Canadian Golf Hall of Fame
The Canadian Golf Hall of Fame, located in the Leonard E. Shore Building on the grounds of the renowned Glen Abbey Golf Club, is dedicated to celebrating how we played the game.
Just about 20 minutes west of Canada’s largest city, the museum is open year round for visitors to explore the development of golf in Canada and around the world.
Found in the headquarters of the Royal Canadian Golf Association, the exhibit space is just over 5500 square feet. The museum collection was started in the 1950s by the Association but first found a home in 1975. The Leonard E. Shore Building was erected in 1996, and renovated and expanded in 2003.
Visitors to the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame first enter the facility though the Honoured Members Gallery and trophy room. As of 2006, there are 60 individuals whose contributions to the game, players, administrators and other contributors, are recognized with classic pencil drawings around the walls. Items pertaining to their careers are displayed in recessed cases on the south wall, including Marlene Stewart Streit’s golf bag from her victory at the 1953 British Ladies’ Championship and a bronze of the legendary Moe Norman’s hands.
In the centre of the gallery the four most prestigious trophies of Canadian golf are displayed. The Earl Grey Trophy was first played for in 1908 (replacing the original Canadian Amateur Trophy presented in 1895 and given to Hall of Famer George S. Lyon upon his third consecutive victory in 1907). The Duchess of Connaught Trophy has been presented to the winner of the Canadian Ladies’ Amateur since 1914. The Bell Canadian Open Trophy is the fourth trophy to be played for at the century old championship. The Canadian Women’s Open trophy is the most recent - first played for in 2001 when the (now CN) Canadian Women’s Open took over as the LPGA event in Canada from the du Maurier Classic. Many remarkable names are found on these trophies from Tommy Armour and Walter Hagen to Annika Sorenstam and Tiger Woods.
A putting green, encircled by hand painted images of Canadian golf courses from coast to coast, has been installed with replica equipment to allow visitors to try their hand with feathery balls and Cossar replica putters, on a green stimped to the 1800s. Other activities that can be pursued in this area are making a sand tee, testing the stimp of a green and checking out the first golf carts.
The front nine of the course focuses on the history and development of the game, within the context of industrial and societal developments. From the origins of golf, to its arrival in Canada - equipment manufacturing to golf course architecture and maintenance - the small but detailed exhibits feature a wide variety of artifacts and special items from the game’s history.
At “the turn” a very special exhibit has been installed - a hitting area that challenges you to play in the first Canadian Amateur Championship (1895) including long noses and gutty balls.
Along with this area is an exhibit featuring the history of instruction from the first written word to today’s physical and A/V aids.
The back nine focuses more directly on the champions and championships of Canadian Golf. The Olympic Trophy, presented in 1904 at the St. Louis games is one of the finest examples of golf silverware in golf. A wide variety of artifacts showcase the items related to champions from a pair of women’s golf shoes from the 1890s to Nick Price’s shoes from 1994 Open.
Our small gift shop features items developed from the collections - such as The Galloping Golf Game and a Silver Quaiche replicated from the 1904 Canadian amateur championship, as well as reproduction photographs from the collection and the usual clothing and a selection of golf books.
The final stop on the tour is the Club House. Designed to capture the social sense of the game the clubhouse features games (such as pool table golf), the handicapping system and club house architecture. We also feature revolving golf art exhibits from local artists.
Visiting the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame isn’t quite the same as actually getting out on the course - but visiting will make your next game better! The RCGA also maintains an extensive archive of golf images and film, as well as books and the documentary history of the game.
