Golf, Charleston Country Club (Belvidere Plantation)

Copyright: Contact The Charleston Museum Archives for publication quality images and credit instructions.

Description:

Photograph of amateur golfer and club member, Lewis Grimball, after his swing, (see MK 14663). Several caddies can be seen sitting underneath a tree to the left. A tent is set up in the background and the old Shubrick House, that was renovated for the clubhouse, is just visible. Painte noted on reverse, "Louis [sic] Grimball - Old Country Club (Belvedere), c.1912."

The Charleston Country Club (now the Country Club of Charleston) was originally known as the Chicora Golf Club. Formed on October 1, 1900, the first course was a 9 hole golf course at Chicora Park, on land leased from the City of Charleston. This was short lived however, as seven months later the city sold the land for development of the Charleston Naval Base.
Purchasing Belvidere Plantation, the Club refurbished the old plantation house, officially changed their name to the Charleston Country Club (July 1901) and with the assistance of Mr. Charles Von Der Wallering, designed a 9 hole golf course with sand greens. In 1913 the Club increased the course to 18 holes, converted the sand greens to grass greens and soon became a top tournament destination.
In 1922, after the club purchased approximately 225 acres of high land from McLeod and Frampton Plantations, they hired Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr. of the Olmsted Brothers landscape design firm to plan the clubhouse, golf course, tennis course and the Country Club I Neighborhood. William Bell Marquis became the lead designer and two years later on May 16, 1925 they formally opened Wappo Links with a tournament played for silver trophies, one for the men's match and one for the women's match.