up our teams, and play an eighteen-hole scramble, winner take all. This was the forerunner to the present-day July 4 scramble, but the pro shop was not involved in our tournament, so there were no restrictions as to team handicap or present rules as to how many times each player can hit. It was a good idea for each team to have a long knocker.

A lot of big ship, captain, and crew dice games, almost always played after a round of golf to the accompaniment of a lot of beer and scotch…I recall Deerman and the comptroller of EPNG (can’t remember his name) playing ship, captain, and crew head to head for $50 up, $50 insurance, and $50 seven or better for hours…Pitching quarters at the line in the men’s locker room (when we had concrete floors and green metal lockers)…leg wrestling on the floor in the men’s grill…there were lots of ways to win or lose your money in those days. Then, in the early 1960s, someone introduced the dice game known as chilo in the men’s grill…about as addictive to a gambler as gin to an alcoholic. During the ’60s and early ’70s, you could get a game and get your feet as wet as you wanted and more…I recall many chilo games when cash in the high four figures was won or lost…seen dice cups hurled at the wall with such force that past presidents’ photos, which used to hang in the grill, were shattered and more than a few times, holes in the wall paneling. On occasion, there were

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some great crap games in the men’s grill…Big John McKeon, when he had the dice, was a good man to bet on…it got real exciting when he and Max Prestridge went at it.

And gin rummy has been a favorite pastime in the grill for many years. There were at one time eight to ten players in our group…we all played golf every Thursday afternoon, started the gin game about 5 p.m., and played through dinner and long into the night. I recall one night when two members whose names I won’t divulge played straight through the night, head to head, into the next day, finally calling it a day at noon.

If the walls in the grill and locker room could only talk, what stories of indiscretion you might hear…one-night stands…hilarious antics…like the morning that Liz Taylor stormed into the men’s grill to confront her fiancé, Nicky Hilton, after a night of boozing and gambling.

Fond memories of many great employees…to name a few, Danny and Joe in the locker room, bartenders Emilio, Pete, Sarge, Rafa…waiters Juarez, Raul, Raton, Gaby, Terry, Carlos, Gilberto, Joe, Joaquin, Manny, Danny, Chilo…maître d’ George Colon, a talented and good guy…Club Manager Jack Markstein, who, though controversial in a lot of his methods and personal actions, brought the club back from one of its all-time depths of prestige and patronage. Golf pros Jack Harden, George Clark, with Esch as his assistant before he returned to become head pro, and Cameron Doan. And all the assistant pros in the golf shop…Don “Brillo” Zamora, Jimmy Dickson, Mike Wilson, Grant Dalpes, Del Cochran, Cameron…and so many whose

names I can’t recall but only their faces and stories…a great bunch of guys. And then, if you wanted to complain about something in the golf shop to someone who would listen, there was Jan, Nelda, Chris, or Susie.

Games with Arlin Maddox, J. R. Baker, Paul Borschow, Bob Redman, Jimmy Hammond, Jules Bennett, John Kessler (always drank straight whiskey with a beer chaser and smoked a big cigar), Mike Daeuble, Johnny Williams…Games with Jim Huff, Marty Bauman, Bing Armstrong, Doug Ramsey, Jim McRimmon…Frank Halla, Clarence Thomas, Dr. Ralph Homan, Dave Mosely, Don Dixon, Tom Singleton…George Dungan and Fred D’Antonio, Mitchell Jones, Tony Lama, Beto Goodman, Hank Silberman, John Ritter, Big John McKeon (always hit a 4 iron off the tee)…Danny James, Bill Cooke, Clint McCombs, Frank Swafford, Larry Blakely, Ben Crockett, Gibbs Taylor, Larry Jumper, J. O. Wall, Don Haskins, Larry Gillham, Duane Perry, Dick

At the No. 10 tee, left to right: Jim Reed, Paul Borschow, Marvin Roth, Jimmy Baker. (Neil C. Baker)

Isaacks, Bob Dunbar, Jim Hartshorn, Bob Brown, Al Smith, Larry Smith, Jim Reed, Larry Francis, Julian Borschow, Bob May (Dr. Golf), Frank Weidner, Herman Seigel, Andy Guevara, Bob Childs, Johnny Folmer, John Bailey, Rick Calhoun…The swing game where fifteen or sixteen players picked two out of the hat who played all combinations quota for fifteen bucks…do the math…you could win or lose several hundred dollars at the drop of a shot.

Tuesday evening socials that lasted till 2 or 3 a.m.…the ballroom filled for Bingo every Thursday that often turned into a chilo game for a few of us that lasted deep into the night…magnificent buffet dinners prepared by Bill McLaughlin…gala black-tie functions like the Los Viejos party and annual New Year’s Eve party. The club was truly the social center in the mid-century…many, many club social functions when there weren’t many people you couldn’t have a great time being with.


Bill EschenbrennerMaster professional Bill Eschenbrenner

is approaching his fiftieth year at El Paso Country Club and has earned every honor the region and national PGA can offer. Most recently, he was inducted into the PGA Golf Professional Hall of Fame in 2006, along with Jack Nicklaus, after being named 2005 National Golf Professional of the Year. These honors become even more impressive when you consider there are 28,000 PGA members.

Eschenbrenner, who came to EPCC in 1961, also is a member of the North Texas State University Athletic Hall of Fame (2006), El Paso Sports Hall of Fame (1993), and El Paso Golf Hall of Fame (1989).

Before beginning his illustrious profes-sional career, he was a standout amateur in Fort Worth and at North Texas State. Upon turning pro, he won the Sun Country Section PGA and West Texas PGA championships, then contended in the National PGA Seniors Championship.

