Fairfield Golf & Country Club to celebrate 130th anniversary Aug. 27

FAIRFIELD – The Fairfield Golf & Country Club will celebrate its 130th anniversary this year with a bevy of festivities on Saturday, Aug. 27.

The golf course is the oldest continuously operating club west of the Mississippi. To mark the club’s longevity, members and their guests are invited to honor this anniversary milestone with music, food and games.

Activities will begin at 5 p.m. that day with live jazz on the patio; golf games including putting and driving contests; gourmet food and wine stations, highlighting dishes prepared by club members; a live auction; and a special program to commemorate the 130th anniversary. The milestone event will conclude with an exclusive fireworks show.

In a news release, Fairfield Golf & Country Club’s board president Lori Schaefer-Weaton remarked, “We are looking forward to celebrating our club’s 130th anniversary with a very special event on August 27. For 130 years, the Fairfield Golf & Country Club has been an integral part of the Fairfield community and an institution that is unique to our area. We are proud of our history and look forward to the next 130 years. This promises to be a night to remember!”

The golf club will use this occasion to launch a new foundation dedicated to preserving the Fairfield Golf & Country Club for posterity. The foundation will be known as the Kahgahgee Historical Golf Foundation. This is a reference to the course’s original name in 1892, when it was called the Kahgahgee Golf Club. The first golf course derived its name from the nearby Crow Creek, also known by its Native American name of Kahgahgee.

According to the news release from the Fairfield Golf & Country Club, a log cabin purchased in 1900 served as the initial clubhouse, and in 1914 the members incorporated under the name Fairfield Golf Club. Today, Fairfield Golf & Country Club offers golf, swimming, dining and a variety of recreational and social opportunities to its members and their families.

The new Kahgahgee Historical Golf Foundation’s board of directors includes Chuck Espy (chair), Tim Kuiken, Jim Horras, Martha Rasmussen and Nate Weaton, with Lori Schaefer-Weaton serving as ex-officio member.

Espy, 81, and his wife Jan, 79, have been members of the club for almost 50 years. He said golf is one of their favorite hobbies, one they have kept up to this day.

“My wife and I played a few holes this week,” Espy said.

Espy’s love of golf began at a young age. He played the sport in high school and on Iowa Wesleyan’s team, winning the Iowa Conference a couple of times. He has served as country club board member and president.

He said the idea to start a foundation to support the golf and country club began about a year ago when Jim Weaton, father of Nate Weaton, gave a presentation on the club and its history at the annual membership meeting. The presentation intrigued Espy, and the two men began talking about how best to preserve the course. They hit upon the idea of starting a foundation.

“Having the oldest course west of Mississippi in golf circles is a really big deal,” Espy said.

Espy said the foundation is filing paperwork with the Internal Revenue Service for tax-exempt status, which would mean donations to the foundation would be tax deductible.

“In our application, we are saying that this foundation will be about preserving and enhancing a historic course, along with emphasizing youth and community golf activities,” Espy said. “We think there’s a very good chance the IRS will grant this.”

Espy said the foundation wants to prioritize youth programming, to teach children the advantages of good golf habits.

“There are not only physical benefits like getting out in the fresh air and walking around, but also learning about courtesy and showing respect for others,” Espy said. “We’d love for the golf foundation to take the lead on golf education, lessons, youth tournaments, and that type of thing.”

Apart from programming, the foundation would also devote funds to capital improvements on the course, like repairing or replacing the bridges that cross Crow Creek.

Call Andy Hallman at 641-575-0135 or email him at andy.hallman@southeastiowaunion.com