In 1917, when founder Robert Noble (RN) Burgess wasn't busy cutting ribbons, he was entertaining the numerous guests that came frequently to his impressive Mt. Diablo Park Club. Things had to be just so to please the demanding clientele he targeted.
Most of the construction projects necessary to create the country club of his dreams required building from scratch, improving or relocating. Fortunately, the structure that would become the heart of Mt. Diablo Park Club needed little improvement.
Atop a knoll among native oaks, perched a little distance above the Club Inn and electric rail stop, the Clubhouse, when he acquired it, included six suites, a large billiard hall, and two ten-pin alleys, around a comfortable parlor. He replaced the night commode with indoor plumbing, added electricity, lighting and telephone service. With those changes in place, the Clubhouse became the central gathering point for Diablo, his “Community With an Ideal.” He had the all-important golf course constructed around it, the first tee sitting just below, adjacent to the Clubhouse, and the finishing green just down the hill and across the creek.
By 1917, the Clubhouse was almost four decades old. Constructed in 1881 by Dan and Caroline Cook. The couple created “the best appointed fine stock farm and most elegant private summer retreat west of the Rocky Mountains” and the building reflects this timeless, classic elegance.
Today’s Clubhouse is still built around the location of the original parlor, the Carriage Lounge. Throughout the building are reminders of its long and colorful past, enticing members and guests to stroll its corridors and take in a history that is tied to America’s western expansion and early industrial giants.
The Clubhouse remains the heart of Diablo Country Club, where families come to dine, relax after golf, tennis or other outdoor activities, and enjoy all the amenities it has to offer.
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| The James Champion Stone Dining Room | The Red Horse Tavern |