The Denver Country Club is one of the oldest country clubs in the United States, and the oldest west of the Mississippi.
Founded in 1887, the Club originally centered around horse racing but soon expanded to tennis, polo, golf and other activities. Our members include many leaders in the business, civic and philanthropic communities. The Club is a member-owned, and membership is by invitation.
Through its over 135 years of existence the Club is always evolving to stay with the times while holding true to the traditions that have made the DCC what it is today. Current facilities include an 18-hole golf course, indoor and outdoor tennis courts, outdoor platform tennis courts, grass tennis courts, a multi-dimensional Olympic-size swimming pool, a croquet and lawn bowling pitch, skate house and skating rink, fitness facility and, dining and banquet facilities.
The Denver Country Club has been a leading golf venue since its first course was built at its original Overland Park location in 1893/1894. It was the first club west of the Mississippi to be admitted to the United States Golf Association (1896) and was one of the founding members of the Trans-Mississippi Golf Association in 1901. The Club held its first men's golf championship the same year (1895) as the United States Open and United States Amateur. The DCC's first women's champion was held two years later in 1897.
The Club's members were some of this country's top early players. In December of 1900 two of those members, (Walter Fairbanks and Frank Woodward) and the Club's professional (John Russell), took on the world's greatest player Harry Vardon in a match that was front page news in Denver and across the West.
Today the course strives to retain the best of classical golf architecture while adjusting for the tremendous changes in golf technology. It is first and foremost a members' course and those who have played the course their entire lives indicate that they never tire of the many challenges that the golf course presents.
Tennis has a long and distinguished history at the Denver Country Club as members becoming avid players starting back in the 1880s. Fifteen men and women ranked number one in the world have competed in tennis tournaments held at The Denver Country Club. One Club member, Gardnar Mulloy, was a Wimbledon doubles champion. Today members enjoy playing on twelve courts which includes two grass courts, two clay courts, and four all-weather composition courts, as well as four courts in the indoor facility. Cherished Denver Country Club tennis traditions include the Mitchell Cup for mixed doubles and the coveted Jackalope trophy for men. The DCC has active USTA, CTA and Tencap adult leagues as well as junior tennis program for both boys and girls.
In the fall of 2014, two new platform tennis courts were added to the Winter Sports Plaza and ice rink. The fast-growing sport of pickleball became available to play the following spring.
In 1934, after a decade of discussion and difficulty finding a portable water source, the Denver Country Club opened its first pool with water from an artisan well donated by Ella Weckbaugh whose property adjoined the Club. The same year the Club hired Chet Preisser as head swim coach who maintained that position for 34 years heading up a championship swimming and diving program. Today, the Chet D. Preisser Swimmer of the Year award is one of the most coveted awards a youth can win at the DCC. By 1959 the Club had outgrown its original swimming facility and an award winning new pool was constructed that features racing lanes to meet Junior Olympic specifications as well as a diving area twelve feet deep. The Denver Country Club pool can be divided into separate areas which allows simultaneous use by adults doing laps while families and children enjoy water sports.
Denver Country Club members like to stay active year round and included among the sports enjoyed by the membership are outdoor ice skating, lawn bowling, croquet and a fitness center.
Croquet and lawn bowling are popular sports that share with tennis players the Club's grass pitch. Dressed in all white the DCC's croquet players spend many a summer's twilight eve putting mallet to ball while traversing challenging wickets on the pitch.
Outdoor skating has been a favorite with Denver Country Club families since 1916. The skating rink is one of the few outdoors rinks in Colorado. In 1959, the Club granted the United States Olympic Skating Team permission to use the rink for a week in order to prepare for the outdoor skating conditions they would face at Squaw Valley in the VIII Winter Olympics. DCC hockey is one of the most popular youth programs.
In 2007, a major addition was added to the historic clubhouse to enhance its beauty while maintaining its historic nature. This addition allowed for expansion of its locker rooms and fitness facility.
