On Thursday, November 6, 1958 at 8 p.m., a group of men met at Roberts Community Center at the invitation of P.R. Jervay. They had one purpose.
The general aim of the group, as recorded in the minutes of that first meeting, was to build and make available to the Negro citizenry of Raleigh and others a country club to afford members a place for wholesome recreation. Jim Crow laws barred Black Americans from every golf course and private club in the region.
Three temporary officers were elected that night: J.J. Sansom, Chairman; J.M. Johnson, Secretary; D.P. Lane, Treasurer. The temporary name “Roberts Country Club” was adopted unanimously.
By March 1959, after many hard sells, 45 citizens were convinced to come on board. The club was chartered as Meadowbrook Country Club, Inc. — the name submitted by John Winters, a local realtor. The land: 136 acres of former tobacco farmland, $146,000.
Necessity is the Mother of Invention — or as some of our philosophical Theologians reminds us that sometimes Blessings Come In Disguise.
M. Grant Batey Sr. · Historical Sketch · 1992
In 1992, NBC News covered Meadowbrook Country Club’s 35th anniversary — preserved here as a primary source on the club’s place in regional civil rights and recreational history.
Source · NBC News · 1992
Courtesy of NBC News. Presented by Friends of Meadowbrook Golf Club, a 501(c)(3) preservation organization, for historical, educational, and noncommercial use in documenting the history of Meadowbrook Country Club (Garner, NC · National Register of Historic Places ref. 09001106).
Rights-holders: please reach us via the Contact page.
Founder № 01
“The Dreamer” · 1916–1989
Local banker and the first President of Meadowbrook Country Club. The 35th anniversary booklet is dedicated to him with the words: “Without the faith, dedication and persistence of Joe there would be no Meadowbrook.”
“Never in the history of mankind have so many gained so much for contributing so little.”
Founder № 02
Educator · Realtor
Educator and realtor, Batey served multiple terms as President and authored the Historical Sketch in the 35th anniversary booklet. During the financial hardships of the 1980s–90s, Batey provided personal loans — Deeds of Trust — to prevent the club’s foreclosure.
Founder № 03
Publisher · The Carolinian
Publisher of the Carolinian newspaper, Jervay called the very first meeting on November 6, 1958 and chaired the Membership Committee. His platform and voice were essential to organizing the Black professional community.
Selected Meadowbrook records — including the club’s National Register of Historic Places nomination — made freely available to the public. No membership required.
From the first meeting through the 2026 partnership with the Town of Garner — seventeen milestones, every builder, every date.
Open the full timeline