During the roaring 20s, the DeLand Hills Country Club was formed and a Clubhouse and Golf Course were built on the site now occupied by the DeLand Country Club. The original Club continued to operate until the early 30s when, due presumably to the effects of the major depression current at that time, it succumbed. After the Club disbanded, a few die-hard golfers continued to use the course until the middle 30s when, finally, the course was abandoned. Sometime during this period, the Clubhouse burned. The land laid idle until the present course was built. After the course was abandoned, the only golfing facility in DeLand was the former College Arms Golf Course located in what is now the southeast section of DeLand. It was owned and operated by the College Arms Hotel, a nationally known winter resort. During World War II, the Hotel and Golf Course were leased to the U.S. Navy and used as an adjunct to the Naval Aviation Training Field located on the outskirts of DeLand. After the property was released by the Navy, the Hotel was not reopened to the public. The Golf Course was acquired by H.T. (Pug) Allen and James McFate. They operated the course until 1955 when the property was sold for real estate development purposes. From then until 1957, there was no golf course in DeLand and the hard-core golfers had to go to Daytona Beach, New Smyrna Beach, Sanford, or Orlando in order to play. An Exhibition Match, open to the public, was played on Sunday, July 1, 1957 by a foursome composed of U.S. Senator George Smathers, U.S. Congressman Sid Herlong, State Representative Jim Sweeney and Sidney Salomon. The Course was officially opened for play on July 4, 1957.

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