In 1910 August A. Busch Sr. decided Saint Louis needed a social club in south St. Louis County. He wanted a hilly, undeveloped, wooded site that would permit privacy and an opportunity to share in nature's beauty.

This goal was achieved when he purchased 40.55 acres of rolling land in what is now the City of Sunset Hills. It was on this land Anheuser-Busch built a facility known as the Sunset Inn. For the next six years, the Sunset Inn served as one of the finest dining and entertainment facilities in the St. Louis area. Its popularity led to an interest in expanding it to offer increased entertainment for the entire family.

More land was purchased and development plans were finalized. In 1916 a search was conducted for someone to design a golf course that would be challenging and take advantage of the site's natural beauty. The search resulted in the selection of Robert Foulis, one of the earliest golf professionals and course architects in the United States. A native of Saint Andrews, Scotland, "birthplace of golf," he became a resident of St. Louis in 1901. In addition to designing Sunset's original course, he also helped lay out other prestigious courses in our area---the original Bellerive, Glen Echo, Algonquin, and the Bogey-Log Cabin Club track.

Following construction of the golf course, Sunset built a swimming pool in 1918. This quickly became a family favorite. In keeping with the Sunset tradition of being a trend setter, it was the first pool in the St. Louis area to permit men to swim "topless."

The original Sunset Inn was so far out in the country it had to be virtually self contained. Buildings for the chef and waitresses were located near the Inn, so help would always be available. Following World War I, the first clubhouse, as well as men's and ladies' locker rooms, were built. Now Sunset was a legitimate golf club.

Subsequent purchases permitted the expansion of the course and other facilities, such as the tennis courts. Sunset retains an intimacy with nature by virtue of its large number of non-parallel fairways, as well as being one of the most interesting and challenging golf courses in the metro area.

Sunset, like most private clubs, suffered through the years of The Great Depression and temporarily closed its doors in 1937. A short while later, a group of golf enthusiasts approached Anheuser-Busch to again open it, which they did in 1938. In 1944, Anheuser-Busch decided to sell the club to the membership. This sale was completed in 1945.

Sunset now encompasses 170 acres of rolling hills covered with one of the area's finest arrays of hardwoods. The autumn months offer breathtaking views of brilliantly colored leaves.

The large, beautiful living room is designed for gracious entertainment of family or friends. The Sunset Room, the Fairway Room, and adjoining Player's Lounge, provide pleasurable dining and outstanding cuisine. Sunset's Clubhouse sits on one of the highest elevations in South County providing a spectacular western view of the golf course and the Meramec River Valley and Ozark foothills beyond.

A large, attractive banquet room, along with smaller private meeting rooms for business or social get-togethers complete the dining areas. Men's and Ladies' Locker Rooms and Card Rooms, and of course, a large, well-stocked Pro Shop round out the main building.

Sunset offers a six-lane swimming pool and a comprehensive youth swimming program. A top flight tennis pro and four clay courts complete the sports facilities.

The Club also offers youth programs in tennis and golf, and conducts parent-youth tournaments in all sports. Sunset has both 9-hole and 18-hole women's groups. The Club has liberalized the "family hours" for golf so it is not difficult to get on the course. Sunset is one of the few golf courses in St. Louis that does not require tee times. The Club is more family oriented than most St. Louis private clubs.