Club View / Washtenaw GC Lot Purchases Came With Lessons In 1924
Synergy between golf courses and real estate developments are sometimes though of as a modern phenomenon, but the practice goes back a long way. Golfers want to live near their home courses.
In this 1924 ad in the Detroit Free Press, a real estate developer offers an inducement of free golf lessons with the purchase of a Club View lot and membership at Washtenaw Country Club. The club, which started with three holes in a farmer’s field in 1899 had by 1924 developed into a full 18 holes course with a thriving membership.
The Washtenaw Country Club now is the Washtenaw Golf Club, and now open to the public. Fortunately, unlike many more modern real estate developments, homes at Washtenaw never encroached on the fairways and greens. Washtenaw GC has instead remained a peaceful oasis in an increasingly urban environment.
The Club View subdivision mentioned in the 1924 advertisement is to the right of the course in the image.
It occurs to me that the offer of lessons implies that in 1924, golf was still relatively new to the population of Ypsilanti/Ann Arbor. I can imagine a conversation between the developer and prospective home buyers.
“If you buy this Club View lot, you will be right across the street from the Washtenaw Golf Club.”
“Why would I care about being near the golf club? I don’t know how to play golf. I don’t know anyone who plays golf,” replied the buyer.
“Well then … if you buy the lot, I’ll get you some lessons … and you can make new friends at the club.”
And thus, an ad campaign was born.
My guess is that the purchases of homes adjacent to courses in more modern times go somewhat differently.
GolfBlogger World Headquarters is only a couple of blocks from the Washtenaw Golf Club, but I would love the opportunity to own a home with an actual view of the property.
nice article on Washtenaw GC Art McCafferty