Beginnings

 

On July 8. 1959 representatives from the four existing clubs, Lancaster Country Club, Meadia Heights Golf Club, Conestoga Country Club and Overlook Golf Club, officially created the Lancaster County Golf Association.

 

They determined that three men from each club (golf pro, golf committee chairman and one other club member) would comprise the Board of LANCO.

 

The original officers were President Boyd Heath, Secretary George Shenck, Treasurer Charles Rohrer and Executive Committee Member D. K. Kaiser.

 

The Chairman of the Board would be the golf pro for the host club of the LANCO amateur each year.

The Board was tasked with enabling the USGA rating of each of the member courses and the running of four tournaments each year (Amateur, Ladies Amateur, Senior and Junior).  The only tournament requirement was residency in Lancaster County. 

 

It was agreed that all LANCO events be self-supporting and all team prizes would be discontinued.

 

In 1996, Steve Graybill began his 9-year term on the board.  He was the first golf course owner to serve.  Steve suggested that LANCO should pay the courses more than the customary $8 per round since that created a losing position for the host courses.

 

In 1998, Jim Fuhrman joined the board as Assistant Tournament Chairman (to Bob Handler).

Assuming the Tournament Chairmanship the next year, he followed up on Steve’s recommendation and increased the fee to the host courses to be 65-85% of their going rates thereby assuring the LANCO member courses would be financially enthusiastic about hosting our events.

 

 

Tournaments

 

1953 – Amateur begins

 

From 1953-1967 the Amateur was played as a one-day, 36-hole event.  In 1968, it was changed to a two-day event.

 

Started with only four qualifiers from each of the four existing clubs in the county (Lancaster, Conestoga, Meadia Heights and Overlook).  By 1959 the four existing clubs qualified 6 players each for the Amateur.  By 1967 six clubs qualified 9 players each for the Amateur (including one spot reserved for the defending champion).

 

1964 – Better Ball begins - King Knox and Bobby Huber won the two-day tournament by 15 strokes and the event is tabled until further notice

 

1973 – Open begins

 

1975 – Junior begins (turned over to Lancaster County Junior Golf Tour in 2009)

 

1976 – Senior begins

 

1978 – Better Ball reinstituted

 

1981 – Mixed begins (turned over to Ladies Lancaster County Golf Association in 2010)

 

1994 – Two Man Scramble begins

 

1995 – War of the Roses begins

 

2003 – The Four-man Team Competition was created.  The Inaugural tournament was hosted at Overlook and Overlook won.  In 2004, the tournament was played at Foxchase and Tanglewood won. LANCO just couldn't get all member clubs to send a team therefore it was discontinued.

 

2006 – Mid-Amateur begins

 

2009 – Match Play begins

 

2021 – The Match Play changes to a season long format adding a senior division

 

 

Other Notes

 

1999 – Lancaster County Junior Golf Tour was established

 

2004 – LANCO Website was created

 

2006 – LANCO Hall of Fame was created

 

2007 – LANCO began taking applications and payments for all events

 

2010 – LANCO created a Scholarship Junior Fund which was funded entirely by individual donations.

 

2018 – The scholarship was passed over to the Lancaster County Junior Golf Tour. 

 

2022 – LANCO adopts Golf Genius as the tournament software provider