Mt. Carmel Golf Course
700 Park Road
Mt. Carmel, IL 62863
618-262-5771
This is a work in progress: Please email any changes, additions or clarifications to this page to secretary@westberwick.com. All information would be appreciated...!!!!
Course History &
Championship History
History of Mt. Carmel Municipal Golf Course:
During 1920 and 1921, golf was picking up interest nationwide and golf courses were being built throughout the United States. In 1920, the first golf course was built in Wabash County at the Grand Rapids Resort on the Wabash. This nine hole course was part of a complex which included a hotel, restaurant, bathing beach, trap & skeet shoot range and an aeroplane landing strip. The implementation of Prohibition made the "out of the way" resort very, very popular.... This course continued in operation until 1929 when the resort burned to the ground and was not rebuilt.
During the same time, some businessmen of Mt. Carmel decided that they would form the "Mt. Carmel Country Club" and got together in 1921 and purchased "Wild Rose Farm" north of Mt. Carmel. In 1922 they incorporated the club and finished construction of the clubhouse at 420 Park Road. The club built a 9 hole golf course that included sand greens and opened in late 1922. Contemporary accounts in the local newspaper show that the club was a busy and thriving club during the roaring 20's and even had a caddy program. The caddy headquarters was atop the American Theater at the corner of 9th and Main and was open "8-12 Forenoon and 1-4 Afternoon" for reserving and hiring caddies. Most matches were held in "match play format" and little is said during the 1920's about stroke play. The first hole in one was accomplished on July 28, 1923 on hole #6 (which is currently hole #12). According to the newspaper, C. H. Roberts scored the Ace while playing with H.B. Denton on the 115 yard hole.
Golf continued through the end of 1933 when the depths of the depression hit the country club and the facility closed. No golf was played during 1934 and the grass went to seed and no care was taken of the course.
Again, in late 1934, businessmen of Mt. Carmel got together and decided that in order to compete for new industry, they must maintain the country club. The country club opened again in 1935 and play commenced. About the same time, the City of Mt. Carmel, with help from the WPA (Works Progress Administration), decided that a new pool would be good for the community. The country club officers approached the city to talk about selling the course to the city as also the place for the new swimming pool. Some citizens rose in objection to that location for the new pool as they thought it was "too far from town". The city decided to have a referendum to vote on two locations. The first, of course, was the country club and the 2nd was on the east end of 4th street. After voting by the citizens, the country club location was the victor.
In 1936, the country club entered into an agreement to sell their entire real estate holdings to the city. This included the country club building, 9 hole golf course and tennis courts. The city got their WPA money and paid the country club $4,750 for their entire holdings. The city then quickly built the pool, pool building and pond (which is now on the 18th tee). The total project cost was $86,000. This is when the first grass greens were installed.
The city has operated the course continually since then. In 1973, the north 9 was opened to make the course a complete 18 holes. In 1977, the new pro shop was opened at the entrance to the new City Park.
The old clubhouse continued to be the proshop until completion of the proshop which sat aside the #18 green. At that time, it became the home of the local pro (in whose home the roofless golf carts were kept in the basement). It was discontinued as the residence of the pro in the late 1970's and became the headquarters of the Wabash Valley YMCA until early 2008. It is now the home of the West Berwick Golf Club, which has restored its 1921/22 splendor.
The newly renovated West Berwick Golf Club
Golf Pro/Manager's at Mt. Carmel Municipal Golf Course:
Bill Holloway
Dale Bare
Rud Leonard
Phil McGuire (1972 - 1974)
Gary Liddle (1974 - 1977)
Jon Nichols (1977 -
Ollie Shoaff
Bruce Bottom ( -- 2004)
Joe Beuligmann (2004)
Rick Bobbitt (2004 - current)
Champions of Mt. Carmel Major Golf Tournaments:
Mt. Carmel Amateur
1924 - Ray McClintock (Match Play)
1972 - Tom Worosz
1973 - Jerry Schrieber (141 total)
1976 - Richie Moore
1977 - Richie Moore (140 total)
1986 - Jim White
1987 - Jim White
1988 - John White
1989 - Jim White
1990 - Jerry Latham
1991 - Brad Leighty
1992 - Rick Hankins
1993 - Rob Dean
1994 - John Given
1995 - Troy Schreiber
1996 - Jeff Hein
1997 - John Kaposta
1998 - Jay Smith
1999 - Kevin Wassmer
2000 - Todd Gill*
2001 - Rick Hankins*
2002 - Rick Bobbitt
2003 - Rob Dean
2004 - Chase Emge
2005 - Mike Sutton
2006 - Tim Woodsmall
2007 - Brian Workman*
2008 - Ryan Bobbitt
2009 - Ryan Bobbitt
2010 - Jared Paddick
2011 - Christian Seaton
* - playoff
Men's Club Championship
1986 - Tom Tinsley
1987 - Tom Tinsley
1988 - Tom Tinsley
1989 - Tom Tinsley
1990 - Tom Tinsley
1991 - Tom Tinsley
1992 - Tom Tinsley
1993 - Tom Tinsley
1994 - Tim Woodsmall
1995 - Tom Tinsley
1996 - Tim Woodsmall
1997 - John White
1998 - Tom Tinsley
1999 - Dave Crow*
2000 - Dave Crow*
2001 - Tim Woodsmall
2002 - Tim Woodsmall
2003 - Rob Dean
2004 - Rob Dean
2005 - Davin Hannuksela
2006 - Jim White
2007 - Mike Sutton*
2008 - Ryan Bobbitt
2009 - Chase Emge
2010 - Ryan Bobbitt
* Playoff
Two-Man Scramble
2000 - Mike Sutton / Tim Woodsmall
2001 - Mike Sutton / Tim Woodsmall
2002 - Reed Kemp / Eric Steinbeck
2003 - Reed Kemp / Eric Steinbeck
2004 - Tom Doyle / Paul Gates
2005 - Troy Schreiber / Rodney Russell
2006 - Tim Woodsmall / Davin Hannuksela
2007 - Tim Woodsmall / Davin Hannuksela
2008 - Ryan Bobbitt / Tim Woodsmall
2009 - Ryan Bobbitt / Tim Woodsmall
2010 - Tyler Hostetler / Philip Riggs
2011 - Tyler Hostetler / Philip Riggs
Two Man Best Ball
2005 - Mike Sutton / Tim Woodsmall
2006 - Arron Ashley / Chad Roy
2007 - Troy Schreiber / Rodney Russell
2008 - Troy Schreiber / Rodney Russell
2009 - Mike Sutton / Tim Woodsmall
Two Man Shamble
2010 - Ryan Bobbitt / Chase Emge
2011 - Philip Riggs / Max Bowman
Four Man Scramble
2000 - Hankins, Wassmer, Graham, Salmon
2001 - n/a
2002 - Woodsmall, Sutton, Kemp, Twitty
2003 - n/a
2004 - Woodsmall, Sutton, Kuhn, Twitty
2005 - Hannuksela, Meeks, Workman, Workman
2006 - Workman, Workman, Bobbitt, Muckenstern
2007 - Woodsmall, Sutton, Scherer, Curts
2008 - Bahr, Theriac, Klump, Twitty
2009 - Ryan Bobbitt, Clayton Meeks, Chase Emge, Kellen Higginson
2010 - Jared Brewster, Davin Hannuksela, Jim White, Dave Crow
Mt. Carmel High School Golden Aces State Tournament Appearances:
1969 - 13th Place
2008 - 7th Place
2009 - 2nd Place
2010 - CHAMPIONS - Class A
