HISTORY

The history of our Club dates back to October 24th,1894 when the newly formed, unincorporated Hamilton Golf Club held its opening match on a twelve hole, links style course on grounds belonging to The Central Fair, Agricultural and Industrial Company at the corner of Barton and Ottawa Streets in Hamilton, adjoining the former Hamilton Jockey Club property.

In the spring of 1896, the Club moved to a new 9 hole course (later expanded to 18 holes) that was laid out on a property known as Paradise Farm located on the south side of Aberdeen Avenue in Hamilton. A clubhouse was built the following year. In October 1899, the lady members organized their own club as a section within The Hamilton Golf Club.

The Hamilton Golf and Country Club, Limited, today's Club, was incorporated in June 1906. A year later, it purchased the Paradise Farm for $12,000 and then leased the golf course to the Hamilton Golf Club until 1912, at which time the two clubs amalgamated and the original Hamilton Golf Club ceased to exist. 

Increasing property taxes and member dissatisfaction with the course prompted the Directors  in 1912 to begin a search for a new location and eventually in January 1914 the Club purchased the 200 acre Grange farm in Ancaster from Mrs. Margaret Bevan for $40,000. It  retained H.S. (Harry) Colt of England to lay out a new course on the Ancaster property. Mr. Colt had already designed a number of courses in the United Kingdom including the new Eden course at St. Andrews, and had served as the architect for the Toronto Golf Club course in
1911-1912.

Colt visited Ancaster in May 1914 and designed the course for a fee of 300 guineas (about $1,533). The work of clearing the grounds and laying out the holes began immediately under the direction of Course Superintendent, John Sutherland, and the seeding was completed by the fall. The planting of what would become many thousands of trees and shrubs was also started. The total cost of the project over the years 1914-1917, including that of the land, was $108,000.

The course was opened for play for one month in late 1915, and the formal opening was held on June 1, 1916.  The remodelled farmhouse was to serve as the clubhouse until 1929 when the present one was opened by J.J. Morrison, one of the founders and early Presidents of the original Club and an Honorary Life Member. The Aberdeen Avenue course was sold by the Club in 1924 to the City of Hamilton for $90,000 and was developed into the present municipal Chedoke Golf Club.

The years 1919-1939 were golden ones for the Club. In 1919, the Ancaster course hosted the 2nd international match between the leading amateur golfers of the United States and Canada. This saw such Americans as Chick Evans, Bobby Jones and Francis Ouimet competing against the likes of Canada's George Lyon, William McLuckie and Hamilton's own, Fritz Martin. The Canadian Open was held the following week and the winner, Douglas Edgar from Atlanta, set a new course record of 66. This was to be eclipsed by Tommy Armour's 64 recorded a decade or so later when the Open returned in 1930. The Ladies' Canadian Open title was competed for over the Ancaster course in 1920, 1924, and 1929.  The winners were Alexa Stirling, Glenna Collett and Helen Hicks respectively.   

In 1928, acting on earlier advice that it had received from Colt's partner, Hugh Alison, who had visited and advised on the course in 1920, the Board purchased 119 acres located east of the 14th and 15th holes (now numbers 5 and 6 of the South Nine) for the sum of $15,000. This land was planted in trees and almost a half century later, 75 of the acres were developed by the Club as its new East nine, with C.E. (Robbie) Robinson as the architect.  

Construction on the new nine commenced during November 1973 and was completed in September 1974 at a cost of $320,000. To accommodate the new nine, changes had to be made to the existing 9 hole short course and to the 15th and 16th holes of the old course. Club President, Glen Chambers and the "New Nine" Committee Chairman, Jim Firth, officially opened the "East Nine" on August 2, 1975.

Subsequently, for playing purposes, the Club's 27 holes were designated as the West Nine (the original holes 1 to 9), the South Nine (the original holes 10 to 18) and the East Nine. They are played in three rotations, W-S, S-E and E-W.  With the exception of the changes made to the old 15th and 16th holes noted above, and changes in the locations of the greens on the 4th and 13th holes, the original course (now W-S) remains basically the same as that laid out by Colt.

The sale in 1984 of some 22 acres adjoining the East Nine allowed the Club to both discharge the debt incurred in building the new nine and to fund a major renovation of the clubhouse and the installation of a new automated irrigation system on the course.

The 1990's witnessed several significant events at the Club. In 1991 Warren Sye, in winning the Ontario Men's Amateur Championship, established a new course record of 62 for the W-S course breaking the old mark of 64 established by Armour in 1930 and tied by Jim Nelford in 1977. In 1994, the Club celebrated its centennial and the activities included the publication of an account of its history, One Hundred Years of Golf by Les King, and the hosting for the sixth time of the Canadian Men's Amateur Championship. The Club was the venue in 1996 for the Du Maurier Championship, an event on the P.G.A. Senior Tour, in which Charles Coody triumphed. In winning the 1999 Club Championship, Matt Ion not only shattered the record for the three round event with an 11 under par total, but also established a new record of 65 for the S-E course. 

The Club hosted the Bell Canadian Open in 2003. The winner was Bob Tway in a playoff with Brad Faxon. The course and the Club received rave reviews from players, media and fans.  In 2004, the Club hosted the Canada-Ireland Junior Challenge.  The challenge was won by Ireland.  The Club hosted the Canadian Open for a fourth time in 2006.  The winner was Jim Furyk and the runner-up was Bart Bryant.

The Club currently has over 1200 members of whom nearly three quarters are golfing members. The current Club Professional is David Miller who was also an Assistant Professional at the Club from 1991 to 1995.  He is only the sixth person to hold this position since 1912. Nicol Thompson served from 1912 until his retirement in 1945.  He was succeeded by Dick Borthwick who retired in 1974. Ken Steeves served from 1975 until his untimely passing in 1980. Gary Maue held the post from 1981 to 1989 and Rob McDannold was the Head Golf Professional from 1989 until 2007.

Golf Course Superintendent, Rhod Trainor joined the Club in 1990.  The Chief Operating Officer, George Pinches was appointed in October 2003 replacing John Mickle, our longest serving General Manager, who retired in 2003.