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1867–1877: In 1873, the (Royal) Montreal Golf Club was founded, which is recognized as the oldest golf club in North America! The Royal Quebec Golf Club was founded the following year in 1874, which led to the first inter club matches in North America.
1877–1887: A few courses were found- ed in Ontario including: Brantford Golf & Country Club (1879), Niagara- on-the-Lake Golf Club (1881), and the London Hunt and Country Club (1885).
1887–1897: Canada’s first golf boom as more Canadians started golfing at legendary (and still operating) clubs such as: Perth “Links O’Tay” Golf Course (1890), Yarmouth Links (1890), Fort Macleod Golf Club (1890), Royal Ottawa Golf Club (1891), Virden Wellview Golf Club (1892), Victoria Golf Club (1893), and Toronto’s Rosedale Golf Club (1893). This boom led to the formation of the Royal Canadian Golf Association (now Golf Canada) and the first Canadian Men’s Amateur Champi- onship in 1895.
1897–1907: In 1904, the first Canadian Open Championship was held, mak- ing it the third oldest National Open championship in the world. Also in 1904, Canadian golf sensation George S. Lyon won an Olympic Gold medal for Individual Match Play (Men).
1907–1917: Canadians won 5 Canadian Opens this decade, led by Charlie Murray’s 2nd win (1911), Albert Murray’s 2 wins (1908, 1913) and Karl Keffer’s 2 wins (1909, 1914).
1917–1927: All major Canadian golf championships were cancelled from 1915 thru 1918 due to the war efforts. England’s J.D. Edgar (1919, 1920) and American Leo Diegel (1924, 1925) both won back-to-back Canadian Open Championships this decade.
The Parting Shot
15 Decades Of Golf In Canada!
66Golf Business Canada
1927–1937: The Canadian Open was dominated this decade by American Leo Diegel’s 4 championships (1924, 1925, 1928, 1929) and fellow American Tommy Armour (1927, 1930, 1934).
1937–1947: Slammin’ Sammy Snead won 3 Canadian Opens during this decade (1938, 1940, 1941) Most major Canadian golf championships were again cancelled due to war efforts.
1947–1957: In 1954, Pat Fletcher became the last Canadian golfer to win the Canadian Open at Point Grey Golf Club in Vancouver. The follow- ing year, Arnold “The King” Palmer won his first PGA title and his only Canadian Open title at Weston Golf & Country Club in Toronto.
1957–1967: Canadian George Knud- son won 4 PGA titles this decade (11 career total).
1967–1977: In 1976, Glen Abbey Golf Club was designed by Jack Nicklaus to serve as the permanent home of the Canadian Open Championship ... 29 times so far!
1977–1987: Pat Bradley won 3 du Maurier Classic Championships (soon to be renamed the Canadian Women’s Open) in 1980, 1985, 1986.
1987–1997: In 1993, the NGCOA Canada was formed by a small group of like-minded golf course owners in the Ottawa region, who saw a need to work together to grow the industry and create a group purchasing program.
1997–2007: Arguably, the most sig- nificant Canadian golf moment happened in April 2003 when the Canadian southpaw Mike Weir defied all odds to win his first (and Cana- da’s only) PGA major title at the 2003 Masters in an extra-hole playoff!
2007–2017: Canadian golf sensation Brooke Henderson won her first major on the LPGA (2016 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship). Later that year, golf returned to the Olympics, as the country cheered on our Canadian team of Brooke Henderson, Alena Sharp, Graham DeLaet and David Hearn. Lydia Ko won 3 Canadian Women’s Open Championship this decade (2012, 2013, 2015).
Happy 150th Birthday Canada!!
Reference: The information was collected from Golf Canada and the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame & Museum.