Our Heritage

Catawba Country Club is conveniently located six miles south of Hickory and five miles west of Newton, North Carolina.  Encompassing over 200 acres of picturesque piedmont Carolina landscape, Catawba boasts a tradition of championship caliber golfing excellence.

Historians claim that Club grounds are home to numerous Native American remains and warfare relics from the Catawba Indian tribe, for which the Club and the county were named.  The original title of the land was granted by the King of England to Heinrich Weidner, a German immigrant in 1750.  History buffs can view the historic stone foundations of Heinreich's residence on property located one mile north of the Club.

Approximately 200 years later, Mr. Alex Shuford, a local Catawba County resident and club member, purchased the farmland from the Weidner family.  Shortly thereafter, Shuford was approached by a group of local golf enthusiasts who shared a dream . . . to build an exceptional golf course designed to serve all of Catawba County.  Shuford quickly shared the group's vision.  He generously donated 203 acres of pristine countryside and the golfing dream soon became a reality.  Catawba Country Club was chartered on November 5, 1945; the golf course was formally dedicated on Thanksgiving Day of 1946.

In the tradition of golfing excellence, Donald Ross, famed architect of Pinehurst's prestigious Number Two Course, among numerous others, was retained to craft a course guaranteed to deliver a unique golfing experience.  The result of Ross' effort has both delighted and challenged Catawba Country Club members ever since - a distinctive golf course that is always a challenge, never mastered and, above all, playable day in and day out.

The original clubhouse, dedicated on July 4, 1951, served the membership for almost 20 years before being tragically destroyed by fire on December 13, 1970.  Catawba Country Club quickly rebounded, however, by reconstructing a beautiful clubhouse within two years of the fire.  In 1997, plans for a new renovation were put in motion to enhance the clubhouse further with dynamic architectural changes.  The present  clubhouse boasts an additional 10,000 square feet, as well as improvements to the pro shop, pool, kitchen, fitness area, tennis courts, and driving range.  The newly renovated Catawba Country Club was completed in the year 2000 and offers a welcoming atmosphere and charming environment of which the members are proud.  In 2016, many Catawba members joined in a fundraising effort to restore the golf course greens and bunkers to the historic configuration per the original drawings made by Donald Ross.  In 2024, we installed Mach 1 Ultradwarf Bermudagrass on the course greens for the ultimate playing experience. 

The Club is governed by a board of directors, who are elected by stockholding members.  Board members serve on a rotating basis, with three new members chosen each year.  Catawba Country Club is managed by a General Manager, who reports to the Board of Directors.