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    Willow Brook Country Club has established itself as the premier, private, member owned Country Club of East Texas

    By the 1920’s, Tyler, Texas had become a regional center for shopping, banking, and other commercial activities. Agriculture was the area’s economic mainstay.  Roses had taken over for peaches after a disease had decimated that industry.  Roses were well suited to East Texas, and over half of the U.S. rose supply would soon be grown within ten miles of the city.

    Although thriving, Tyler lacked an amenity enjoyed by its neighbors in Dallas and Shreveport – a country club.  On April 28, 1921, a group of citizens gathered at the Smith County courthouse to lay the foundation for what would become Willow Brook Country Club.  Two tracts of gently rolling hills were purchased west of town for “golf, tennis and other innocent sports.”  The property was crossed by two streams – Willow Creek and the namesake Willow Brook.  The “Willow Brook Country Club” officially came into existence in August 1922.  Plans for a clubhouse were adopted and work began on a golf course.

    The original nine-hole course was rough and built entirely by hand.  A.W. Tillinghast, architect of Baltusrol and Winged Foot, visited Willow Brook on March 18, 1937.  Unimpressed, notes from his trip stated “Terrible Layout.  Recommended many changes.”  Most of Tillinghast’s suggestions were incorporated to improve the course.  1937 also marked the arrival of Ralph Morgan.  He would serve as the club’s head golf professional for the next 45 years.


    The original nine-hole course was rough and entirely built by hand. A 1926 article in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram described the club’s course as “one of the sportiest, natural courses in the country.”      

    The club offered many diversions during the pre-war years.  There was an Olympic-sized swimming pool, tennis courts, a skeet shooting range, and slot machines. The last of these was illegal. On October 16, 1939, two criminals entered the club with fake Texas Ranger badges and announced orders to confiscate the seven machines.  Amazingly, the crime was reported to Ranger headquarters in Dallas.  A search began for the men, soon arrested and found to be escapees from the Greenville jail.

    WWII interrupted activities at the club as many members left to serve their country. One was Jack Pounds.  Medalist in the 1941 club championship, Pounds left the next week to join the Air Corps in California.  An aviation instructor, 2nd Lt. Pounds died in a training accident on March 4, 1942.  The War Department would rename Tyler’s airport as Pounds Field the next year.

    Following the war, club life resumed its normal cadence of golf, tennis, swimming, and socializing. The Willow Brook pool served as backdrop for several scenes in the 1948 movie “Strike It Rich.” The comedy follows a trio of oil wildcatters trying to get rich while competing for the affections of a beautiful girl.  Stars of the film were Rod Cameron and Bonita Granville, both of whom returned to Tyler for the film’s world premiere.


    Willow Brook Country Club provided the backdrop for several scenes in this Hollywood movie from 1948. 

    Golf pro Morgan was friendly with Byron Nelson and Ben Hogan, both of whom were frequent guests at the club after the war.  Longtime members recall Hogan hitting wedges in the practice area along the Willow Brook between Nos. 11 and 16.  They were warned not to bother the great man.


    Byron Nelson (left) was a frequent guest at Willow Brook in the 1940’s and 1950’s. His playing partners (L-R) are: head golf professional Ralph Morgan and members Billy Bridewell and Norman Smith.

    By the 1950’s, club membership finally addressed the shortcomings of the old nine-hole course.  Famed Texas course architect Ralph Plummer was hired, and a new 18-hole layout debuted August 29, 1953.  Reworking the course forced a one-year suspension of a premier amateur event -- The Willow Brook Invitational. Held from 1937 through 1960, the tournament hosted future PGA Tour winners Jacky Cupit, Earl Stewart, Jr., Miller Barber, and Phil Rodgers.  The last Invitational, in 1960, was won by Charles Coody, a man destined for Masters immortality. Coody recently recalled, “I used my Calcutta money to pay my way to the U.S. Open at Cherry Hills that summer. The Willow Brook Invitational is a great memory.”


