A History of the Kountze Place Golf Club

In the neighborhoods of Omaha, one streetcar suburb held the first golf club in the city. This short-lived nouveau riche wonderland tucked away in North Omaha has been forgotten now, but once it was an important twinkle in the eye of more than one city leader. This is a history of the Kountze Place Golf Club in North Omaha, Nebraska.

The Vision of the Elite

Established in the 1880s by a high-minded banker who wanted to make a lot of money, the Kountze Place neighborhood was a late 19th-century commuter suburb developed by Herman Kountze (1833-1906). He saw it as an upper-middle-class enclave for doctors, lawyers, and successful businessmen and made it only accessible by streetcar from downtown Omaha. Along with the streetcar, the posh suburb had paved sidewalks, tall curbs, and some of the only gas-powered residential streetlights in the city. The neighborhood’s status was significantly raised after it hosted the spectacular Trans-Mississippi and International Exposition in 1898.

First Cricket, Then Golf

This is a group of men playing cricket in Omaha around 1900.

The land that would become the Kountze Place Golf Club was originally dedicated to a different sport. In 1890, the Omaha Cricket Club got permission from Kountze to use space at the corner of Florence Boulevard and Emmet Street as their cricket grounds.

Operating for almost a decade, the Omaha Cricket Club developed it with a “well-appointed pavilion” for players and spectators. In early 1899, the cricket club lost use of the grounds and the land was taken over by the newly formed Kountze Place Golf Club. The club set up a nine-hole course on the site.

Short-Lived

In this 1899 image by F.B. Millar of the Omaha World-Herald, the opening day of the Kountze Place Golf Club was shown. It pictures a shaven Harry Lawrie hitting the ball.

Despite the neighborhood’s grand aspirations and its base of wealthy residents, the golf club proved to be a fleeting idea.

Architect Harry Lawrie (1858-1935) was a prominent member of the Omaha Cricket Club who built his home in the neighborhood. According to a later account, “During a visit to Scotland, Lawrie renewed his acquaintence with various old friends many of whom were enthusiastic golfers. He was impressed with the general interest taken in the game and its merit as an outdoor sport.”

Opening with 25 charter members and a Junior Golf Club with 25 members too, Lawrie was elected captain of the club. According to the Omaha Bee, it was located on 15 acres, the club was “sufficiently large to afford the ordinary player ample hazard and difficulties to make the game interesting.”

The article continued, “The course comprises nine holes, ranging in distance from 115 to 300 yards. The course, although somewhat small, has already given ample evidence that it will make a successful links, and being situated in the center of a populous district, within reach of three streetcar lines, will patronage from golfers in all parts of the city. Although the greens had not been in the best possible condition in the winter, the club members had practiced… driving and putting.”

The Kountze Place Golf Club only lasted for three seasons though, from 1900 to 1902. That year the Omaha Country Club opened, and the members of the Kountze Place club apparently went there.

Lawrie remained extremely involved in promoting golf throughout Omaha, including designing the course at the Omaha Country Club and the clubhouse at the Happy Hollow Golf Club.

The Land’s Final Transformation

Omaha Presbyterian Theological Seminary, Florence Boulevard, Kountze Place neighborhood, North Omaha, Nebraska — This is a circa 1920s postcard of the Omaha Presbyterian Theological Seminary. It was located along Florence Boulevard in the Kountze Place neighborhood.

Following the club’s quick demise, Herman Kountze sold the land. Soon after, it was developed into the Omaha Presbyterian Theological Seminary. This highlights how the valuable land, centrally located in the growing suburb, was continuously repurposed to suit the needs of the neighborhood—from a cricket ground to a golf course, and to a respected educational institution.

After it closed, the seminary building was repurposed into an apartment building before being demolished by a fire. Today, the site is home to the Horizon Homes condos.

Closing

While the Kountze Place Golf Club didn’t last long enough to establish a lasting legacy in Omaha’s golf history, its existence offers a fascinating glimpse into the early recreational pursuits and rapid development of one of the city’s major historic neighborhoods. Maybe someday in the future the location will be recognized for its role.

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BONUS

This image, entitled "The First Drive," was from the June 18, 1911, Omaha World-Herald. The caption on this image says, "Captain Harry Lawrie driving the first golf ball ever teed on a regular course in Omaha, Kountze Place Golf Club, November 25, 1899. Judge Shields about to take his first instruction, stands second from the right." — This image, entitled “The First Drive,” was from the June 18, 1911, Omaha World-Herald. The caption on this image says, “Captain Harry Lawrie driving the first golf ball ever teed on a regular course in Omaha, Kountze Place Golf Club, November 25, 1899. Judge Shields about to take his first instruction, stands second from the right.”

This was an authentic 1900 image of the Kountze Place Golf Club. It has been enhanced by AI. — This was an authentic 1900 image of the Kountze Place Golf Club. Shown is Captain Lawrie again, mentioned in the pic above.

This was an authentic 1900 image of the Kountze Place Golf Club. Shown is Captain Lawrie again. This pic was colorized by AI.