It was a repatriation of sorts when I received an unexpected phone call from 11-time PGA Tour winner Andy Bean.
“Meggan, have I got something for you,” he said, as we got to the reason for his call. “Would you (the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame & Museum) like the very first Vokey wedge ever used on the PGA Tour?”
My heart leapt. Not only was I getting a call from a noted PGA Tour winner but he was offering to donate an incredible artifact that has since rewritten the way manufacturers and professionals craft wedges. Currently, Vokey Design products are used by players all over the world — including major champions Jordan Spieth, Adam Scott and Justin Thomas — and at every level of the game.
“Yes!” I emphatically replied. “Did you win any tournaments with it?”
“Unfortunately,” Bean continued, “I did not win any tournaments with that wedge. But it certainly was not the wedge’s fault! And you can quote me on that.”
Bean then proceeded to tell me the amazing story of how he essentially stole the club from legendary designer and Canadian Golf Hall of Famer Bob Vokey and continued using it until the wedge was too worn down to play with.
When he was moving towards the design of wedges for Titleist, it was a new endeavour not only for Bob Vokey but for Titleist as well. The company had been aiming to make a push in the wedge market. Vokey had primarily been focused on designing woods but he was always fascinated by the intricacies of wedges and their vast needs by amateurs and professionals.
Tinkering in his workshop, he would eventually produce a prototype that he was comfortable enough to try out on the range. In 1997, Vokey was attending an event in which Bean was playing and approached him on the range. As Bean recalls, Vokey was humble in his approach and asked if he could spend five minutes swinging his prototype. Bean obliged and after swinging the Vokey wedge, he said that he loved the club and he was going to play with it for the weekend.
Vokey was shocked, as much by the player’s reaction as the reality that he had only made that club as a single prototype. It was never meant to be used in a tournament.
“If you are as good a clubmaker as I know you are, you can make another one,” Bean responded. “I’m playing with this one for the week.”
The prototype wedge arrived by mail two weeks after the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame induction ceremony for Vokey and Judy Darling Evans at Glen Abbey GC, which took place during the 2017 RBC Canadian Open.
A note was attached:
Dear Meggan and RCGA (Golf Canada)
With the greatest of pleasure, I send the first Titleist, Vokey wedge, especially after Canadian Golf has inducted him into the Hall of Fame.
Bob Vokey has been a great part of golf and it has been an honour knowing him and using his equipment.
Best wishes,
Andy Bean
I sent Andy a note letting him know that I received the club and thanked him very much for the incredible donation to the museum’s collection of artifacts. “Did you want a tax receipt?” I asked.
“No, that’s okay,” Bean replied. “I only ask that if for any reason you ever get rid of the club, that it is donated to the World Golf Hall of Fame.”
I laughed at the thought, and affirmed my intentions.
“You don’t have to worry about that, Andy. It’s now home.”
This article was originally published in the Fall Issue of Golf Canada Magazine. Click here to view the full magazine.
Born in Montreal and raised in Verdun, Que., Bob Vokey has become one of the world’s foremost wedge designers and trusted short game advisor to many of the modern game’s greatest golfers. His innovative designs have made Titleist Vokey wedges a trusted brand among golfers of every age and skill level. Over his illustrious career, Vokey has designed wedges for many of golf’s notable players.
Earlier this year, as part of the 2017 RBC Canadian Open at Glen Abbey Golf Club, the legendary club maker officially entered the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame as an honoured member.
Watch the video teaser below for a glimpse into the life of Vokey and click here to watch the video in full.
This week, Kanawaki Golf Club in Kahnawake, Que., just outside Montreal, is hosting the 2017 Canadian Men’s Senior Championship. Here’s a brief historical look at the venue designed by Charles & Albert Murray – pioneers of early golf in Canada.
THE CLUB’S EVOLUTION
The first golf club in North America was formed in 1873 when a course was laid out on Fletcher’s Field, under a permit from the City of Montreal. It was known as the Montreal Golf Club. With the growth and spread of the city over the ensuing two decades, it became apparent that encroachment would require the club to move. As a consequence in 1896, the club, which in the meantime had been granted permission to add «Royal» to its name, moved to Dixie in Lachine. A number of members, however, preferred to remain at the old location and formed a nine hole club called the Metropolitan Golf Club.
