Does MPHS have photographs: Yes
Address in Mount Prospect:
Birth Date: Circa 1935
Death Date: February 25, 2001
Marriage
Date: It is rumored that he has been married and divorced
Spouse:
Children:
Interesting information on life, career, accomplishments:
Richard Hauff is one of the more colorful characters in Mount Prospect History. For a short time he owned the Mount Prospect Country Club and was the center of attention in town. In 1958 A man named Henry Sophie sold the golf course to a 23 year old Richard Hauff, although he later said that he never would have sold it if he had known that Hauff was reputed to be involved in the seedy underworld of Chicago. Hauff had been born in Iran and was orphaned at a young age. He was found wandering in the desert by a couple of U.S. Army Engineers who were there during WWII. He was later adopted by one and brought back to Arlington Heights. He showed great potential as a golfer in high school but at some point ended up associated with members of organized crime. To this day, no one really knows where he got the money to purchase the course in 1958 but it is suspected to have had Mafia ties. He was known as a Rush Street Playboy and moved in very high profile circles, claiming people like Frank Sinatra as friends. Rumors claim two main things about Hauff, first that he was a great golfer with “the sweetest swing in the northwest suburbs” and second that he was “one heck of a lover” supposedly having dated Zsa Zsa Gabor and other celebrities. He spent a lot of money on the Mount Prospect Country club and had the course redesigned. He was able to attract The Women’s Master’s PGA Tournament in 1959. This certainly put Mount Prospect on the map; however it was not very profitable for Hauff. He declared bankruptcy in 1960 and put the course up for sale. He faded from the spot light for a long time, until he was murdered in the kitchen of his restaurant in Greencastle, Indiana in 2001. Apparently he was involved in a love triangle and was shot by the husband of the woman he was having an affair with.