by Fred Seely
Editorial Director
Hidden Hills opened in 1967 as a place that was unique then and would be unique now — an all-male club that was golf-only. No pool, no tennis, no homes.
That’s a long way — and quite a few owners — from today. The club has just changed hands again.
Originally, a group of local businessmen led by Dr. W.D. Coppedge banded together and decided to build a private course on land owned by Coppedge in Arlington. Philadelphia architect Dave Gordon was hired and produced what then arguably was the area’s best course.
Having a hilly course in this area, plus the exclusivity of the place, made it easily the biggest topic of any golf conversation.
An impressive clubhouse (not the even more impressive one that you see today) was built and a string of apartments were built along the 18th fairway, which then ran behind what’s now the 18th green.
One of the area’s most popular professionals, Maurice Walsh, was hired away from the old Beauclerc club and Hidden Hills quietly opened. Its membership spanned the community’s male leadership and included golf’s biggest name: Arnold Palmer, a close pal of Coppedge’s.
The all-male concept lasted only a few years. There are differing stories about the reasons behind the club becoming coed, and the best are the most scurrilous — tales of parties in the apartments and raids by wives.
While Hidden Hills certainly was the scene of much frivolity, it more likely became a family club for economic reasons — many men wanted a family club, and wouldn’t join unless their family had access.
In the late 60’s, political correctness regarding women was still far in the future.
When the club started, an immediate goal was to get the Greater Jacksonville Open, which in 1967 had started a three-year contract with Bryant Skinner’s new Deerwood development after moving from its original home, Selva Marina.
In 1970, the goal was met and golf’s best were on display at Hidden Hills. It was played there for three years with reasonably strong winners: Gary Player, Don January and Tony Jacklin.
Having the GJO gave the average golf fan a chance to see Gordon’s gem. The par-4 6th was recognized as the city’s most difficult hole. The tee was in the approximate location of today’s 6th green and the green was near today’s 5th green — a very long hole with an uphill second shot to an extraordinarily sloped putting surface.
If it had a “ signature,” it could have been the par-3 7th, a hole that now is gone. The tee was above the steep hill behind the 6th green and it was a short iron and a lot of guesswork to a green that was well below the tee. A maintenance shed sits today where that green was.
The layout started similar to today’s with the downhill par-4 first, and then turned south. The third hole was a marvelous short par 4 with a green that sloped drastically from right to left, followed by a long par-3, then a straightaway par-5 that ended approximately at today’s 6th green. No. 7 was the downhill par-3 and No. 8 was much the same as today’s short par 4. No. 9 was a par 5 that came back to the clubhouse, as does today’s, with a dogleg left at the very end.
No. 10 paralleled No. 1 — perpendicular to today’s No. 10 — and No. 11 paralleled 10, coming back up the hill.
No. 12 was a shortish par-3 that was the scene of Jack Nicklaus’s first Tour hole-in-one. No. 13 was a par 4, dogleg left, where Player won his GJO in a playoff. It followed the approximate route of today’s No. 17.
Then came No. 14 which pro Ted Hopkins remembers “as one of the neatest holes in the area.” The hole was straight for 400 or so yards, then doglegged severely up a hill to the left. It was reachable in two, but anything off the fairway on the second shot was a major problem.
No. 15 was a short par 4 and No. 16 was a long par 3. No. 17 was much like today’s 15th, only a bit straighter. Then came 18, a long par 4 that started at today’s 16th tee and ended up between today’s 18th green and the putting green.
The club’s membership slowly dwindled as more clubs were built here, as people preferred a club nearer their home and Hidden Hills then was somewhat remote. Monument Road was a poorly-maintained two-lane road, McCormick Road wasn’t much better and few Hidden Hills members lived along Fort Caroline Road.
Oddly, the club has had more owners than head professionals. Coppedge and his group sold to a physician in 1974, who then sold it to a group that included pro Buster Reed. Coppedge’s son, Tommy, and partner Jim Putnal bought it, then it went into the hands of a bank. National Fairways bought it from the bank, but lost it to another bank. It was purchased last month by former Deerwood golf professional Russ Libby, his wife and his mother-in-law.
There have been only four pros. Walsh was succeeded by Billy Sullivan, who came from Deerwood in the 1974 sale. He left town and the job went to his assistant, current Jacksonville Beach pro Boots Farley. Hopkins got the job when Farley went to the Ravines in 1979.
Hidden Hills became a gated, residential community and in the early 80s when Palmer Course Design (the company it didn’t exist when the course originally was built) was hired, more land was added and the course was almost completely changed to accommodate a residential community.