VILLAGE HISTORY

Click here to view an old-time promotional brochure from the original Grand Beach Company (courtesy of the late Virginia Wilke and digitally restored by Mark Melichar)

GRAND BEACH IN THE 1930'S

By John Jay Fox Jr.

Grand Beach in the 30's was a single family summer resort of about 100 homes, which operated under the name of the Grand Beach Property Owners Association. It was located east of the Golfmore Hotel. The hotel was located west of the creek and connected to the Beach by a wooden bridge, which brought the hotel guests over the creek and to the pavilion, which was an entertainment location for the guests.

Public transportation from Chicago was available from the Michigan Central Railroad, which had 2 trains, morning and night, which stopped at the Grand Beach train station which was located directly south of the fourth green.

Before the depression, the hotel operated 27 holes of golf. The third nine was west of Royal Avenue, with the first tee at about the location of the road which now enters the new subdivision.

The club house was behind what is now the sixth tee and this club house contained a pro-shop, showers and lockers for male golfers and living quarters for the golf pro. The pro of the 30’s was Bill Hall. Bill was a pro who worked in Atlanta, Georgia for the Fall, Winter and Spring and in Grand Beach as the resident pro for the Summer time.

The Color Tournament began in the 30's and got its name from the required dress of the players. All players were required to turn in a dress shirt before the season started which was dyed to a team color. A dress shirt in those days had cuff links and a separate collar. The players were also required to wear white flannel trousers with their team color shirt

The Golfmore Hotel closed in 1931 due to the depression and re-opened 1936 as a place that was going to be a Las Vegas operation with slot machines, crap tables and roulette, among other attractions. The gambling operation was stopped by the Michigan Governor in 1937 and the hotel proceeded down-hill. Before its re-opening, it had built a new club house behind what is now the first tee and behind the present practice green, which at that time was the eighteenth green.

Grand Beach and the Golfmore Hotel were also known as a training camp for boxers. Jim Braddock trained there as the World's Heavy Weight Champion of the time before his fight with Joe Lewis which he lost. The Golden Gloves team also trained there for their international fight with the Irish Amateur team. The training was done at the Pine Wood Lodge, which was used to house the employees of the hotel and at the pavilion. King Lavinsky also trained for his championship fight with Max Baer which ended with the King being knocked out.

The hotel burned down in the Winter of 1939 and the owner, Mr. Abbott, decided to get rid of the assets while he was fighting with his insurance company. He approached John Jay Fox, at that time President of the Grand Beach Property Owners Association, asking if they wanted to buy the golf course.

John Fox and Ben Budenger started out one Sunday morning during the Summer with a yellow pad of paper on which they had listed their names with a donation of $100 each for a fund to buy the golf course. They went knocking on owners doors for the balance of that Sunday and at it’s end had collected $6,000.

They approached Abbott who agreed to sell them the first nine including the club house and all mowing equipment for the $6,000. He wanted $2,000 more for the second nine, but they were unable to raise the money. The Grand Beach Property Owners Association was now the proud owner of a complete nine hole course.

Before long the horrible realization hit them that they would have to pay taxes on their property. To avoid this, the Grand Beach Property Owners donated the course to the Village of Grand Beach, which wasn't required to pay taxes. These Grand Beach Property 0wners are the reason the Village now has a golf course to call its own.

The last golf championship at Grand Beach to be played on the 18 hole course was in 1939 when John Jay Fox, Jr. defeated Bud Mickleberry 4and 3.

The Golf Dinner that year was held at Sis O'Donnels located south of Route 12 on the Michigan - Indiana State line. Sis 0'Donnel claimed that she, not Sophie Tucker, was really the "last of the Red Hot Mommas"