100 years since the first round of golf at Monroe Golf Club

ROCHESTER, NY (WROC) – On Independence Day 1924, the Monroe Golf Club played its first round of golf on its new course.

On Thursday, America’s birthday, the club held a special centennial celebration to mark the milestone. A group of golfers dressed in 1920s clothing recreated the very first tee shots from 1924 using vintage wooden clubs and special golf balls.

Later this month it will host the 83rd Monroe Invitational.

“We’ve hosted the Monroe Invitational here for the best amateurs in the country since 1937, and it’s been played annually since then, with the exception of World War II and during Covid,” said Rick Hager, president of Monroe Golf Club. “But we’ve had great players – like Dustin Johnson and Tiger Woods – play here.”

Monroe Golf Club is one of the oldest private clubs in the area. It is ranked by Golfweek as one of the top 100 classic golf courses in the USA.

“In the ’20s, Walter Hagan played an exhibition here and he is considered one of the greatest golfers of all time,” Hager said. “He was a Rochesterian, he played here and said he absolutely loved the course.”

Last year, Monroe Golf Club celebrated its 100th anniversary. It was founded in 1923, one year before it hosted its first round of golf.