Colonial Country Club is a private golf club in Memphis, Tennessee, United States, in the Cordova neighborhood. For many years, it was host to an annual PGA Tour event.
The club was founded in 1913 by some local businessmen in what was then called White Station, Tennessee.[citation needed]
The first 18-hole course was opened on August 7, 1914. In 1915 the first clubhouse opened.
On December 16, 1919, the clubhouse was destroyed in a fire, blamed on defective wiring.[citation needed] In the summer of 1921, a new clubhouse opened.
Colonial Country Club remained in this location for over forty years. In 1968, the club announced plans to relocate in Cordova near Interstate 40.[citation needed]The new venue would offer two separate 18-hole championship golf courses, as well as a 300-yard (270 m) practice area, a 40,000 square feet (3,700 m2) clubhouse, an Olympic sized swimming pool, 6 tennis courts, and snack-bar/dressing facility. Both courses were designed by Joe Finger. The new clubhouse and courses opened in 1972. Colonial Country Club has been located there ever since.
The two courses are known as the North Course and the South Course. The South Course is the course which hosted the professional tour events.
Colonial has hosted many tournaments at both of its locations, including the Memphis Open, now known as the St. Jude Classic. This PGA Tour event began in 1958 and was played at Colonial through 1988. Many years, regional qualifying for the U.S. Open has taken place at Colonial.
1977 was the most memorable year for Colonial as two huge events occurred which made national news at the PGA Tour event (then known as the Danny Thomas Memphis Classic).
1. President Gerald Ford made a hole-in-one during Wednesday's Celebrity Pro-Am.
2. Two days later, Al Geiberger shot a record low round of 59 on Friday of the tournament. The 13-under-par round remains a record in relation to par on the PGA Tour. (Although Jim Furyk shot a 58 at the 2016 Travelers Championship, it was a Par 70 course, 12 under par).[1]
Champions of the PGA Tour events held at Colonial:
Federal Express St. Jude Classic
St. Jude Memphis Classic
Danny Thomas Memphis Classic
Memphis Open Invitational
Memphis Open