Tuesday, December 28, 2021
Hello everyone,
 
Welcome to the third and final edition of “I LAMBTON” for 2021. As the Club continues to grow and evolve, the focus of this newsletter is to share some of our rich history and traditions with all members.
 
In this issue we highlight the many golf course architects who have left an imprint to varying degrees on the evolution of our golf courses over nearly 120 years. What a tale it is and what a list of famous architects we have as the caretakers and visionaries for this wonderful property.
 
We start with the past and take a step back in time to learn more about Willie Dunn Jr. who is credited with the original layout of the 27 holes at Lambton G&CC. We also acknowledge the others, Tom Bendelow, Donald Ross, Stanley Thompson, Robbie Robinson and Graham Cooke and will focus on their contributions in future articles.
 
For the second article I interviewed our current golf course architect, Rees Jones and his associate Bryce Swanson for a discussion about their continuing work at Lambton and where Lambton fits into the GTA’s golf landscape. I hope you enjoy both these stories for a better understanding of Lambton’s past and present.

If you have any story ideas or other suggestions, please feel free to contact me at – blong@lambtongolf.com.

If you have other comments about ‘I LAMBTON’ please contact Peter Holt, General Manager/COO – pholt@lambtongolf.com.

I hope you enjoy the read.

Sincerely,

Brent Long
Editor, I LAMBTON
Willie Dunn Jr., Tom Bendelow, Donald Ross, Stanley Thompson, Robbie Robinson, and Graham Cooke.
The modern game of golf has come a long way since its popularity began to spread into Canada and the United States at the turn of the 20th Century.

Golf course architecture was not an exact science when Albert Austin incorporated Lambton Golf and Country Club on July 16,1902. As his wealth as president of the Dominion Bank, Consumer’s Gas and the Canada Northwest Land Company increased, so did Albert’s passion for golf. When the Club’s Founder and President decided to create Lambton, there were fewer than 20 golf courses in Canada and only a handful of clubs in the Toronto area. The course and clubhouse had its Grand Opening on June 13, 1903.

Austin had some experience building a golf course, having laid out what was described
as the “makeshift” 18-hole Spadina Golf Club on his estate, at Spadina House, in 1901 for family and friends to play. At Lambton, he was looking to develop a championship layout, worthy of being considered among the top courses in the country.
Rees Jones Leaves His Mark
Rees Jones believes the course is ready to take its place among the best in the Greater Toronto Area.
In so many ways, the world was not ready for the COVID-19 pandemic, but as we creep out of its grasp the future is looking bright for Lambton Golf and Country Club. While the pandemic has been harsh on so many, it has also taught us so much over the past 20 months and changed the way so many of us live our lives and how we view the world, especially our little piece of it.

It also created a golf boom that few would have ever predicted, and in the same breath has given new life into an industry that had been struggling over the past decade to fill tee times and attract new players/members.

“On the positive side, the pandemic has introduced so many people to the game of golf and that’s quite remarkable,” says golf course architect Rees Jones, whose career of designing and renovating more than 250 golf courses has spanned six decades. “There was very little to do close to home, people couldn’t travel, but they quickly figured out they could play golf with their friends outdoors and safe."