In September 1902, a group of some fifty of these members undertook to organize the Outremont Golf Club. They arranged for the lease of the farm area bounded by Rockland and Pratt Avenues, and proceeded to finance the initial cost of a nine hole course. The first President was His Honor Mr. Recorder Weir, and the membership role listed 212 names. The Club continued in existence until the year 1922, although each year saw its territory further reduced by the sale of building lots.
In 1910, anticipating that a new location would sooner or later have to be found, Mr. J. Harry Birks spent much time looking over prospective sites. At one time a firm offer was made for a property in the Ville LaSalle area, near the approach to the present Mercier Bridge, but it was sold to a higher bidder. About that time Mr. Meloche, from the Kahnawake Reserve, called on Mr. Birks to collect rent for an advertising sign on his property and offered the suggestion that a part of the Reserve could easily be adapted to the requirements of a golf course. Arrangements were made with him to row a delegation of members, including Mr. Birks, across the river from Lachine to inspect the proposed site. They found it to be mainly swamp and dense scrub. A survey was undertaken and although the engineer’s report contained some reservations with respect to drainage problems, the decision was made to proceed.
The Kanawaki Golf Club was incorporated March 14th, 1912. The act provided that all members of the Outremont Golf Club would be members of the Club. Nevertheless, the separate clubs continued to operate for the next ten years until the leases in Outremont expired. Following this, the clubs merged.
Even today, inside the clubhouse you’ll find a decorative painting on the south wall of the Dining Room. Acquired in 1915, this work by Maurice Cullen is a view of the old Outremont Golf Club.
THE TERRAIN
Work on the property commenced in 1910 when numerous ditches were dug extending well beyond the Club’s boundaries. The property was completely fenced off, and the task of blasting boulders and clearing land began. Many years previously, when the railway bridge across the St. Lawrence was built, much of the fill for the right of way embankment had been taken from the area which is now in front of the clubhouse. This accounts in part for the land feature extending from the 12th green to the 4th tee, and sweeping in a curve to the 4th green. The bowl of the 9th green was a large hole into which many tons of rock and fill were dumped to bring the bottom up to a suitable level.
The road along the west of the property is of interest as it was the old right of way of the first steam railway to connect Canada with the United States and ran from the wharf at Kahnawake to Moers Junction, N.Y.
Fieldwork progressed throughout 1911 and 1912 based on a plan drawn up by Charles Murray – a professional at Royal Montreal – and his brother Albert. It was not, however, until the late summer of 1913 that the course was opened for play when fifteen holes had been completed. By 1914 all eighteen holes were ready, although shortly thereafter the holes were lengthened as more and more ground was prepared.
The many trees admired today are the result of a carefully planned program initiated at the time the course was built and followed up through the years. It is interesting to examine old photographs of the course in which the younger versions of today’s stately maples and elms can readily be identified marking certain areas on the course. Off the fairway dense undergrowth in swampy ground was generally to be found, and the task of clearing and draining the rough continues to this day.
THE COURSE
The front nine holes of the present course are essentially the same as those initially laid out. There have been numerous modifications and improvements to each of the holes over the years, but the sequence and general plan remain unchanged. Originally one large green, the third was changed in 1933 to provide two small greens. Also, the seventh green was placed in the flat area to the right of its present location.
In 1970, substantial changes were made to the second green and the third green was remodeled again into one large green. The 5th hole was redesigned by placing a new green on the high ground to the left near the 6th tee.
It is interesting to note that the total yardage on a 1914 score card for the first nine holes was 3220 yards with a rated par of 37 compared with 3199 yards and a par of 35 today. On the back nine, however, some important and drastic changes have been made over the years. Each of these, when proposed, generated serious and sometimes bitter controversy. While there is no description available today to identify the first layout of the 1914 course, it is believed that the second nine holes did not use the area now taken up by the 11th, 14th and 15th holes.
Thus it seems that the then 13th, 14th, 15th and 16th holes were laid out in the area bounded on the east by a line from the present 13th tee to the 16th tee and encompassing the 16th, 17th and 18th holes. It is believed that the initial layout did not last long, for the areas of the present 11th and 15th holes were cleared and drained following which the holes on the second nine were rearranged, The revised layout provided for the short holes in the area of the present 11th, a long 14th, which was the present 13th extended to 545 yards, and a left angled dog’s leg to the present 15th green.
The latest major change was initially proposed as long ago as 1930, but was not implemented until 1953. It involved giving up one of the two consecutive short holes at the 11th–12th, and opening the present 14th hole. Many members disagreed with the scheme each time it was suggested, and the depression years, followed by the Second World War, also contributed to delays.
