The Atlanta Athletic Club. A History.

In addition to the wonderful golf memorabilia that has been housed at AAC since 1898, some impressive historical pieces have found a home there as well. A Revolutionary War musket was proudly displayed for almost 40 years. And a rare piece of art done by an Italian master was discovered buried behind decades of dust and dirt. In truth, AAC has long celebrated the past while taking a confident step into the future.

The times were, indeed, changing. In spite of the heroic efforts of the AAC leadership, the City Club and East Lake began to fall into decline and eventually had to be sold. The sale of those properties helped fund the newly-founded AAC Club at Riverbend. The clubhouse opened on March 7, 1970, and helped start a new era for the Atlanta Athletic Club.

Much has been written about Bobby Jones, Watts Gunn, Charlie Yates, Alexa Stirling, and other infamous athletes associated with AAC. This chapter explores the unsung heroes and the behind-the-scenes men who, throughout the club’s history, have made the Atlanta Athletic Club the spectacular club that it is.

When The Atlanta Athletic Club established the Lake Lanier Yacht Club, members suddenly had the opportunity to spend the day on the lake swimming, fishing, or just having a picnic on the shore. What started as a compromise for the club members north of the city turned into a valuable asset for everyone.

In 1950, the Women’s National Golf Championship marked the first time a national tournament had ever been played in Atlanta. Then, in 1963, The Atlanta Athletic Club hosted The Ryder Cup. Both tournaments turned the world’s attention to East Lake. This chapter covers the highlights of those two famous competitions.

Scott Hudson and Colonel Robert P. Jones saw the Atlanta Athletic Club through some heavy-duty changes. They helped the club survive two devastating fires and even the Great Depression. As the country fought through economic disaster, AAC had just acquired new properties, had a decreasing membership, was almost a million dollars in debt, and had almost no money to pay its employees. Find out how these two legendary leaders eventually turned the club around.

In 1908, John Heisman was hired as AAC’s Physical Director and Coach. While head football coach at Georgia Tech, Heisman also coached the baseball, football, basketball and track teams at The Atlanta Athletic Club. He and his successors (men like Joe Bean) established AAC as a force to be reckoned with in all sports. 

Early on, East Lake was fundamentally a fishing lake full of bass, bream, and catfish. In fact, the 27-acre lake was one of the most enjoyed facilities offered by The Atlanta Athletic Club in the early days of its existence. Sure, AAC members could golf. But they could also fish, swim, or boat on the lake and could enjoy some of the more exotic activities offered on the lake at that time.  

East Lake rises to international fame thanks to its legendary members like Bobby Jones, Alexa Stirling, Watts Gunn, and Charlie Yates. For years, these amazing golfers and other East Lakers dominated and won championships all over the globe.

Needing more space and better facilities, The Atlanta Athletic Club makes the bold move to East Lake. Taking over the location formerly housing an amusement park, it took the AAC two years to complete their golf course. It was on this very course that Bobby Jones (then just six years old) began his journey to golf greatness.

Early on, The Atlanta Athletic Club expanded and moved to a new location on Auburn Ave- nue. This new clubhouse had new amenities and featured a bowling alley, pool tables, swim- ming pool and, for years, a top-ranked basketball team. The big dream of its founders was quickly becoming a reality.

In 1898, a handful of Atlanta businessmen got together and the idea of The Atlanta Athletic Club was born. This episode takes us from that initial inception to the charter and, eventually, to AAC’s first location on Edgewood Avenue.

Bobby Jones called Charlie Elliott his “best fishing buddy.” Bobby and Charlie fished togeth- er, hunted together, watched birds together and played a whole lot of golf together. Who better to write about The Atlanta Athletic Club? Charlie wrote ‘The Atlanta Athletic Club-A History’ in 1973. The book tracks the club’s history from its original inception to its pres- ent-day glory.This episode introduces you to Charlie Elliott. Outdoorsman. Beaurocrat. Author.