 | |
| Club information | |
|---|---|
| Location | Etobicoke, Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Established | 1929 |
| Total holes | 18 |
| Events hosted | Canadian Open |
| Designed by | Stanley Thompson |
| Par | 71 [lower-alpha 1] |
| Length | 7,025 yds (Black tees) |
| Course rating | 73.7 (Black tees) |
| Course record | 60 – Carl Pettersson (2010), Justin Rose (2022) |
St. George's Golf and Country Club (originally The Royal York Golf Club) is a golf course and country club located in Etobicoke, Toronto, Ontario, Canada in the west end neighbourhood of Islington.
The club was originally established in 1909 by Robert Home Smith from Stratford-upon-Avon, England who purchased the area of land which was located on the banks of the Humber River.[ citation needed ]
The club was built in co-ordination with the construction of the Royal York Hotel, which was being designed in downtown Toronto, with the plan being that the golf facilities would be necessary for the guests staying in the hotel. Leading the construction of the hotel was Sir Edward Wentworth Beatty, who was known to be acquainted with Smith. Leading construction of the golf course was Stanley Thompson, the leading Canadian golf course architect. At its Islington Avenue location, the course opened in 1929. 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.[ citation needed ]
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 several times in the top three of Canada and amongst the top 100 in the world [1]
St. George's has hosted the Canadian Open six times:
The course has been extended in length, to 7,025 yards, par 71 [lower-alpha 1] , to attract more Canadian Open events. While the course is universally regarded as outstanding, issues of logistics, access, and available space in a crowded neighbourhood make hosting a tournament of this magnitude somewhat problematic. Logistical steps taken to host the Open include closing the busy thoroughfare Islington Avenue before and during the tournament, using the nearby Islington Golf Club's practice facilities, shuttling the players back and forth to Islington Golf Club, limiting the number of spectators who can access the course, and starting play for the first two rounds from the 1st and 9th tees (normally it would be the 1st and 10th tees). St. George's has been announced as the host for the Canadian Open in 2022. [2]
The club has also hosted the Canadian Women's Open five times: 1975, 1978, 1980, 1982, and 1984. The course was also the host venue for golf of the 2017 Invictus Games.[ citation needed ]
The 2020 RBC Canadian Open tournament, which had been scheduled at the club, was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario. [3] After a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Canadian Open returned in 2022.[ citation needed ]
In 2020, members of the golf club voted to discontinue curling operations at St. George's, citing that curling was "no longer a good fit for golf". [4] Since then, the curling space has been replaced by an indoor golf facility and pickle ball court.[ citation needed ]
Etobicoke is an administrative district and former city within Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Comprising the city's west-end, Etobicoke is bordered on the south by Lake Ontario, on the east by the Humber River, on the west by Etobicoke Creek, the cities of Brampton, and Mississauga, the Toronto Pearson International Airport, and on the north by the city of Vaughan at Steeles Avenue West.
The Canadian Open is a professional golf tournament in Canada. It is co-organized by Golf Canada and the PGA Tour. It was first played 119 years ago in 1904, and has been held annually since then, except for during World War I, World War II and the COVID-19 pandemic. It is the third oldest continuously running tournament on the tour, after The Open Championship and the U.S. Open.
Etobicoke Collegiate Institute, previously known as Etobicoke High School is a high school in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located in the Islington neighbourhood of the former suburb of Etobicoke. It is overseen by the Toronto District School Board. The school was founded in 1928 and was part of the former Etobicoke Board of Education until 1998.
Humber Valley Village is a neighbourhood located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is within the former suburb of Etobicoke and includes some of the most expensive real estate in the metropolitan west end. The boundaries are from Dundas Street on the south to Islington Avenue to the west, Eglinton Avenue to the north, and the Humber River in the east. The neighbourhood is in the political riding of Etobicoke Centre.
Islington-City Centre West is a commercial and residential neighbourhood in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. One of four central business districts outside Downtown Toronto, it is bounded by Rathburn Road to the north, Islington Avenue to the east, Bloor Street to the south, Mimico Creek to the west.
Hamilton Golf and Country Club is located in Ancaster, Ontario.
Stanley Thompson was a Canadian golf course architect, and a high-standard amateur golfer. He was a co-founder of the American Society of Golf Course Architects.
The Toronto Golf Club is a private golf club in Mississauga, Ontario, a suburban municipality to the west of Toronto. Established in Toronto in 1876, it is the third-oldest golf club in North America, after the Royal Montreal Golf Club and the Royal Quebec Golf Club. The Toronto Golf Club adopted its current name in 1909 and moved to its present location in 1913. The Club has hosted the Canadian Open five times and the Canadian Amateur Championship nine times, more than any other club.
The Lambton Golf and Country Club is a private golf and tennis club in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The golf club was established by Albert William Austin in 1902. The golf club is presently members with Golf Canada, and the United States Golf Association., and has hosted a number of competitions including the Canadian Open, and the Canadian Amateur Championship.
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