The record group has been organized into a single alphabetical series primarily by type of material. The meeting minutes are quite extensive, covering the years 1899 to 1989 and include budget information beginning in 1946. The files of applications, new members, Certificate of Distributive Interest (CDI) correspondence and resignations date mainly from the 1940s, 50s, and early 60s. The audit reports cover the years 1959-1972. The calendars cover the events and functions held each year by the AAGO from 1964 to 1986. The scrapbooks contain newspaper clippings and photographs about the AAGO. The clippings appear to be mainly from the Ann Arbor News. The history written by Orrin Mohler dates from July 1980 and covers the years 1890 to 1903. This is a good source of information about the early history of the AAGO as well as golfing in general in Ann Arbor. The correspondence series deals mainly with club business and contacts with other area golf clubs.
The Ann Arbor Golf and Outing Club was started as the Ann Arbor Golf Club in 1899 and its first meeting was held at the residence of Junius E. Beal on September 26th of that same year. It grew out of the University Golf Club which had been started in 1897. The golf course sits on 40 acres of land that was originally farmland owned by A.E. Roberts. It is still located on its original site at the corner of Stadium and Main across from Crisler Arena and the University of Michigan Football Stadium. The club was incorporated as the Ann Arbor Golf and Outing Club on March 30, 1903 when the club purchased the 40 acres. The golf club also owns a small triangle of land that sits in front of Crisler Arena. This small piece of land has been coveted by the University of Michigan for many years. Several attempts have been made by the University of Michigan to acquire the small piece of land; The last of these was made by then Athletic Director Don Canham in 1980. Nothing has ever come of these efforts so the land continues to be used by the Golf and Outing Club as football parking during the fall. The golf club's property has been used as football parking since the 1930s.
The club has served the town as one of the premier golf clubs in Southeast Michigan. From a very early date it has tried to maintain a balance in the membership of the club between town and gown. To obtain a membership in the club one had to be recommended by others who were already members of the club. New members were accepted as people resigned from the club. The others were placed on a waiting list and could reapply the following year. Some of those on the waiting list were given proxy memberships, when they were available. The total membership started small, 50 members were at the initial meeting in 1899, but has since grown to around three hundred for the 1986 season. The original member fees were five dollars for men and $2.50 for women. The fees in 1990 were $550 for a single membership and $650 for a family membership.
