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| The Birth of St. George's Golf and Country Club | |
 | HOME SMITH: VISIONARY DEVELOPER In the late 1920s, Robert Home Smith set out to create a premier golf club to anchor his ambitious residential community along Toronto’s Humber River. At the same time, his friend Sir Edward Beatty, president of Canadian Pacific Railway, was overseeing the construction of the grand Royal York Hotel downtown. Recognizing an opportunity, Home Smith convinced Beatty that an exclusive golf course—just minutes from the hotel—would be a perfect amenity for visiting businessmen and guests. Home Smith entrusted Canada’s foremost golf course architect, Stanley Thompson, to bring the project to life. Thompson, already acclaimed for his masterful designs at Banff, Jasper, and Highlands Links, selected a dramatic stretch of Home Smith’s 2,000-acre property. He crafted a course that followed the natural contours of the land, weaving fairways through wooded valleys and along rolling hills. When it opened in 1929 as the Royal York Golf Club, it was immediately hailed as one of Canada’s finest courses. Its unique combination of strategic challenge and natural beauty cemented Thompson’s reputation and laid the foundation for a club that would soon host national championships and world-class competitors. |
| STANLEY THOMPSON: MASTER ARCHITECT OF ST. GEORGE'S Stanley Thompson (1893–1953) is widely regarded as Canada’s greatest golf course architect. A gifted player himself—once leading qualifying for the Canadian Amateur—Thompson’s true genius lay in his ability to design courses that blended seamlessly with their natural surroundings. After serving in the First World War as a lieutenant in the Canadian Field Artillery, Thompson returned home and founded Stanley Thompson & Company. Between 1920 and 1953, he designed or remodeled 145 courses across Canada, the United States, and beyond. His most celebrated works include Banff Springs, Jasper Park, Highlands Links, Capilano—and St. George’s. At St. George’s, Thompson handpicked the site from thousands of acres along the Humber River. His design made masterful use of the rolling terrain and wooded valleys, creating a course renowned for both its beauty and strategic challenge. It remains one of his finest works and a testament to his philosophy: "Nature must always be the architect’s model." In 1980, Thompson was inducted into the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame, where his legacy as a pioneer of golf course design continues to inspire. |
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Clubhouse & Course History | |
 | 1929 - LAYING THE CORNERSTONE |
| 1930 - THE CLUBHOUSE OPENS Lyon, the celebrated Canadian amateur golf champion, struck the ceremonial first ball. The clubhouse was designed as a luxurious retreat, boasting 28 overnight rooms, with rates starting at $3 per night, $15 per week, or $40 per month. In an era when many golf clubs closed for the winter, The Royal York Golf Club remained open year-round—an innovative concept at the time. The property featured Stanley Thompson’s 18-hole championship course, complemented by the nine-hole Brulé course. |  |
 | 1947 - A NEW NAME FOR A NEW ERA Following the sudden death of Home Smith in 1935, his longtime executor and partner, Godfrey Pettit, assumed control of the estate and served as President of the golf club until his passing in 1954. In 1946, the original agreement linking the golf course to the Royal York Hotel expired. The following year, in February 1947, the club was incorporated as an independent entity under a new name: St. George’s Golf and Country Club. |
| 1957 - CURLING ARRIVES & EXPANSION BENEATH ISLINGTON AVENUE In 1957, the Club expanded its offerings by adding a six-sheet curling facility complete with its own lounge, dining room, bar, locker rooms, and administrative offices. This addition ushered in a new era of year-round activity, attracting new members and broadening the Club’s appeal beyond golf. At the same time, Islington Avenue, which bordered the Club, was transformed from a two-lane road into a four-lane thoroughfare. To maintain easy access between the course and the clubhouse, a tunnel was constructed beneath the roadway. |  |
 | 1962 - THE MEMBERS PURCHASE THE CLUB In 1962, members took the extraordinary step of purchasing the Club for $2,013,200. With this acquisition, St. George’s became a member-owned club governed by a Board of Directors elected by and from the general membership, each serving a three-year term. During this period, the Club acquired an option to purchase the Brulé nine-hole course and surrounding lands. While that option was ultimately sold to a developer in 1966, member ownership ushered in a new era of stewardship and pride. |
| 2014/2015 - GREENS RESTORATION USERS IN A NEW ERA OF GOLF Following a severe winter and the devastating December 2013 ice storm, the Club embarked on an ambitious greens restoration project. In the spring of 2014, members approved the reconstruction of all 18 greens. Renowned golf architects Tom Doak and Ian Andrew led the effort, relying on historical photos, original plans, and cutting-edge technology to honor Stanley Thompson’s design while revitalizing the course for modern play. The project marked the dawn of a new era for St. George’s, balancing its celebrated heritage with a commitment to excellence and sustainability. |  |
 | 2016 - ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP RECOGNIZED In 2016, St. George’s Golf and Country Club once again earned designation as a Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary, part of an international program dedicated to environmentally responsible golf course management. First certified in 2010, the Club remains one of fewer than 1,000 courses worldwide to receive this recognition—testament to its long-standing dedication to conservation and stewardship. |
| 2018 - WHERE GOLF NEVER SLEEPS: THE INDOOR GOLF CENTRE In 2018, St. George’s made a pivotal decision to close its curling facility and repurpose the space to enhance year-round golf opportunities. The result was the creation of the state-of-the-art Indoor Golf Centre, offering members cutting-edge simulators, dedicated practice areas, and personalized instruction regardless of season. This transformation marked a renewed strategic focus—positioning St. George’s firmly as a golf-centric club and further solidifying its reputation as one of Canada’s premier golfing destinations. |  |
 | 2019 - ELEVATING PLAY WITH ADVANCED BUNKER DESIGN In 2019, St. George’s completed a comprehensive modernization of all 104 bunkers, becoming one of the first clubs in Canada to adopt the state-of-the-art Better Billy Bunker system. This project introduced advanced drainage, improved durability, and ProAngle sand for more consistent play. Enhanced bull-nosed edges, crafted with Kentucky bluegrass, provide clean lines and lasting strength. The result is a seamless blend of classic Stanley Thompson design with modern performance, elevating the bunker experience for today’s game. |
| 2022/2023 - INVESTING IN THE FUTURE OF CHAMPIONSHIP GOLF In 2022 and 2023, St. George’s embarked on an ambitious Golf Course Capital Project to enhance course conditioning, practice facilities, and water sustainability—securing the future of our world-class playing experience. This multi-phase initiative included the installation of a state-of-the-art underground water cistern and pumphouse, delivering water independence and environmental sustainability. The Practice Range was fully rebuilt using material from the cistern excavation, creating a spacious, modern facility with realistic target greens. Alongside these improvements, a new irrigation system was installed to ensure greater precision, efficiency, and long-term turf health. Select tee decks were also renovated to enhance playability and preserve the strategic brilliance of Stanley Thompson’s design. | |
