Shady Valley Country Club

Shady Valley Country Club was founded in 1959 by Howard Wilemon Jr., a golf enthusiast who owned the property along with his father Howard Wilemon Sr. and Joe Delk. Much of the land lay in a floodplain outside Arlington city limits, limiting development options, but Wilemon Jr. bought out his partners to pursue his vision of an 18-hole golf course. He personally designed the layout, which the USGA has recognized as a fine test of golf, while hiring PGA professional Shanty Hogan to plan the tees and greens and oversee construction. Hogan remained the club's head professional until his 1978 retirement. The course opened on Labor Day 1959 as a tree-lined par-70 layout featuring Rush Creek water hazards on 14 holes. No previous names or ownership changes beyond the initial buyout are documented, and the club has hosted local events like high school tournaments and charity outings but no major professional competitions or notable celebrity members.