The ACACIA COUNTRY CLUB, located on the northeast corner of Cedar and Richmond roads in LYNDHURST, opened on 31 May 1921, although only 9 holes of its golf course were completed and it had no official clubhouse. Originally limited to Masons, it was later opened to non-Masons. The club ultimately offered 18 holes on 300 acres, with some of the finest golfing in the area. Its course was designed by Donald Ross, a Boston golf expert, and Henry A. Tremaine was the first president. There were approximately 400 members during the club's initial years.
Initially a golf club, Acacia steadily developed into a leading country club. On 4 July 1922, a $200,000 clubhouse was opened. In the summer of 1954 a $75,000 pool was added, complete with dressing rooms and a snack bar. Major additions to the clubhouse began in May 1963 and were finished by 1964. A new portico and stone front were added to the exterior. A new powder room was built by the main entranceway, and a large building to the west of the clubhouse was built to house a mixed grill, men's card room and bar, and a new men's locker room. The interior decorators for the additions were Holzheimer's Interiors. In 1993 the Acacia Country Club owned 176 acres and had 440 members.
Because of its location, Acacia became an attractive site for developers. In 1994, developer Scott Wolstein expressed an interest in buying the property and relocating the club. In 2002, partners considered but declined another bid.
Like many country clubs, Acacia faced declining membership in the 21st century, with its membership rolls declining by half between 1998 and 2008. In 2005, the club sold nearly 18 acres to Joe Aveni for a residential development called Acacia Country Club Estates, leading to a flurry of lawsuits regarding the club’s financial status and records.
In 2008, shareholders voted to dissolve the club. A $10 million bid was turned down in 2010, and a $12 million bid was dismissed two years later. Ultimately, the club was sold later in 2012 to the Conservation Club, a Virginia-based nonprofit, for $14.75 million. The Fund donated the land to CLEVELAND METROPARKS. It is currently (2023) known as Acacia Reservation. After having been used as an event space by the Metroparks, the clubhouse was demolished in February of 2022 to reclaim green space.
Updated by Vincent Guerrieri
Last updated: 1/8/2023