49er Country Club is back…but it almost didn’t survive. It was all Tucson had during the 60’s other than El Rio and Tucson Country Club…and it was something. The William Francis Bell course was home to two Tucson Open’s in the 60’s.
As other golf courses sprouted in the desert…49er kept its uniqueness. It wasn’t like other desert courses that featured saguaro, cholla and prickly pear cacti. Its mesquites, giant cottonwoods, eucalyptus and weeping willow trees made the course look like a wooded oasis.
It seemed to be always be so green…and it was…for good reason. First off, the water table was so close to the surface that a number of nearby residents could not put in swimming pools…the hole would fill up with water before the concrete could be poured. And because of the abundance of usable water, the course management wasn’t shy about pouring water on it. They even went so far as to take out their asphalt cart paths, to better illustrate the verdant patch of green unlike any in Tucson.
But like a lot of other Tucson area courses, 49er fell on hard times when the recession hit. The owners at that time, agreed to stop pumping groundwater, sold their water rights to the City of Tucson, and agreed to use the City of Tucson’s reclaimed water, exclusively. But after a while, the owners couldn’t afford to pay the water bill…and it only stayed open for sporadic play. If you were on the course during that time, you likely had to wait on a watering truck stopping by each green a few times a day. Just before it closed, a white knight appeared to save it from its assured demise.
In 2012, the retired founder of a large Colorado industrial construction company named Ron McKenzie stepped up and bought the golf course for a fraction of what the previous owners paid for it. And within months he had it back in reasonable shape.
Fast forward to last week. On a visit to a course I haven’t played in years, it’s back. All the way back. And more. The course is in great shape. The fairways and greens look like they did before the recession. They’ve added a Fitness Center, a dining pavilion and built out the pro shop and dining room. The driving range got new fencing…and now the course looks as good any in Tucson. While it has full golf memberships, both men’s and women’s memberships, it’s open to the public and the rates are very reasonable, considering the setting, condition of the course and it’s recently added amenities. Mr. McKenzie has touched every piece of this property with significant investment to its infrastructure and facilities, ensuring its viability for the years to come.
Driving up to 49er still conveys that timeless era when it was one of Tucson’s top club. You still see the large pool right when you turn in, and its recent upgrades give it a fresh appeal. 49er comeback is complete and it’s a good thing for Southern Arizona golfers.
