South Bend Country Club Club Overview

May 24, 1915
First meeting to discuss creation of SBCC

The SBCC or Chain O’ Lakes as it was known in it’s early days was an outgrowth of the Sunnyside Golf Club, the first golf course in South Bend. To belong to the Sunnyside Club it was necessary to be a friend or relative of the Studebaker family. As South Bend grew, the towns’ golfing enthusiasts felt that there should be a golf club worthy of the growing metropolis. Building a country club was proposed to members of the Sunnyside Golf Club at their meeting on May 24, 1915. And a committee was named to look into prospective sites. They investigated eight including the present location of the Elbel course before the chain of lakes property was chosen. A. Frank who was on the site committee wrote in Chain O’ Lakes magazine, May 1924, of how the selection was made. The committee asked George O’Neil, a well-known golf course architect from Chicago, to advise them, and his recommendation wasn’t universally popular. Prices for the land ranged from $74 - $300 an acre. And he did choose the cheapest peace of land proposed which was a plus with the committee. But, "One would necessarily need to see the drifting sands of the uplands and the marsh and bogs of the low-lands as they were then to realize what a shock it was to some of the committee to have determined upon the site."

November 30, 1916
Club Opened, Thanksgiving Day

The public was invited to come and look and 1000 came they came in some 200 automobiles and by interurban. In the evening there was an informal reception and dance for members the chef of the Oliver hotel served a buffet supper and the rooms were decorated with vases of flowers from Mrs. J.M. Studebaker’s conservatory. The newspaper account referred to the opening day as an" epic making event socially speaking . . . in the history of South Bend none spoke but to praise . . . inclement weather was an asset . . . the God’s smiled upon the occasion."

1923
100th Anniversary City of South Bend

August 25th, 1929
SBCC opened first pool

The new, $30,000 swimming pool that was built by contributions of the Club’s members was dedicated at the South Bend Country Club. Eight swimmers that were national or international titleholders were present to give swimming and diving exhibitions to mark the opening of the pool.

June 14th-16th, 1935
Western Open is held at SBCC

The 36th annual Western Open Golf Championship
was held at the South Bend Country Club. Some of the participants included: Joe Jemsek, Tommy Armour, Chick Evans, Walter Hagen, Byron Nelson, Ralph Guldahl, Al Watrous, and Jack Grout. Johnny Revolta’s winning putt at the 1935 Western Open.

May 16, 1965
SBCC Women Golfers in the South Bend Tribune.

Throughout the sixties, it was a common occurrence for the big news in the Women’s section of the Tribune to be centered on the happenings of the South Bend Country Club. Full-page spreads on women golfers were often found weekly. Pictured here are (from left to right) Mrs. George M. Pence, Mrs. Lewis Mason, Mrs. Ward Myers, and Mrs. Richard E. Coffey.

1992
Women’s Western Amateur held at SBCC

1994
SBCC hosts Indiana State Amateur Tournament

2002
New Clubhouse is opened!

In July, a gala celebration was held dedicating
the Leighton House, honoring one of South Bend
Country Club's most significant benefactors,
Mr. Judd Leighton.