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Legacy through

generations

“The golf player, champion or duffer, should complete their round challenged
by the layout and enriched by the beauty of nature.”

- Donald Ross, 1930 U.S. Open

1909

Interlachen’s founding members were golfers from the Bryn Mawr Golf Club in Minneapolis. When their 9-hole course was set to be redeveloped into homes, they pooled resources to establish a new club. They chose 146 acres of wooded, rolling farmland in Edina, 15 miles southwest of downtown and accessible by streetcar, for their 18-hole course. The land had natural features ideal for golf, including oak trees, rolling hills, and lakes, and the name "Interlachen," meaning "between lakes," reflected its setting.

1909

The club was incorporated on December 31, 1909, and the founders purchased an option on the land for $1,000. Despite attempts by the farmer to increase the price, the founders paid the agreed price of $12,000 in gold. George Bickelhaupt and R.J. Powell boarded a streetcar with a bag of gold bullion in hand and trekked the last two miles through a snowstorm to the farmer’s home, which was located near today’s 12th hole. Arriving after dark, they delivered the gold and consummated the deal. Although the farmer lived in the country, he was uncomfortable keeping that much gold in his house. So, the two founders made the trip back downtown through the snow and stayed up all night guarding the gold with loaded shotguns until the bank opened the following morning.

With the land secured, the Club hired Scottish golf professional and architect William Watson to design the course. Their vision for a high-quality 18-hole golf course lured Watson back from Pasadena, Calif., where he had worked for the previous seven winters, to Minnesota, to create his third course in the state. The selection of Watson was likely based on the members’ familiarity with his work at Minikahda and Lafayette Club, where he had designed nine holes each to wide acclaim a decade earlier. Interlachen’s former Bryn Mawr members also knew him from where he had previously taught golf. In the spring of 1910, Watson laid out a 6,120-yard design that featured a double green for the ninth and 18th holes, measuring 175 feet long and more than 100 feet at its widest point. The course opened on July 29, 1911.

1910

In the spring of 1910, Cecil Bayless Chapman was hired to design the English Tudor-style clubhouse. The original building included nine bedrooms to accommodate weekend excursions from Minneapolis. In addition to golf, the first grounds included tennis, horseback riding, and trap shooting.

1914

Not long after Interlachen opened, the Club’s founders set their sights on hosting one of golf’s major championships, the Western Open. In 1913, the Club sent a contingent to the Western Golf Association Annual Meeting, and shortly after, Interlachen was awarded the 1914 Western Open. Englishman Jim Barnes scored a one-shot victory over future Interlachen head professional Willie Kidd. Barnes went on to become a hall-of-fame player with 20 victories, including four Western Opens, a U.S. Open, two PGA Championships, and The Open Championship.

1921

Despite the success of these early tournaments on the original Watson layout, the members hired Donald Ross, the premier course architect of his time, to completely reroute and redesign the course in 1919. There have been modifications over time, but the golf course remained relatively unchanged from Ross’ design for a century, which he completed in 1921. His timeless design gave Interlachen national acclaim and prominence – and likely influenced securing the U.S. Open in 1930.

Interlachen’s defining golf championship moment was the 1930 U.S. Open when Bobby Jones won the third leg of what would become his Grand Slam. Before coming to Interlachen, Jones had won the 1930 British Amateur on The Old Course at St. Andrews and the 1930 British Open at Royal Liverpool. Following Interlachen, he won the 1930 U.S. Amateur at Merion to make sports history and give Interlachen national and international prominence for its role in Jones’ incredible journey.

1930

1935

Like Bobby Jones was to men’s golf, Glenna Collett Vare was the most decorated women’s golfer at the time. She was at the height of her career and held off formidable challengers to win the 1935 U.S. Women’s Amateur at Interlachen. The storyline was further enhanced because the main challenger was Interlachen’s own Patty Berg, who forced Vare to play the best golf of her career to stave off the charging 17-year-old’s hot putter and gutsy attitude in the final match. Vare won a record six U.S. Women’s Amateur Championships, was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame, and the LPGA named a trophy in her honor for the player with the lowest annual stroke average.

1955

An example of Interlachen’s modernization occurred in 1954 when a vote passed to construct one of the Twin Cities’ first private club pools. The grand opening was in June 1955, marking a significant shift from a men’s golf club to a family country club. During this period, the Clubhouse was renovated with additions to the north and south sides and four outdoor tennis courts.

1993

Interlachen hosted the 1993 Walker Cup, a prestigious biennial team competition that included two days of singles and alternate-shot matches between the best male amateurs from the United States, Great Britain, and Ireland. The event had strong local appeal, with John Harris of Edina and Tim Herron of Wayzata leading the U.S. to a decisive 19-5 victory, the largest winning margin in the event’s history. 

2002

The seventh Solheim Cup was held September 20-22, 2002 at Interlachen. The rivalry between the American and European teams was strong. Europe was the defending champion, and its anchor, Annika Sorenstam, was 31 years old and No. 1 in the world. Trailing 9-7 entering Sunday singles play, the Americans made a thrilling rally, dominating singles play 8 1/2-3 1/2. The Americans prevailed 15 1/2 to 12 1/2 to win the Cup for the fifth time.

2008

Interlachen returned as a USGA major site for the first time since 1930 to host the 2008 U.S. Women’s Open. The winner was 19-year-old Inbee Park, four strokes ahead of runner-up Helen Alfredsson. This was the first of seven major championships for Park, who later became the number-one ranked player in the world on four separate occasions. Annika Sorenstam provided perhaps the highlight of the championship, holing out a 6-iron from 199 yards for an eagle on the 72nd hole of the tournament.

2024

Interlachen completed a campus transformation that included the construction of The Lodge, Fieldhouse, Pavilion, and new outdoor racquet courts. The new facilities provide members with various amenities to enhance the family experience. At the same time, the Club hired renowned architect Andrew Green to restore Donald Ross’ original vision for the property and allow it to shine in the modern golf world. Many infrastructure improvements were made to deliver more consistent championship playing conditions and help position it for future professional and amateur championships.

2030

Interlachen will return to the major championship golf scene to host the 2030 U.S. Women’s Open on the 100th anniversary of Bobby Jones’ U.S. Open title at Interlachen and subsequent Grand Slam.