Los Serranos Country Club 1925 - 2005 On April 25, 1925, the tradition of golf in the country near the City of Chino began in the beautiful Chino Hills at the Los Serranos Country Club. In the beginning, the club was a semi-private seven hundred and fifty acre recreational community and resort providing golf, stables and riding trails, swimming, trap shooting, boating, fishing, polo grounds, a private landing strip, rental cottages and wonderful country home sites. The golf course was designed by internationally known Golf Architect, John Duncan Dunn. The story of today’s Los Serranos Golf And Country Club begins some two hundred years ago, when bands of Indians roamed the fertile valley and hunted an ample supply of game. In the early 1800's the land became part of the vast San Gabriel Mission, and was used to graze horses and cattle belonging to the Mission. In 1810, a young Spaniard named Don Antonio Maria Lugo began to accumulate lands that were to stretch from the San Bernardino Mountains to the site of present-day San Pedro. In 1841 he was granted rights to what was to become the 47,000-acre Rancho Del Chino De Santa Ana, named after the patroness Saint Anne of the Fair Hair. Don Lugo sold the rancho to his son-in-law, Issac Willaims, who lived on this land until 1864. His rancho became a haven for travelers, particularly miners on their way from Yuma to the Sacramento gold fields. In 1881, Richard Gird, who helped start the City of Chino, bought the rancho from the heirs of Issac Williams. Eventually, the ranch house would later became the first clubhouse for the golf course in 1925. In 1948, the golf course became part of the Rolling Ridge Ranch, owned and developed by the Jack Greening Family. In 1953, Los Angeles businessman Bill Cranston, Montebello Golf Professional Zell Eaton and Professional Tennis Champion, Jack Kramer, acquired the lease, reopened and commenced major improvements at the club. Jack Kramer became sole owner in 1961 and appointed Kevin Sullivan, former Australian diplomat and tennis promoter, as general manager from then until 1997. The North Course was the site of the Pomona Valley Open in the 1950's. The South Course, California’s longest golf course at 7470 yards, opened in 1964. These two courses are now home to over eight hundred company and group type golf tournaments each year. For twenty three consecutive years, the qualifying for the California State Amateur was held at Los Serranos. For twelve years, and continuing, it has been the site for the Los Angeles Open qualifying. Since 1996, sectional qualifying for the United States Amateur Public Links Championship has been played on both courses. The California State Open was held here in 1983 and the Southern California Open in 1999. “The history of this wonderful old ranch and land, and now the golf course, gives us a glimpse of the heroic spaciousness of life on the great ranches during the early days of a pioneer civilization in this golden land. Every pilgrim who came through to the West on the Santa Fe Trail passed through this ranch. It was more than a mere station on the way; it was a refuge, an oasis, a home in the wilderness.” -Mr. H.C. Davidson, in whose mind the idea of Los Serranos was conceived and under whose direction was first developed “So on and on around the full eighteen holes at Los Serranos there is an ever-changing play, replete with natural hazards, beautiful shots and sportiness that challenges you. There is a lasting temptation here to play this ancient game- to beat Old Man Par- and dare those encroaching years to add a furrow to your brow or add a silver strand upon your head.” -John Duncan Dunn, Golf Architect- The St Andrews Links Trust and the World Shotgun 2000, Saturday, June 24th. As participants celebrating six centuries of golf with golfers from around the world, it would be important to remember the history of St Andrews Links. Golf has been played on the Links at St Andrews since around 1400 AD and the Old Course is renowned throughout the world as the Home of Golf. As the 600 year history of the Links has unfolded, one simple track hacked through the bushes and heather has developed into six golf courses, attracting hundreds of thousands of golfing pilgrims from around the world. Golf was clearly becoming popular in the middle ages, as the game was banned in 1457 by King James II of Scotland who felt it was distracting young men from archery practice. This ban was repeated by succeeding monarchs until James IV threw in the towel and became a golfer himself in 1502! All the courses at St Andrews Links are public - open to the golfers of the world. There are five 18 hole courses and one 9 hole course for children, giving 99 holes in all, supporting around 200,000 rounds annually. St Andrews Links is the largest golfing complex in Europe and all five 18 hole courses can be booked in advance. From scenes like these, old Scotia’s grandeur springs, That make her loved at home, revered abroad; Princes and lords are but the breath of kings, “An honest man’s the noblest work of God” -Robert Burns, The Cotter’s Saturday Night, 1786