When St. Joseph Country Club of Missouri played host to Omaha Country Club of Nebraska in a friendly challenge match, little did the players realize they were planting the seed for one of the most prestigious amateur golf associations ever organized.
Several of the participants agreed to attend a meeting on June 8, 1901 in Omaha to organize the Trans-Mississippi Golf Association, formulate a constitution and create a set of by-laws. The name was suggested by Howard G. Leavitt, of Leavitt, Nebraska.
On September 26-28, 1901, fifteen charter clubs inaugurated the Trans-Mississippi Match Play Tournament, now heralded as one of the premiere amateur competitions.
The 15 original Trans-Miss clubs include: