"Much has been said and written of the Ojai course and yet half of the story cannot be told. Nature built the course and George Thomas and Billy Bell were satisfied to let Nature's work stand. Only here and there have traps been built and in every case these traps are made to conform to the general contour of the land. There is little artificiality at Ojai."
- Los Angeles Examiner, 1925

In the first quarter of the last century, the thought of a world-renowned country club for the Ojai Valley only seemed like a dream to most of the people.
By 1923 the dream was about to become a realization, and a popular sport was being added to the valley that would bring fame and favor of "The Ojai" to the world of athletics. This was being made possible by Ojai's greatest benefactor, Edward D. Libbey.
In May of 1923, 200 acres of brush and rock-covered land was purchased by Libbey for the construction of one of Southern California's finest golf courses and clubhouse.
Many of the residents of the valley knew very little about the game of golf, even though the valley had already supported two other golf courses. The people knew that the game was not a backyard or even an acre-lot sport, but required a generous fraction of a province, a state, a county or a township, and that the name "Country Club" was suggestive of something greater and grander than a city lot.
Libbey had been contemplating a golf course in the Ojai Valley for some time, and after his first conference with the famous landscape architect from Los Angeles, George Thomas Jr., both men were extremely enthusiastic and plans were drawn up at once for the new links.
The Los Angeles newspapers, in reporting on this planned improvement to the valley by Libbey, said: "The ground is timbered with oak and sycamore trees and the contour of the land provides natural drainage that will do much to simplify the work of the construction engineer who will build the links. The soil is a sandy loam and is admirably suited to the growing of turf.
"One feature of the course will be the natural water hazards, taking advantage of the bends in the creek that runs through the land. These hazards will be unique in Southern California, as most such hazards are artificial in character and appearance.
"With the opening of such a golf course and with the many tennis courts Ojai now has, there is every reason to believe that the valley's popularity will increase almost unbelievably as an all-year resort."
Driving down the highway and looking over the rough and rugged land that was being whipped into the most ideal golf course in all of California, the scenic beauty was lost. But on the knoll where an imposing clubhouse was being built, you could cast your eyes to about any point of the compass and nature's rich gifts of hill, canyon, valley and forest were spread out before you in a wonderful way.
The clubhouse occupied ground space of 130 by 60 feet. There were no guest sleeping rooms, but a large kitchen and dining room were built so that parties could be held at the club. The caretaker quarters occupied the small second floor of the building.
The Southern California Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, in presenting their top honors to the country club, said: "One of the most interesting examples of typical California architecture for 1923 is the Ojai Valley Country Clubhouse. Wallace Neff, Pasadena architect, designer of these structures, was recently honored by California architects for this work. The club is one of the most interesting modern Spanish architectural creations in California. It is a low, rambling hacienda-type structure, with red-tiled roof and flagstone terraces. In this piece of work, Mr. Neff is said to have realized the successful adaptation of his architectural scheme to the environment, the building being perfectly harmonized with its surroundings."
The clubhouse, coupled with the golf course, was ideal in its natural topography and grandeur, and nowhere was it outclassed in all of California for a round of 18 holes, with scattering obstacles, natural and acquired, and welcomed by experts in the game of golf. The Ojai newspaper reported that: "More tourists will come; more winter homes will be erected, and hotel patronage will grow by leaps and bounds."
The opening was held Feb. 15, 1924. The Ojai newspaper gave the event coverage on the front page: "Today marks the beginning of a new epoch in the social and athletic life of the Ojai Valley." The club opened with a full staff and the first nine holes were ready to receive the players.
Libbey issued a formal invitation to the people of Ojai, Ventura County and all of Southern California to come and enjoy the links free until the official opening, which would be held in a month and a half, when all 18 holes would be completed.
Everyone who was privileged to participate felt that the whole event was in the nature of a social function, presided over by Libbey and his wife, who entertained the guests and served an elaborate dinner in the new clubhouse in faultless style.
The interior of the clubhouse had rich furnishings in fetching colors of orange and blue. The colors, harmonizing with the general scheme of architecture, Spanish in character, presented an attractive appearance that was appreciated by all of the guests.
The visitors were enthusiastic in their expressions of admiration in the matter of location and the excellence of the golf course, which was tried out by a large number of players during the day.
From opening day, the new country club would attract important people and their visits would become front page news for the local newspaper, The Ojai.
One of the first visitors was Mrs. Carnegie, widow of Andrew Carnegie, steel magnate and the nation's greatest benefactor in public gifts. Mrs. Carnegie and her sister were on their way to Pasadena before leaving for the East Coast by way of the Panama Canal, when the Libbey's invited them to the club as their guests.
Early visitors also included Editor and Mrs. William Randolph Hearst, who formed a motoring party from Los Angeles and drove around the valley before going to the club. The Hearst party was delighted with the valley's beauty and greatly taken with the clubhouse and the charming view it afforded of the golf course. (Thankfully, Libbey had already developed this site, otherwise we might have had a castle perched on that knoll.)
The Los Angeles Examiner wrote glowing reports of the new country club and golf course: "Here is a magnificent course laid out in picturesque rolling hills far from the center of civilization. Here is an artistic clubhouse overlooking the entire valley, with locker rooms and grill accommodation to take care of a hundred players. Most important of all here is a club without the faintest touch of promotion or commercialism.
"The course is finished, the clubhouse is completed and yet there has been no 'drive' for members, no insistent demand that the public invest in this project of Mr. Libbey's. Such an attitude is refreshing and at the same time intrigues the interest of all golfers."
The Los Angeles reporter continued: "The day was one of surprises. Rugged mountains form a great amphitheater about the town of Nordhoff, which now bears the name of Ojai, and the golf course and clubhouse are on the rolling hills that overlook the town proper. The clubhouse is perhaps a quarter of a mile off the boulevard and is the same distance from the center of town. The golf course surrounds the club and runs down to the boulevard, right to the edge of the town's main street."
The Examiner raved that the course, clubhouse and the entire layout were a work of art. The designer could not be blamed for being a bit proud of his work.
Everyone was interested in seeing the new club. A Navy lieutenant from San Diego flew a military plane up to the country club to check out the golf course. He made a bad landing on the course and ran the nose of the plane into one of the sand traps and broke his landing gear and propeller. After a few days, the damage was repaired, but in leaving the golf course, he struck the high tension power lines along the road and crashed again, landing right side up by pure chance, and once more he damaged the landing gear and one of the struts. Repairs were again brought up from San Diego and the lieutenant was finally able to return to his base.
Libbey built the course and clubhouse because he felt the valley needed it and because he loved to be surrounded by the type of sportsmen such a club was certain to attract. Ojai had become one of the most notable tennis centers of the world, and with such a golf course, there was no reason to believe that it was only a question of time until it would be represented by golfers capable of competing for the nation's highest golf honors.
With the success of the Ojai Valley Country Club, Libbey had Wallace Neff design a large sprawling hotel to be built alongside of the clubhouse. The hotel was also to be in the Spanish design and would have made a beautiful addition to the club. However, this hotel was not to be, since before it could be built Libbey, the great and good man to whom the Ojai Valley owed so much, passed away at his home in Toledo, Ohio. The country club was then purchased from the Libbey estate by a group of club members. The money was raised through memberships and, since the club had an outstanding reputation, interest in the club memberships was widespread - in a very short time, the money was raised.
Libbey's contributions, along with the country club, will remain forever enshrined in the heart of "The Ojai," chiefly because he gave the physical embodiment of beauty which makes up the core of our valley. But for his vision and liberality, the attractive and harmonious little town of which we are so proud would never have come into existence.
© 2000 The Ojai Valley News

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