In late 1935 a group of Elizabethton business men made plans to buy and develop some local property into a golf course. They retained Raymond Campbell, Attorney and charter member of the group, to obtain the necessary land for the project. Mr. Campbell was successful in purchasing 70 acres of land, up for foreclosure, for $5,000, from the Hamilton National Bank of Johnson City. The original group of men, numbering 20, invested $250 each to purchase the land. In 1936 the same tract of land was deeded to the first Trustees of the organization - R.C. Campbell, J.C. Paty, J.C. Browning, Dr. E.T. Pearson, and S.O Powers.

The Trustees immediately began developing the 70 acre tract of land into a nine-hole course under the direction of Wendell Ray. Late in the construction of the course, the WPA, working in the immediate area, was requested to help put the project in shape. Some objections arose over the involvement of the WPA in the golf course project, and with the advice of Raymond Campbell, and the consent of the State's Attorney General, the Trustees deeded the golf course project to the City of Elizabethton for $1.00, and work on the course continued without interruption.

A major problem facing the new course was an adequate water supply. The closest water supply was a spring on the north side of Milligan Highway and adjacet to the course property. Raymond Campbell was successful in obtaining water rights for the golf course from the owner of the spring (who lived in Knoxville). The deed for the water rights from the spring was recorded at the Carter County Court House and the Elizabethton Golf Club is still using this same spring today to water the fairways and greens on the course.

It was quite a few years later that the remaining nine holes of the golf course materialized. The Elizabethton Golf Club is greatly indebted to the efforts of an original member of the club, Dr. W.G. Frost, and the Board of Directors at that time, for the completion of the remaining nine holes of the course. In November, 1951 Dr. Frost purchased 10.54 acres of land from one individual, 27.6 acres from another in December and 26.44 acres from yet another individual in January, 1952.

In 1953 Dr. Frost deeded the entire 73.58 acres to the Elizabethton Golf Club for his original cost of the land. Through the efforts of this man, the Elizabethton Golf Club developed into the regulation 18-hole course which has become one of the outstanding assets of our community.

The Elizabethton Golf Course was, somewhat, renovated in 1973. It was redesigned by D.J. DeVictor, a renowned course architect and designer of Atlanta, Georgia. The course was completely renovated in 1993.

Of the twenty plus public golf courses in the area, it is the premier course. An estimated 35,000 rounds are played annually.