Eventually, in 1953, it received the approval of the membership, but not before many views in opposition had been voiced. Today, the criticism has declined but it is still a subject for discussion among the older members.
In 1963 a major undertaking was completed with the installation of a course watering system leading from the St. Lawrence Seaway.
THE CLUBHOUSE
In 1913, when it was built, the clubhouse comprised the present dining room, kitchen, a locker room on the ground floor, and the dressing rooms on the second floor. It was a modest structure but served the purpose very well for the next fifteen years with only minor additions. As there was no source of electricity in the district, acetylene lamps were employed to light the premises. The supply of water came from open wells, and it was pumped into a large reservoir located under the first tee. Advance notice was required if members intended on staying for dinner. No alcoholic beverages were allowed on the premises, and to ensure observation of this rule frequent inspection of the lockers was made and any such supplies confiscated.
In 1925 the first major improvements were started when electric power was brought from Adirondack Junction, and an artesian well was bored, followed by the erection of the water tank. At this time the membership was at full strength and the clubhouse facilities were becoming increasingly inadequate. In 1928 approval was given to the Executive Committee to start a building program which would include adding a wing to the west of the clubhouse to accommodate the office, men’s lockers and a pro shop; an extension to the east to provide more facilities for the Ladies’ Club; and an enlargement of the kitchen and addition of a snack room.
A sprinkler system was installed in 1938, and the pro shop enlarged in 1949.
The most recent addition to the clubhouse was completed in 1956 and comprised the Club Room, conversion of the Snack Room to a Men’s Lounge or Trophy Room and modernization of the front verandah.
In spite of the several extensive modifications and changes over the years, the clubhouse still preserves something of its original charm and simplicity, and continues to serve the members well.
In 1929, Kanawaki hosted the Canadian Open, won by legend Leo Diegel.
In 2004 The Disney movie “The Greatest Game Ever Played”, starring Shia LaBeouf, and based on the true story of Francis Ouimet and the 1913 US Open, is filmed at Kanawaki, with some of its members having the privilege of being stand-ins in the filming of the movie. Our professional John Murray provided swing coaching for the actors and can be seen as a body double in the movie for certain golf swings.
For more information on Kanawaki Golf Club, please click here.
As Canada comes together to celebrate 150 years since the birth of our nation, it is a time of reflection on all the things that have made our country what it is today—including the golf landscape, which holds the second-largest amount of courses per capita in the world.
Canada’s rich golf history dates back to the first golf club in 1873 and spans from to coast-to-coast, playing an important role in the early development of many communities.
Golf clubs are also a source of many stories and memories that bring us together as family and friends, as highlighted in Golf Canada’s latest family-themed magazine issue.
In honour of Canada’s 150th birthday, we are celebrating the 150 oldest active golf courses in the nation—Click here to view the full list.
Clubs are listed by their open year, so in some cases there are several courses which opened during the same year. If you are interested in learning more about a facility or sharing a story with the golf community, click on the name of the course and you can use the Golf Canada Course History map to do so. The map in its entirety can be found at golfcanada.ca/coursehistory
With the Royal Quebec Golf Club being conveniently located across the street from the Huot household, all eight Huot boys — Emmanuel, Jules, Maurice, Ulric, Rodolphe, Roland, Benoit and Tony — at one point marched across to work as caddies and help their family financially.
The hours spent at the club, watching and learning from members, developed their love for the game. And though they each gained local and provincial acclaim as players, it was Jules (second from right) who enjoyed the most success.
He captured three Quebec Open and PGA of Canada championships, five Quebec PGA Championships and twice finished as low Canadian pro at the Canadian Open. However, winning the PGA Tour’s 1937 General Brock Open and playing in three Masters are career highlights.
This article was originally published in the Family Issue edition of Golf Canada Magazine. Click here to view the full magazine
Legendary Canadian designer Stanley receives most of the praise but his four brothers all shared deep connections with the game too.
Stanley Thompson is a Canadian golf institution. That is a universally shared opinion. The renowned course designer is to golf in this country what Harry Colt is to the British Isles and what Donald Ross and Alistair Mackenzie are to the U.S. — the benchmark and standard by which classic and even modern courses are routinely judged.
Being one of golf architecture’s immortals, Thompson enjoys a status reserved for the revered and is on a pedestal accorded to few.
