The Oshkosh Country Club dates back to 1899. It was previously known as the Algoma Country Club, and is located at the present-day Lakeshore Golf Course. In 1917, the Oshkosh Country Club moved to its current location, south of Oshkosh, on Ripple Avenue and Highway 45. At this time, it became known as the Oshkosh Country Club. Our first club president was Phil Sawyer, a prominent businessman whose name factors into the colorful history of Oshkosh. The course design drew many of golf’s top players during the 1920s and 1930s. Among those players were Ben Hogan, Byron Nelson, Walter Hagen, and Gene Sarazen.
As golf became popular in the early 1900s, the Wisconsin State Golf Association was formed. The purpose was to establish a championship for the amateur golfers in Wisconsin. Oshkosh Country Club was among the nine founding members of the association. Following the formation of this association was the creation of the Northwestern Wisconsin Golf Association (NEWGA) to foster interclub play.
During the creation of these associations Phil Sawyer acted as president of the Oshkosh Country Club. Sawyer eventually left Oshkosh for the warmer climate of Augusta, Georgia. However, before he left Oshkosh he brought a touch of golf heritage from Scotland to Oshkosh. Sawyer’s successor was Inwin Stewart MacNichol, an immigrant who learned golf from the professionals at Carnoustie, Scotland. This is an interesting piece of history, that we have tied into the clubhouse remodel in 2019.
The design of the Oshkosh Country Club continued to evolve and improve throughout the successive decades. The original clubhouse was destroyed by fire in the mid-1970s. The clubhouse was rebuilt and opened in 1976. The original swimming pool was located in the present location of The OCC Event Center. The pool was moved to the location that it exists at today in 2005.
The Oshkosh Country Club was purchased by former Oshkosh native, TJ Rodgers, in late 2016. Since his ownership, there has been an extensive clubhouse renovation, that included: a Scottish-inspired steakhouse that is open to the public, an English-pub inspired Members Room, Ladies Locker Room, Fitness Studio, and Event Center. Continual course and grounds improvements are being made to ensure the course remains a staple in the Oshkosh Community.
We will always strive for excellence, and to make our members proud to be called the course that they call home.
Peter Radford, a former Oshkosh Country Club member, who now lives in Colorado, recalls “as a child growing up in Oshkosh my family used the country club extensively for swimming, dining and lots of junior golf. The lessons from junior golf gave us a passion for the game and the social aspects of learning respect, courtesy and how to follow the rules. I know that the club will remain a place for families to enjoy for the future.”