Content deleted Content added
No edit summary |
No edit summary |
||
Line 1:
'''Cedar Crest Park''', formerly '''Cedar Crest Country Club''', is a public [[golf course]] in [[Dallas]], [[Texas]], [[USA]].
The course was designed by [[A. W. Tillinghast]] and was the site of the [[1927]] [[PGA Championship]]. Current club pro for many years has been Leonard Jones.
History of Cedar Crest
Cedar Crest was first developed as a private country club in 1916. All of the area surrounding what is known as Cedar Crest Golf Course was part of the original survey of 640 acres granted by the State of Texas to Lorenzo Van Cleve as a Peters Colony land grant. Alabama native William Brown Miller came to Texas in 1846 and purchased the land and additional acres for $1.00 an acre. Miller, along with his family and slaves, built a log house on the site and later a large home known as Millermore, now at Old City Park. For many years, into the mid-20th century, the Oak Cliff area of Dallas, south of the Trinity River, was the preferred area for the elite and upper-middle class, due to its many trees and wonderful view of downtown back across the river. Much of the area has fallen on disrepair these days, but the golf course remains a quiet and peaceful respite in the middle of one of the nation's largest cities.
The 18-hole golf course was designed by the famous designer A. W. Tillinghast. Among the other well-known courses designed by Tillinghast are Brook Hollow C.C. in Dallas, La Loma G.C. at Fort Sam Houston, Brackenridge Park and Oak Hills C.C. in San Antonio, Winged Foot East & West, Indian Hills, and Lower & Upper Baltusrol. Local businessman Sol Dreyfuss laid out the club. Always interested in sports, Dreyfuss once owned the Dallas minor league baseball team during the 1930s. He was the Secretary-Treasurer of Dreyfuss and Son, one of the first men's clothing stores in downtown Dallas. Sol's sister, Hortense, married Lawrence Pollock. Sol was the Vice President of the Pollock Paper Company. The Dreyfuss family lived on S. Ervay in an addition in the southern sector of the city called the Cedars. In the next few years as their businesses flourished, many of the terminal merchants who had followed the Houston and Texas Central Railroad in 1872 were eventually able to build mansions in this upscale 'suburb' of Dallas. Long rundown and out of favor, the Cedars area has recently experienced a rebirth due to the economic development along the route of the new light rail system. Dallas' new police headquarters is one block from the Cedars rail station.
In an effort to put Dallas on the map in the pro golf world, Dreyfuss offered a purse and the first Dallas Open was held at Cedar Crest in 1926. It was held in the spring, but a "blue norther" had blown in on the eve of the tournament, freezing greens and fairways. The following year, the PGA Championship was held at Cedar Crest, won by Walter Hagen one up over Joe Turnesa. It was Hagen's thrid consecutive PGA title.
The club did not fare well during the war years and was purchased by the city of Dallas in the 1940s. In recent years, the Cedar Crest Golf Course has undergone a major $3 million renovation project that includes the addition of a practice range and a lake. Enhancements to the 84-year-old course also include a teaching center, a computerized pumping and irrigation system, new tees and greens, and sand bunkers. Hybrid Bermuda turf has been planted on the fairways, greens and tees.
Golf Professional D.A. Weibring, D.A. Weibring/Golf Resources Group, Inc., were the project designers. Mr. Weibring said the renovations would provide a high quality golf facility and preserve the original design. There are not many A.W. Tillinghast design that can be played for $38 (including cart) on weekends.
| |||