St. George's Golf and Country Club
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| St. George's Golf and Country Club | |
| Club Information | |
|---|---|
| Location: | Islington, Toronto, Canada |
| Established: | 1929 |
| Total holes: | 18 |
| Designed by: | Stanley Thompson |
| Course Rating: | 73.7 (Black tees) |
St. George's Golf and Country Club (originally The Royal York Golf Club) is a golf course and country club located in the Toronto neighbourhood of Islington. The club was established originally in 1909 by Robert Home Smith from Stratford-upon-Avon, England who originally purchased the area of land which was located on the banks of the Humber River.
The club was built in co-ordination with the construction of the Royal York Hotel was being designed in the area and that the golfing facilities would be necessary for the guests staying in the hotel; leading the construction of the hotel opposite the country club was Sir Edward Wentworth Beatty, who was known to be acquainted with Smith. Leading construction of the country club was Stanley Thompson, a Canadian golf course/country club architect. The course, under the Royal York name, hosted the Canadian Open in 1933. However, in 1935 Smith died, and his executor trustee Godfrey S. Pettit, became president of the club.
In 1946 the name of the country club was changed from The Royal York Golf Club to St. George's Golf and Country Club as a result of the financial arrangement with the Canadian Pacific Railway (of which Beatty was president) ending. The club has been rated as in the top three of Canada and amongst the top 100 in the world[1]
St. George's has hosted the Canadian Open four times:
- 1933, won by Joe Kirkwood
- 1949, won by E. J. Harrison
- 1960, won by Art Wall, Jr.
- 1968, won by Bob Charles
In recent years, the club has extended its length, to 7,025 yards, par 71, with the hope of attracting the Canadian Open once more. While the course is universally regarded as outstanding, issues of logistics, access, and available space in a crowded neighbourhood may make hosting a tournament of this magnitude somewhat problematic.
[edit] References
- St. George's Golf and Country Club: Information Retrieved on July 18, 2007
