Temple Terrace Golf Course Makes National Register of Historic Places

The Temple Terrace Golf Course is not only a historical place; it has also made history by becoming the first 18-hole golf course in Florida to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

A media event to recognize the achievement will take place at the Temple Terrace Golf & Country Club Jan. 15 at 11 a.m. Mayor Frank Chillura and other dignitaries will attend, along with the Temple Terrace Highlanders bagpipe band, golfers in period attire and special guests.

“It’s finally official, and the Preservation Society’s tireless efforts to achieve this designation have been realized,” said Tim Lancaster, president of the Temple Terrace Preservation Society in a City of Temple Terrace press release.

Let Patch save you time. Get great local stories like this delivered right to your inbox or smartphone everyday with our free newsletter. Simple, fast, sign-up here.

The Temple Terrace Golf Course was designed by golf course architect Tom Bendelow in the 1920s, and historians note that Temple Terrace was one of the first communities in the nation designed around a golf course. The figure-8 course allowed the front and back nines to return to the clubhouse and for 1920s automobiles to follow the course to watch the golf tournaments.

In 2009, the Preservation Society began the formal application process to submit the golf course to the National Park Service, which oversees the National Register of Historic Places.

During the next year, the society created the Temple Terrace Hickory Heritage Historic Golf Tournaments Weekend to raise the $12,000 application fee for the National Register (with the city contributing a $6,000 matching grant), according to the release.

The weekend, which has taken place annually ever since, features amateur and professional hickory golf tournaments. Golfers wear 1920s attire and play with authentic hickory golf clubs and gutta-percha balls to experience the Temple Terrace Golf Course the way it was designed to be played.

The games are a fitting tribute for a course that now takes its place among the nation’s most revered venues, said Lancaster.

“Now, we’ll work toward securing funding from private donations needed to pay for permanent historic markers that will honor this achievement for generations to come,” Lancaster said in the release.

Only 15 golf courses across the country have received the designation, according to the National Register of Historic Places. Winter Park Country Club and Golf Course, a 9-hole course, is the only other Florida course on the register.

“The golf course contributes so much to our community’s beauty and charm,” said Chillura in the release. “Our residents, businesses and elected officials have embraced our unique history while reaching for the future with our downtown redevelopment initiative. We have been able to bridge the past and present since this Amazing City was founded in 1925.”

During the Jan. 15 event, officials will also announce the 2013 Temple Terrace Hickory Heritage Historic Golf Tournaments Weekend, which is scheduled for Jan. 19-21. The weekend features several events that all take place at the Temple Terrace Golf & Country Club, including:

• Jan. 19, 11 a.m. – Temple Terrace Hickory Hacker amateur golf tournament. A fun, four-person scramble. Registration forms available at the Temple Terrace Public Library, or call 813-732-6941 for more information. You can also register online.
• Jan. 19, 6 p.m. – Knickers Bash. Cocktails at 6 p.m., followed by dinner at 7 p.m. Register online.
• Jan. 21, 11 a.m. – U.S. Professional Hickory Golf Championship featuring professional golfers from around the world. Public invited to come out and watch at no charge.

Special guest Stuart Bendelow, grandson of renowned golf course architect Tom Bendelow, will be at both golf tournaments and the Knickers Bash.

For more information about these events, visit the Temple Terrace Hickory Heritage Historic Golf Tournaments Weekend online or call the Temple Terrace Preservation Society at 813-732-6941.

You can also read this Announcement on Temple Terrace Patch: Temple Terrace Hickory Heritage Historic Golf Weekend.

See also:
Golf Course Close to 'Historic Places' Designation
Temple Terrace Hickory Heritage Historic Golf Weekend
Golfers Gather for Hickory Heritage Game (2012)
Knickers Ball Roars With 1920s Style (2012)
Tee Time Approaches for Hickory Golf Enthusiasts (2012)