Reflections
The Birth of Wolf Creek: Credits to John Bonella
From baling wire and chewing gum to Midwest golf treasure.
by Alan Hoskins, feature writer
The golf course, they said could never be built, turned 54 years old this year.“ Some days I’ d have 15 people tell me‘ no way would it go;’ that it was for men only; that it was too far out in the country; that it wasn’ t built,” remembers John Bonella, the man who made the building of Wolf Creek Golf Club become a reality.
On January 2, 1971, Bonella was given five and a half months to sign up 100 members for the course that would be constructed at 186th and Lackman, about four miles south of Olathe, KS— the same John Bonella who was honored at his 90th birthday luncheon this spring( 2026) by about 50 Wolf Creek members and friends.
“ I didn’ t know anything about Wolf Creek, and Dr. Bill Tucker called me up and said he, Gil Bourk, and Don Gaddis wanted to play 18 holes with me at Alvamar, and afterward they told me about Wolf Creek,” said Bonella.“ They thought I would be the best man to find 100 members by June 15. If they didn’ t have 100 members, the course wouldn’ t be built.
“ My contract at Alvamar ran out at the end of the year, and I thought 100 members would not be that hard. Boy, was I wrong! We had some brochures made, and I’ d just walk into offices of people I knew, mostly downtown. I’ d see as many as 10 people a day. Memberships were $ 3,000, and a lot of men didn’ t want to spend the money, or their wives wouldn’ t let them. But you had to listen to what they were saying( that it wouldn’ t work) and some days I’ d think maybe they were right.”
Bonella’ s pursuit of 100 members got its biggest shot in the arm from Royals’ owner Ewing Kauffman.“ I approached him and said I wanted him to be a member, and he said he didn’ t want to do any more investing. I said I didn’ t want him as an investor, I wanted him to be a member, and he said,‘ Yes,’ emphatically.
20 JULY 2026 TEE TIMES GOLF GUIDE
John Bonella, age 90.
“ And, he said he’ d help me get more members, so every week we’ d play gin rummy at the Kansas City Club with members from other clubs, and I’ d get two new members about every week. The bad part was, I wasn’ t very good at gin, so it would cost me about $ 100 per lunch.
“ One of the mistakes we did make was we weren’ t asking for cash, just a commitment on paper. When we went back for the cash, about 15 percent backed out.” But even then, the magic 100 mark was reached on June 2.“ We had a party at the Kansas City Club, and there was a guest from Boston. He wanted to know how to sign up and later moved to Kansas City.”
Wolf Creek had been born out of a hunting trip on a cold winter afternoon in late 1969. Organized by Miles Nichols, the rest of the party included Don Gaddis, M. L. Rowe, Frank Kirk, Hal Bump, and Dr. Bill Tucker.“ Don Gaddis and I remarked what a great spot to build a golf course,” remembered Tucker.“ We walked along a hedge row and could see the 18th green sitting‘ right up there.’”
Gaddis and Tucker continued to bounce the idea back and forth and finally went to Dallas to study an all-men-only course there.“ The clubs in Kansas City were overcrowded with too many members. All we wanted was a great golf course with a smaller membership, so there were no big crowds and no tee times, just old-fashioned fun, relaxed golf.”
The course opened for play in April of 1972, but not without countless hurdles.“ It was hard work,” says Bonella.“ We only had one phone line, and that was long distance. No email or cell phones, we had to reach members by mail. Our clubhouse was an old farmhouse.” A farmhouse Tucker remembered as one with“ peeling paint, torn screens, tattered roof, and outhouses.”
“ Best move I ever made was hiring Buster Mills,” says Bonella.“ He was a great [ golf ] teacher, and his wife Bertie kept books. We