Belle Meade Country Club: The first 100 years

Written in commemoration of Belle Meade Country Club's centennial anniversary, Belle Meade Country Club: The First 100 Years chronicles the club's intriguing history. Belle Meade has played a special role in the lives of its members and the city of Nashville, from its origin as an answer to Nashville's need for a golf course to its current status of being a top-twenty country club in the nation. When it was founded as Nashville Golf and Country Club on Harding Pike in 1901, men and women's golf tournaments began immediately and Saturday night dances were held every weekend. After moving to the current site in 1916, the club enhanced its reputation by hosting many of the important social events in the life of the city, continuing its golf tournaments on a splendid eighteen-hole course, adding a swimming pool, and eventually building a renowned tennis program with both outside and inside courts. Details of Belle Meade's growth are revealed through this beautifully illustrated volume. Author and historian Ridley Wills II carries the club's story through women's suffrage, the depression, two World Wars, and the civil rights struggle, revealing the effects on the club-division within families, lost membership, golf ball conservation, and anonymous threats. Wills does not ignore the lighter side of history either, including the introduction of two-piece swimsuits to the club, continuous dredging of the creek, and battles concerning alcohol. He also tells the stories of visits from Babe Ruth, Bing Crosby, Billy Graham, and Jack Nicklaus. Most importantly, Wills writes of the club's members and leaders: men and women of Nashville who have created a wonderful place for entertaining, recreation, and relaxation.