St. George's Golf and Country Club

Infobox_Golf_Facility
golf_facility_name = St. George's Golf and Country Club


location = Islington, Toronto, Canada
establishment = 1929
designer1 = Stanley Thompson
par = 71
holes = 18
length = 7,025 yds (Black tees)
rating1 = 73.7 (Black tees)
tournaments =
record = 64: G.Knudson (1968)

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 [ [http://www.stgeorges.org/index.cfm?ID=70 The top three in Canada, amongst the top 100 in the world] Retrieved on July 18 2007]

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. However, the Royal Canadian Golf Association announced on June 26, 2008 that the club would host the 2010 Canadian Open. ["The Globe and Mail", June 26, 2008.]

References

* [http://www.stgeorges.org/index.cfm?ID=70 St. George's Golf and Country Club: Information] Retrieved on July 18 2007