Our Story
(Charles H. Halderman - 1st Club President) | Founded in June, 1923, Astoria Golf & Country Club was built on land purchased in part from a cranberry company. The idea for the Club was officially established at the Astoria Evening Budget meeting on June 1, 2023. The Founders of the club were Charles H. Halderman the first Club President, J.E. Roman, A.C. Fulton, and later joined G.W. Utzinger who would serve as secretary. The first individual Astoria Golf & Country Club meeting was held a month later, on July 7th, 1923 at the Clatsop County Courthouse. By this time, the Founders had over 110 members to join the blossoming community. On July 24, 2023, they gained authorization to began plans for the Club on the Glenwood Cranberry Tract and Taylor Tract, beginning a rich history here on the sand dunes. |
The most prominent features of the course property are the dunes that traverse parallel to the adjacent coastline. The current configuration came about when Charles Halderman, along with the board of directors, dismissed an earlier plan that routed the course east and west. This meant that golfers would play across and over the tops of the sand dunes, which the board found undesirable. Instead, Halderman and the club’s first golf course superintendent, George Junor, collaborated on the current design, with the course laid out more logically in its present north and south directions between the dunes, following the natural terrain shaped over the ages by sand, wind and sea. Junor previously collaborated with H. Chandler Egan to design Tualatin Country Club, near Portland, OR, along with eight other Oregon golf courses.The plans for the Clubhouse came from R.R. Bartlett, who was the Manager at the Port of Astoria at the time. He graciously donated his time and effort to draw plans for the Club. The original Clubhouse was finished in 1924, remodeled in 1947 and again in 1968, until it later burned down that same year. The Clubhouse that now stands today was completed and dedicated on April 11th, 1970 by the Governor of Oregon, Tom McCall. |
CENTENNIAL ANNIVERSARY
2023 marked the 100-year celebration of the Astoria Golf and Country Club. As a Club with a rich history, 2023 was a year to remember. To commemorate our amazing members, our staff, and everything else the last 100 Years had in store, we collaborated with the Clatsop County Historical Society (CCHS) to collect and display our past in an Internet Archive.
Since opening in 1923, we have had members from all walks of life. Our wish is to share the stories from members to help paint a better picture of the Club. From the Clubhouse fire in the 1960's, records of older events are harder to come by, which is our partnership with CCHS is very exciting. Our goal is to digitize, consolidate, and make text fully searchable in this archive to allow members and families to easily access this history online. There are dozens of scrapbooks, newspaper clippings, and photographs to look through and celebrate for our Centennial Anniversary. You may see someone you know!