During an illustrious career spanning over three decades, he designed or was involved in the construction of more than 145 courses, including some of this nation’s finest: Capilano, St. George’s, Cape Breton Highlands, Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge and Fairmont Banff Springs, to name a select few.
Along with Ross, he is one of the co-founders of the American Society of Golf Course Architects (ASGCA) and his immediate understudies, Robert Trent Jones, Robbie Robinson, Howard Watson and Geoff Cornish, passed along Thompson’s visionary talent to a third generation of Canadian architects. That contemporary group includes Doug Carrick, Thomas McBroom, Graham Cooke and Les Furber.
The Toronto Terror’s reputation has even crossed over to the sporting mainstream. Already a member of the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame (1980), the federal government named Thompson a Person of National Significance in Canada in 2005, an honour bestowed on the designer posthumously by the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada. Only two years ago, and more than 60 years after his passing, he was inducted into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame.
However, his well-documented career features another claim to fame. He was one of five members of the “Amazing Thompsons,” a title Stanley proudly shared with his four brothers — Nicol, Mathew, Bill and Frank.
Arguably the royal family of Canadian golf, the Thompson boys dominated the golf scene during the early 1920s, led by eldest brothers Nicol and Mathew as professionals and the younger Bill, Stanley and Frank as decorated amateurs.
“They were fine golfers with a lot of talent and were definitely a force to be reckoned with back in the day,” explains Stan Thompson, Nicol’s grandson. “My grandfather was the head professional at Hamilton Golf & Country Club for many, many years. He was good enough to lead the first two rounds of the Canadian Open played there in 1930.”
“He also won the 1922 PGA Championship of Canada and finished second in 1913 in the (Canadian) Open. Frank and Bill Thompson were also very successful, winning three Canadian Amateurs between them. Frank also won the Florida Winter Amateur one year and once beat Bobby Jones in a match. Quite often back then they would take road trips together to play. When they showed up at events it was like, ‘Okay, who is going to be second?’ All the brothers were players first.”
The golf bloodline of the working class Thompson brothers begins where you expect: in the caddie yard. All five boys looped at Toronto Golf Club and learned the game’s finer points under legendary Canadian pro George Cumming, who would eventually join forces with Nicol to form the first incarnation of the Thompson family golf course design business.
The Thompson brothers in 1923. Left to right: Frank, Mat, Nicol, Stanley and Bill
At Toronto GC, the boys were surrounded by greatness. Distinguished Canadian champions Karl Keffer, Albert Murray and Charles Murray were all members.
“The influence of Toronto Golf Club was very important to all of their careers,” reflects Mathew Thompson’s grandson, Matt Thompson. “It was the connections they had there. That and the friendships they had with so many greats of the day, players like Bobby Jones, were very important and I’m sure quite instrumental in their success as golfers. The more I dig into it, the more interesting the family history gets.”
Even the lives of the Thompson women — mother Jeannie and sisters Marion, Betty, Isobel and Jean — were intertwined with the game. According to the Thompson Society website, Betty was the family financial wizard. For years she looked after the books for the family’s foray into course design while also running her own mail-order company.
“She was smart. All of the girls enjoyed themselves too. They liked a good party,” Stan Thompson added.
Fine players first, the Thompson boys became immersed in course architecture early on. Influenced by Colt’s routing and detail at Toronto GC, they collaborated in their formative years to build Rye Field, a six-hole family short course nearby. It proved a humble beginning for what would eventually become a thriving national and international business.
Regrettably this chapter of Thompson family history would transpire under difficult circumstances: the passing of patriarch James Thompson.
With the father of the family gone, eldest brother Nicol called a family meeting where it was decided that Stanley, who had just returned from the First World War, would assume control of the Thompson design company. The rest of the boys would remain in golf in their various capacities.
“They were in business together off and on the golf course,” said Stan Thompson, “but what is interesting about that, and I’ve seen it mentioned frequently, is that Stanley was anointed the designated course designer. That was his calling. The boys recognized it. My grandfather considered himself a professional first. Same with Mathew. It made sense for Stanley to assume that role.”
In the ensuing years the decision proved to be well considered. Thompson’s first design, Muskoka Lakes Golf & Country Club, received high praise. In 1922 he branched out to form his own firm, Stanley Thompson & Co. Limited, where he quickly secured status as the country’s go-to architect.
Before the decade closed he had cemented his reputation with the completion of Alberta’s Jasper Park Lodge and Banff Springs and Toronto’s St. George’s.
