Course History

History of Fairfield Greens South Trace

Fairfield Greens South Trace opened in 1969 as Pleasant Run Country Club, named after the Pleasant Run Farms housing subdivision across the street. That year, Pleasant Run Farms was featured as a Homearama community, with the golf course and country club serving as its centerpiece. The course was designed by renowned architect Jack Kidwell, who also designed several other local courses.

Historical photos reveal that community tennis courts were originally located in the parking lot behind the 7th green, and the community pool was situated in the current South Trace parking lot, just below the clubhouse.

Despite its promising start, the country club struggled financially after its opening. In late 1978, under the leadership of Mayor Bugs Phalen, the City of Fairfield negotiated the purchase of the course. The facility reopened in 1979 as the Fairfield Golf Club.

Fun Fact: From 1979 until the Community Arts Center opened in 2005, the City Parks and Recreation Department operated out of the basement of the South Trace banquet hall. Additionally, the city managed the community pool as the "City Pool" until the mid-1990s, when the Fairfield Aquatic Center was built.

In 1996, the retention basin adjacent to the 13th hole at South Trace was transformed into a 9-hole executive course named North Trace, designed by golf course architect Michael Hurdzan. Following this addition, the Fairfield Golf Club was rebranded as South Trace to distinguish it from the new North Trace course.

By 2006, the original South Trace buildings had deteriorated and were replaced by a new clubhouse, which opened in 2008. Designed by James Bean Architecture, the clubhouse includes the Phalen Center, named in honor of Mayor Bugs Phalen.

Our Golf Professionals
The City of Fairfield has had the privilege of working with five Golf Professionals since taking over operations:

  1. Jim Slominski
  2. Dave Hartman
  3. Keith Krutcher
  4. Julian Jeter-Davis
  5. Chris Rossi

Our Course Superintendents
We have also been fortunate to have four talented Course Superintendents:

  1. Tom Morris
  2. Greg Morrow
  3. Derek Baxter
  4. Todd Dodge

Looking Ahead
As we reflect on our rich history, we are excited about the future of Fairfield Greens. Our mission is to continue developing South Trace as the premier public golf course in the region.