His national PGA honors also include winning the Bill Strauszbaugh Employment Award in 1984 and the Horton Smith Education Award in 1994. These were fol-lowed by his service as a member of the PGA Board of Directors, representing Texas and New Mexico, from 1995 to 1997.

Next came the Lifetime Achievement Award from the PGA Sun Country Section in 2003. In addition, the national media, notably the Golf Channel and Sports Illustrated, has recognized Eschenbrenner for his teaching abilities. Among the PGA TOUR winners he has instructed are Lee Trevino, Rich Beem,

Bill Eschenbrenner, pro emeritus El Paso Country Club. (Bill Eschenbrenner)

J. P. Hayes, Tim Norris, Tim Simpson, Paul Stankowski, Joel Edwards, and Brad and Bart Bryant.

It also should be mentioned that Eschenbrenner was instrumental in Trevino’s uphill struggle to obtain his PGA card. Eighteen assistants or associates of Eschenbrenner have advanced to head golf professional positions, including associate Mark Pelletier who was at the Lone Star Golf Club before coming to EPCC.

Lone Star, which Eschenbrenner has leased from the City of El Paso for twenty-five years, is one of the nation’s busiest courses. He personally has invested $2 mil-lion in capital improvements, and the course earns $180,000 annually for the city.

He also has invested a lot of time and energy in developing the UTEP and El Paso high schools’ golf teams. Similarly, he found-ed and developed the College All-America Golf Classic, currently sponsored by Western Refining. Hosted by EPCC since 1974, the All-America is the NCAA’s premier invitational whose champions range from Jerry Pate to Tiger Woods.

Other tournaments hosted by Eschenbrenner with strong support of the EPCC include the first NCAA Regional and the annual Pro-President.

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Lee Trevino: Instrumental in obtaining his Class A PGA Card, which gave him the opportunity to participate full-time on the PGA Tour.

Trained and advanced the following assistant professionals to head professional status or other important positions in the golf business.

Training and Advancement of Professionals by Bill Eschenbrenner

Del Cochran Pinnacle Peak CC Scottsdale, AZCameron Doan Preston Trail CC Dallas, TXMark Pelletier El Paso CC El Paso, TXJim Dickson Rio Rancho CC Rio Rancho, NMDon Zamora Ladera Golf Course Albuquerque, NMJack Warlick Cree Meadows CC Ruidoso, NMJohn Raley Tulsa CC Tulsa, OKMatt Pinter Mississippi State GC Starkville, MSDoug Alverson Santa Teresa CC Santa Teresa, NMSterling Sasser Horizon CC El Paso, TXJim Mallot Vista Hills CC El Paso, TXAndrew Feldman Tierra del Sol CC Belen, NMGrant Dalpes Desert Lakes Golf Course Alamogordo, NMDean Jones Campestre CC Juarez, MexicoMartin Chuck Indian Ridge CC Palm Desert, CAMike Wilson Teaching Professional, Lake Nona, FL Leadbetter Teaching Academy Tom Galvin Director of Marketing, Palm Beach PGA of America Gardens, FL

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TournamentsVery few courses can rival the tournament

history of El Paso Country Club, ranging from a regular PGA TOUR event to the College All-America Championship. These events and others have attracted many of golf ‘s immortals, such as Walter Hagen, Ben Hogan, and, more recently, Tiger Woods.

No history of the course, however, would be complete without mentioning a variety of other tournaments that are part of the important fabric of the club. They include USGA, SWGA, Sun Country, city, invitational (Sunland Swingtime), and interclub competitions. Sunland Swingtime, founded more than forty years ago by Bill Eschenbrenner, is generally regarded as one of the premier member-guest tournaments in the country.

Another event of annual importance is the hotly contested men’s club championship. Unlike the women’s event, which has been dominated by a handful of dominant players over the years, the men’s club championship has produced a much longer list of winners who have exchanged the title during the modern era. Prior to 1964, the complete records of this event were lost or destroyed by fire.

Since then, there have been eleven multiple winners led by four-time champions George Jantzen (1970, ’76, ’81, ’89), Joel Vaughn (1979, ’80, ’82, ’83), and Bruce Meyer (1991–94). Two players came close to duplicating the grand slam, winning three times—Matt Blaugrund (1995, ’97, ’98) and Rob Manor (2000–02).

Filling out the list of multiple winners are two-time champions John Darling (1965, ’67), Mike Daeuble (1966, ’71), Steve Haskins (1975, ’78), Gary Borsch (1985, ’87), Les Fletcher (1996, ’99), and Aaron Felix (2005–06).

Virtually all of these champions, along with fellow competitors, honed their considerable skills against touring professionals during the “Friday Game” showdowns, dating back to the 1960s.

Lee Trevino was among the earliest pros to test the amateurs, and he often won easily; however, there was one added event in the

Swingtime partners Martin Leutnich, John McKeon, Don Haskins, Frank Redman. (EPCC)

early years that Trevino failed to win one day. It involved a makeshift hole played after the round with players using only a putter to play from the eighteenth bunker to a hole on the practice green. On one particular day, the rules for this so-called “Mouse Game” required the ball to be ricocheted off the scoreboard near the pro shop. Trevino missed the scoreboard, and his golf ball sailed into the cart barn where he took five strokes to get back into play. He lost that day but won the U.S. Open shortly thereafter.

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Top: Frank Redman, Sidney Borschow, Meyer Aaronson, and Grady Jones at the Interfaith Tournament in April 1964. (Frank Redman)

Left: Billy Maxwell practices at EPCC for the Texas PGA. (EPCC)

Above: Tom Hamrick searches for the ball in the Orange Blossom Tournament.

El Paso Herald Post, November 8, 1971.

Documents

Epcc chap3