As business continued to flourish it was not uncommon for the other boys to step up to lend an assist. Nicol was still highly regarded. In his early days he played pivotal design roles in both courses at Hamilton’s Chedoke Golf Club; Midland Golf & Country Club; Brantford Golf & Country Club; and Owen Sound Golf and Country Club (now called Legacy Ridge).
He also worked on several courses in and around the Niagara Peninsula. Occasionally through the years that has sparked debate and prompted research into which Thompson did what?
“I think it’s partly their own fault,” Stan Thompson asserts. “As players, they didn’t promote themselves and my grandfather certainly didn’t self-promote as a course designer. It wasn’t important to him. He didn’t need to be known for anything other than being a club professional.”
Today, golf remains a staple in the lives of many of the post generations of Thompsons. Some members of the family play better than others but the passion is strong throughout.
“My dad, Nicol Jr., won the Ontario Junior in 1925 and 1926,” Stan Thompson adds. “I still play. I’m in my 70s now and I have had nowhere near the talent my father and grandfather or uncles had but the thing I and a lot of the family inherited from them was a true love of the game.”
In modern golf circles the Thompson name remains prominent thanks in large part to the Stanley Thompson Society, an organization founded in 1998 by the late Bill Newton, a cousin of Matt and Stan Thompson. It remains dedicated to the conservation of classic Thompson golf courses through education and awareness.
“My cousin Matt and I say this all the time. We wish now we had heard more stories from them when we were younger,” Stan Thompson says, “but you can’t go back. What we can do is celebrate them as part of the hierarchy of golf in Canada. As members of the family we’re pleased by the attention the Thompson family name continues to receive. I think all of them would be proud.”
This article was originally published in the Family Issue edition of Golf Canada Magazine. Click here to view the full magazine
Browse through the names of those honoured in the Canada Sports Hall of Fame and you’ll find 17 esteemed members who had careers in golf. They are all people with whom Canadian golf fans should be familiar, greats such as Marlene Streit, George Knudson, Sandra Post and Albert and Charles Murray.
But only two of those 17 were inducted as Builders instead of Athletes — Stanley Thompson, who was literally a builder of golf courses, and Jocelyne Bourassa, who was a heck of an athlete herself but has undeniably furthered women’s golf in this country as much as anyone.
Canadian golf has certainly benefitted from far more than just two “builders” over the years though. That was the inspiration behind the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame, to recognize great players but also all the contributors whose achievements didn’t include titles and trophies.
“When we look at golfers today, we forget the amateurs,” says Meggan Gardner, curator of the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame and Museum (CGHF). “We remember the big names — Tiger Woods, Mike Weir, Sandra Post — and the professionals are always recognized. But the amateurs who were too involved in having families to turn professional, or the underappreciated people within the golf industry, which includes golf course architects and writers, they don’t have a hall of fame so we need to recognize those individuals that helped make golf in Canada the great sport that it is.”
In 1966, the RCGA (now Golf Canada) took the first step towards fixing that, establishing a committee to report to the board of directors whether a hall of fame was a worthwhile endeavour. Unsurprisingly, it deemed it was, and three years later the board agreed to set up a 13-person HOF committee. They combined to draw up a constitution and began making recommendations for worthy candidates.
The Canadian Golf Hall of Fame announced its inaugural class in 1971, which included George Cumming, George S. Lyon, Ada Mackenzie, Charles Murray, Sandy Somerville and Marlene Streit. Those were the first six members of a collection that now totals 79, counting this year’s induction of Bob Vokey and Judy Darling Evans.
The Museum portion of the CGHF is a decade or two older than the Hall itself. The RCGA had always been collecting material so, in essence, had already been informally archiving its tournaments and minute books. A reference to a “Museum” being established, basically a private room at RCGA headquarters that housed important artifacts and documents, appears in notes from 1956.
The Museum’s collection has grown to be incredibly vast but it continues to evolve as well. A new website will launch this spring in order to make more items and documents available to inquiring minds. Digitization, an ongoing process, will help make resources accessible to researchers, students, the general public, or anybody who has an interest in golf history and our pioneers.
“Sport history in general is not a form of history that the academic community acknowledges,” adds Gardner. “It’s typically not taught in schools. Even though everyone in our Hall of Fame had great achievements and furthered the game, they were influential people in sports, period.”
For clarity, the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame and Museum is funded by Golf Canada but not operated or influenced by Golf Canada.
