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On May 8, 1899, a group met at the old Commercial Club on the east side of the Marion public square to decide if Marion should have a country club. A Location Committee was appointed and on May 13, 1899, they announced that they had purchased land located between Hill Street and Western Avenue and Spencer and Jeffras Avenues from R.J. Spencer and Phil Matter.
A, nine-hole golf course was ready for play on May 25, 1899, and was named the Marion Golf Club. On October 23, 1900 a large two-story clubhouse was dedicated at "F" Street and Euclid Avenue. The clubhouse was sold in 1911, cut into two houses and moved to the northeast corner of Spencer and Western Avenues. A split in the membership occurred in 1905 when a group of men leased 50 acres at the present site of Meshingomesia. A nine-hole golf course was designed which covered 2,810 yards, par 35 and was named the Marion Country Club. On June 7, 1907, a beautiful mission type two-story clubhouse opened containing 17,640 square feet. The name was changed to the Meshingomesia Country Club in 1919 in honor of an early area Chief of the Miami Indians. The original nine-hole layout was changed several times during the next 55 years. In 1954, the club had started to acquire enough additional land to construct an 18-hole course. The acquisition increased our property from 47.64 acres to 129.64 acres. Clarence Lamboley, the Club Professional from 1929 to 1965, stared to design and build the additional nine holes with the help of William Diddle, Golf Architect of Indianapolis. In the spring of 1957, the first tourney was held on the new 18-hole, 6329, par 72 layout, which included two beautiful lakes stocked with fish. Also a trap shoot area was completed. A swimming pool was added in 1954 and was later enlarged to its present size. In 1963, a fairway watering system was installed. Two tennis courts were built in 1971. The Tennis Association has been instrumental in improving our tennis program, and we now have four courts. A cart path program was started in 1977. This project has been completed with a complete path layout for the 18 holes, which permits play on the course using carts after inclement weather. In 1977-78 a practice range consisting of a putting green and sand trap was added on the northeast part of the course, and in 1981, a second practice green was built. In 1980, a major improvement was the cable fence around the outside perimeter of the golf course and the widening of our entrance way. New tees were built that increased our yardage to 6,393, plus additional sand traps which added to the character on the golf course. As we have hosted the men's and women's state open tournaments on several occasions, Meshingomesia has attracted state-wide recognition. The Ladies' and Men's Golf Association has contributed time and money for the golf course improvements, such as: cart paths, machinery, half-way building, flower beds, tee markers, etc. as well as a good golf program. In the ensuing years many improvement in the clubhouse have been made. An extensive refurbishing program was undertaken in 1977-78 that enabled us to accommodate up to six different groups at the same time. Changes were made on the ground floor for the 19th Hole and annex, swimming pool annex, men's and women's locker rooms, junior boys' and girls' locker facilities, and the golf shop was enlarged. The clubhouse area now consists of 32,192 square feet. Improvements were made in 1984, which included the refurbishing of the Main Dining Room and the 19th Hole, and the beginning of a three-year program for the automation of the Golf Course watering system. In 1993-94 major improvements were made that included connecting our sewer system with the city of Marion sanitation plant, the construction and relocation of a new equipment building, improvement of the standards of the tennis property and the swimming pool, which brought the club in line with environmental regulations. Several tee stations on the golf course were redesigned along with refurbishing of the men's and women's locker rooms and modernization of the office equipment. Time has dealt kindly with the club character. In an age of startling changes, Meshingomesia happily maintains its longtime role as a family club geared to the pleasures and recreation of its members. We give credit to all of the administrations and board members past and present, and to our club managers, golf professionals, superintendents and their staffs for the improvements in facilities and the various programs over the years. - by tom tobin On March 1, 1997, the over one million dollar house renovation was completed. The fireplace/gathering room was refinished; the old lounge is now the new formal dining room; the bar was moved to the old sun room with liquor storage added to this area; the Mississinewa room has become a casual dining area; the boiler was replaced and placed in the basement with the old boiler room becoming part of the new casual dining area. The club renovation could not have been successful without the help of the following members: Ralph Williams, Tony Petrucce, Steve Moorehead, Jerry Albrecht, Joe Wiley, and Doug Brucker, who were all major players in this project. In October 2005 - Meshingomesia Country Club entered into a new era. A group of 42 members collectively came together and purchased Meshingomesia in order to preserve its existence going forward. From October 2005 to present the club has gone through several significant changes - Growth of 100 new members, cart path reconstruction, swimming pool upgrades, kitchen improvements, and many other items. On August 17th and 18th, 2007 Meshingomesia Country Club celebrated its 100th Birthday with an incredible weekend gathering. This was a celebration of the 100 years Meshingomesia Country Club has stood as an icon in Grant County and its goal to be located on the same location for the next 100 years.
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