    The Willow Brook Invitational was a premier amateur tournament in Texas from 1937 through 1960. 

    Having addressed the golf course, membership decided to tackle a new clubhouse.  Completed in 1962, the new Georgian Colonial structure was designed by local architect Shirley Simons.  Although the building has since undergone addition and renovation, Simon’s timeless design has always been honored.  For decades, this elegant structure has served as the location for countless weddings, fundraisers, and community events.

    The fresh clubhouse and excellent 18-hole golf course led to the selection of Willow Brook to host the 1964 Texas Men’s Amateur. A field of 155 was winnowed to 64 for match play.  Five rounds later, the winner was Marty Fleckman. Willow Brook’s success hosting the Men’s Amateur resulted in the club’s selection to host the 1967 Texas Women’s Amateur, won by Mary Ann Rathmell.  


    Marty Fleckman won the Texas State Amateur at Willow Brook in 1964.

    By the 1970’s, the course was again showing its age. The greens were reworked in 1970, but by 1977 more had to be done.  Highly regarded course architect Joe Finger was selected.  Finger flipped the nines and expanded the course to the northeast.  At that time, it would have been difficult to find an architect with a better reputation.  After completing his work at Willow Brook, his very next project was reworking No. 8 at Augusta National.

    Ralph Morgan retired in 1982 after 45 years on the job. At his retirement party, guests listened to readings of congratulatory letters praising a great career from Jimmy Demaret, Byron Nelson, Ben Hogan, and Harvey Penick.  Morgan’s replacement was Jim Wise, who would serve the membership for the next 20 years.  During that time, Wise would share many responsibilities for hosting the Eisenhower International Golf Classic.  A one day pro-am slotted between the Byron Nelson and Colonial PGA tournaments, the “Ike” was contested at Willow Brook from 1990 through 1999.

    The Eisenhower was huge event for Tyler, featuring pros from the PGA Tour, Senior Tour, and LPGA.  The gallery numbered over 15,000 most years, and pumped millions into the local economy. Much money was raised for the event’s two charities – Sister Cities International and the University of Texas at Tyler.  No less than 24 winners of men’s majors and 7 winners of women’s majors competed.  The list includes Phil Mickelson, Fred Couples, Payne Stewart, and Annika Sorenstam to name a few.


    Fred Couples selects a club in the 1992 Eisenhower International Golf Classic.  At the time, Couples was reigning Masters champion and the world’s top-ranked player.      

    Willow Brook Country Club has been blessed with great head golf professionals.  In the last 86 years, there have only been three: Ralph Morgan (1937-1982), Jim Wise (1982-2001), and Chris Hudson (2001-current).  Morgan had served as host pro for two Texas Golf Association statewide tournaments – the 1964 Men’s and 1967 Women’s Amateurs.  Wise was in the same role for two more – the 1993 Senior Amateur and 1996 Women’s Amateur.   The 2022 Men’s Amateur will be Hudson’s sixth turn as host pro, following the 2003 and 2013 Seniors Amateurs, the 2006 Women’s Amateur, the 2019 Texas Shootout, and the 2020 Mid-Amateur Match Play.          

    In 2014, Willow Brook Country Club asked Tripp Davis to prepare and execute a master plan for development of the club’s golf facilities.  Unfolding over a six-year period from 2015 through 2021 were the addition of a four-hole par-3 course, a reworking of the existing 18 holes, a new practice area, enhanced driving range, drainage improvements, and a completely new instruction facility.  The course was recently selected as one of the top-30 in Texas by The Dallas Morning News.

    As with the golf professionals, many of the staff are also long tenured, producing a special bond with the membership.  Facilities are among with best in the state, with multiple dining options, several patios with sunset views and an elegant pool.  There are six tennis courts supporting an active program in that sport.  Lawn tennis, pickleball, croquet, and badminton are all enjoyed at the club. Willow Brook Country Club completes its first century as one of the highest regarded clubs in Texas.