The founding and development of sport clubs has helped shape communities nationwide.
One hundred and fifty years ago, Canada transformed from a collection of provinces and territories into one unified nation. Confederation connected hundreds of communities, big and small, into a vast and diverse collective. But the thousands of municipalities that make up that mosaic each possess a unique social tie that binds us. A significant number of these social ties come with the founding and development of sport clubs.
Looking at all of the clubs established across this country is staggering. Some are even older than Canada.
It speaks to the rich tradition of sport in this country, with the longevity of the following clubs being particularly impressive:
The Montreal Men’s Curling Club founded in 1807
The Toronto Cricket Club founded in 1827
The Royal Nova Scotia Yacht Squadron founded in 1837
It is no surprise that Montreal, Toronto and Nova Scotia are home to some of the oldest sporting clubs in Canada, as they were inhabited for the longest period of time before migration moved westward. What is surprising is the growth and formation of golf clubs in very sparse locations across the country.
The first written reference of golf in North America can be found in an 1826 edition of the Montreal Herald inviting golfers to play on the Plains of Abraham. There are two important things to note when examining this reference. Firstly, that golf was being played in this country well before any clubs had been organized and, secondly, that golf was gaining popularity in Canada prior to it appearing in the United States.
Research indicates that towns were not considered civilized in a sense until an established club was founded. The purpose of the club was to play organized golf and be social venues, often with its members being leaders of their communities. Due to population sizes, most small towns could only sustain one or two types of sporting clubs, in contrast to its metropolitan counterparts such as Toronto and Montreal. Many of the golf clubs that were established at the turn of the century were rudimentary courses, yet the people used these clubs as an opportunity to develop their community.
When we think about community in the prairie provinces, we often imagine men and women with young families building a homestead. But the community of Stony Mountain, Man., was a prison town — and yes, they built a golf course in 1890. In fact, the prisoners did. The penitentiary warden, Lt.-Col. Samuel Bedson, thought it beneficial to the prisoners (in order to keep them out of trouble) for them to physically construct the nine-hole layout. The village of roughly 200 people enjoyed the course, as did other communities from far away.
Two years later the course of Virden Wellview was built, arguably because of its citizens traveling east to play golf at Stony Mountain. How important is the club to the 3,000 residents of Virden, Man.? Well, when oil was discovered on the property, the golfers simply put fences around the oil wells so that they could continue golfing.
The Stony Mountain course no longer exists but it created an important building block for golf in Manitoba, in which Virden Wellview remains the oldest active golf club.
“Many of the great clubs in our province — such as St. Charles CC or Pine Ridge — are the product of Virden Wellview growing the game from 1892,” explains Dave Comaskey, executive director of Golf Manitoba.
Nothing epitomizes the definition of community more than when its citizens come together in desperate times of need. During both world wars, many Canadian communities were decimated through lack of income or the sheer number of citizens that had enrolled to aid the war effort. From Calgary alone, over 200 golfers enlisted in 1917 leaving their families behind.
However, many golf clubs held fundraisers to support the war effort. The Canadian Ladies Golf Association, a close-knit community of female golfers from across Canada, provides the most significant example of community when the CLGA (then known as the Canadian Ladies Golf Union) established their War Service Fund from 1940-45. Every provincial branch, club and individual member raised and collected more than $82,000 from field days, club competitions, dances and raffles. That great achievement funded a Spitfire war plane.
It would be difficult to call the 1909 city of Prince Albert, Sask., the golfing epicenter of Canada yet in that same year a golf club was established so members of the community — which two years later was just over 35,000 people — could have a place to play golf and socialize. Ironically enough, this is roughly the same number of people who reside in Prince Albert today. A golf course has remained a fixture in their community for more than a century.
Prince Albert’s Ward 4 councillor Don Cody knows first-hand the importance of the Cooke Municipal Golf Club (formerly named Prince Albert GC) to the city and its citizens.
“Cooke Municipal continues to give back to its community, partly by trying to keep rates affordable for families and golfers of various skill levels,” notes Coun. Cody, who is a member of the club along with his wife.
That said, the course has still turned a profit every year and in 2017 will receive a substantial $2 million in funding for needed upgrades, namely to the irrigation system. The town’s investment not only helps secure the facility’s future but ensures various organizations can continue to use the club for fundraising efforts.
“It is that kind of thing, that community spirit, that allows the club to give back and we make it work,” he adds.
