History

Over 16,000 years ago the last of the Great Glaciers receded from the Great Lakes, leaving, among other things, a hard wedge of dolomite limestone in its wake.  Stretching from New York to Wisconsin, this limestone ridge formation is known as the “Niagara Escarpment” and one of its primary features is the Door Peninsula.

Scenic, fertile and ruggedly beautiful, the land that Horseshoe Bay Farms would be built on is as dramatic backdrop as any across the Great Lakes. It was here in 1917 that Frank and Eldridge Murphy first chose to establish Murphy Farms, and eventually, Horseshoe Bay Country Club. Although Frank’s planned world-class golf and social club did not materialize, Horseshoe Bay Farms grew to be well-known as a Holstein Dairy Breeder (notably the home of Johanna Star Reka, renowned in her day as the third largest milk producer in the world) and orchard.  In fact, the farm was once the largest employer, and the largest producer of apples, cherries and plums in Door County. 

Until the early 1990’s farming and fruit production continued to be the focus of Horseshoe Bay Farms. In 1995, the Frank Murphy Cowles family began the fulfillment of Frank E. Murphy’s dream. Home sites with beautiful water views and bluff vistas were made available and in 1998, the second phase of Frank’s dream started to become a reality. Designed by renowned architects Rick Robbins and Brain Lussier, Frank’s world class golf course at Horseshoe Bay Farms began to take shape. 

In July of 2000, the dream of building that world class golf course was completed. Today, Horseshoe Bay Golf Club is home to the finest golf and scenery the county has to offer.  Nowhere else in Door County do you have the opportunity to be part of one of the state’s most historic locations.