Cooke Municipal Golf Course is one of many sports clubs around the country that continuously contributes back to its community, all the while promoting the sport and ensuring its survival in Canada. History shows the great bond that clubs and members have with each other in shaping their local neighbourhoods and, in doing so, shaping the cultural and social landscape of our diverse country.
This article was originally published in the April 2017 edition of Golf Canada Magazine. Click here to view the full magazine.
Not quite 150 but turning 144 years old this year is a club in Montreal that can be considered Canadian royalty
Almost as old as Canada itself, the rich history of The Royal Montreal Golf Club can be borderline overwhelming. Just try scouring the vast archive of Canadian golf history and not stumbling across its numerous mentions. You can’t. You won’t.
The club’s lofty stature dates back to when Queen Victoria sat on the throne. Interestingly, her father, Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn, is dubbed the “Father of the Canadian Crown” for his contributions to Canada’s development, though it is partly Royal Montreal’s contributions that have been key to Canadian golf’s development.
Founded in 1873, it is regarded as the oldest golf club in North America and has both witnessed and participated in the rise of the game on this side of the Atlantic. According to the club, the individual most credited with its creation is Alexander Dennistoun.
He was an accomplished golfer in his native Scotland before becoming Royal Montreal’s first club captain and president. Dennistoun transported fond memories from St. Andrews, Royal Liverpool and Musselburgh to Fletcher’s Field, part of Montreal’s Mount Royal Park and the first of the club’s three homes. It wasn’t until 1959 that the club settled in its current location on Ile Bizard.
The initial meeting of the Montreal Golf Club — whose prefix Royal was granted by Queen Victoria in 1884 and has preserved every one of its meeting minutes since inception — included eight members, all of whom agreed an entrance fee and annual membership would cost $25 and membership would be capped at 25 members. Also, that each would adhere to the rules administered by the Royal and Ancient GC of St. Andrews.
In the years that followed, several notable members would join. Among them were Sir Alexander Galt, one of the founding fathers of Confederation; Sir William Hingston, Montreal’s mayor in the mid-1870s; and George A. Drummond, who spent time as a Quebec senator, leader of the Redpath Sugar Refinery and president of the Bank of Montreal. In 1895, when Royal Montreal was among the founding clubs that formed the Royal Canadian Golf Association, it was Drummond who was elected the inaugural president.
Before that though, Royal Montreal had already become the first Canadian club to hire a professional in 1881, doing so a decade before Royal Ottawa hired its first. As the game continued to spread and more club pros were hired, it necessitated the organization of an open tournament to determine the best player — amateur or professional — in the nation. The result was the Canadian Open, a 36-hole stroke-play event in 1904 contested at, of course, Royal Montreal.
The club has hosted nine editions of the championship since then, most recently in 2014 when Tim Clark found the winner’s circle. Pat Fletcher, Royal Montreal’s head professional from 1955-75, remains the last Canadian to have hoisted the coveted trophy.
RBC Canadian Open winners at Royal Montreal
1904 – John Oke
1908 – Albert Murray
1913 – Albert Murray
1926 – Macdonald Smith
1950 – Jim Ferrier
1975 – Tom Weiskopf
1980 – Bob Gilder
1997 – Steve Jones
2001 – Scott Verplank
2014 – Tim Clark
In 1973, for the club’s centenary, it invited and hosted foursomes from all 65 of the other Royal clubs in the world along with representatives from Golf Canada, USGA, R&A, Golf Australia and other associations.
“It’s the history and the tradition that form the architecture of Royal Montreal,” explains Denzil Palmer, the club’s general manager and secretary for 28 years.
“Every club around the world is concerned about two things: the attraction of new members and the retention of current members. People join our club and people stay at our club because of the historical significance, and there’s great pride at the club from all of its members.”
Royal Montreal’s prestige is not only heralded in Canada but in the global golf community. Its Blue Course — rated high on golf course ranking lists for years and among 45 holes on the property — was selected to host the 2007 Presidents Cup, the only Canadian venue to have drawn the event thus far. It provided an exciting backdrop all week, and few Canadian golf fans can forget homegrown hero Mike Weir outdueling Tiger Woods in a Sunday singles match.
“The PGA Tour pros who visited during the Canadian Open and the Presidents Cup all referred to the library and the leather lounge as ‘a museum to golf in North America,’” adds Palmer, referencing the significant collection of memorabilia at the club. “The original six-hole layout, for example, on Mount Royal in 1873, that ink sketch is still framed and displayed for the members. We have a lot of historical photos, drawings and other artifacts and gifts presented to the club.”
Aside from pros, Royal Montreal still participates in highly anticipated annual interclub matches between Royal Quebec Golf Club (oldest Canadian interclub match) The Country Club at Brookline (world’s oldest international club match) and others that trace back to its roots. Those competitions were the original Weir-and-Woods battles of their time, and the inspiration behind affiliating members.
Without those matches — dating back to 1876 with Royal Quebec, 1898 with Brookline — and without the passionate pioneers of a century ago that sought to open these clubs, perhaps the Canadian golf landscape would look a lot different.
This article was originally published in the April 2017 edition of Golf Canada Magazine. Click here to view the full magazine.
The annual Ontario Golf Hall of Fame ceremony was held on May 3, from Wooden Sticks Golf Course in Uxbridge. This year, four deserving inductees entered the Hall and one member of the Ontario golf media was honoured with the Lorne Rubenstein Media Award.
“I wish to extend my congratulations and those of Golf Ontario’s board members, staff and volunteers to this truly deserving group of inductees,” said Golf Ontario President John Gallinger as he welcomed those in attendance. “Whether as a Builder, Amateur or Professional, all of tonight’s inductees have shown extraordinary contributions to the game at the provincial, national or international levels.”
The evening began with the presentation of the Lorne Rubenstein Media Award, an award that recognizes major contributions to golf in Ontario and is named after Ontario Golf Hall of Famer and one of Canada’s best known golf journalists: Lorne Rubenstein. This year the award was given to Ian Hutchinson. Hutchinson’s career has spanned over 35 years and seen him cover a variety of sports. However, he eventually specialized in golf and it is because of those contributions he was named the 2017 Lorne Rubenstein Media Award winner.
“What a prestigious award to win. I said to Lorne that he set the bar for us, not only in standards of writing but in the way he conducts himself. He is always willing to talk and help out his colleagues,” said Hutchinson. “I looked at the past winners of this award and what a great lineup of golf writers to be joining!”
The first inductee to join the Hall was Oakville’s James Fraser. Fraser entered the Hall in the Builder category after an impressive career that saw him involved in numerous areas within the sport. Fraser held multiple roles around rules but also served associations provincially (in both Ontario and Quebec) along with nationally.
Fraser told the crowd about how he grew up with the game of golf and that once he started to attend events, he became interested in the rules side. Fraser followed that passion into the Hall of Fame career that he now possesses.
Port Carling ‘s Thomas McBroom also entered the Hall in the Builder category. McBroom, a well-known golf course architect has designed more than 60 courses in Canada and even more internationally. Many of his designs have been recognized on top lists nationally and internationally.
“I am obviously thrilled to be here tonight and to have so many good friends and good clients here,” said McBroom. “I thank you all for your support of the years. I have had a great career in golf and am happy to have been part of a great period where golf expanded.”
Entering in the Professional category was Sandford’s Ken Tarling. Tarling, who turned pro in 1982 captured 21 provincial titles, two national championships, a Canadian Tour win and 12 international victories in eight different countries.
Tarling thanked those in attendance for their involvement in his career and told them about how he became a professional. “Originally I wanted to be a head professional because I thought that was the life. It wasn’t until a Golf Ontario (Ontario Golf Association) camp where Ontario Golf Hall of Famer Sam Young said to me ‘I think you should try to become a tour player.’ He saw something in me and that changed my entire outlook.”
The final inductee of the evening was Stacey (West) Mahoney. Now living in Cary, North Carolina, Mahoney entered the Hall in the Amateur category. Mahoney had a tremendous junior career, which saw her win three Ontario Junior Girls’ titles, three Canadian Junior Girls Championships and the 1979 Canadian Ladies’ Amateur Championship in addition to the numerous team honours she received.
“I have been really lucky. I have been to every province in Canada, probably half of the states in the U.S., England, Australia and Fiji in my golf career on provincial and national teams,” said Mahoney.
With that the 2017 Ontario Golf Hall of Fame ceremony concluded and the inductees officially joined the other members of the Hall.
Golf Ontario would like to congratulate all of the inductees and thank all those who attended, including Golf Ontario partners who make events like the Ontario Golf Hall of Fame possible. Also, a big thank you to Wooden Sticks for their continued support in hosting the ceremony and housing the Ontario Golf Hall of Fame. Thanks as well to TSN’s Mark Zecchino for emceeing the event.
