2024 Hall of Fame Celebration Announced
Written by Taylor Tracey
(Herb Black and Munro Hunter in the final match of the 1919 Men’s Amateur)
The Alberta Golf Hall of Fame is proud to announce their 2024 Hall of Fame inductees, who will all be inducted into a new category of the Hall of Fame, known as the Pioneers.
The category of Pioneers was created this year specifically for this group of Inductees to honour their accomplishments and ensure they were properly recognized at the same level as the rest of the Hall of Fame members.
The Pioneer Clubs are the Calgary Golf & Country Club, Edmonton Country Club, Calgary St. Andrews Golf Club, Lethbridge Country Club, and Fort Macleod Golf Club. These five clubs were some of the first golf clubs in the province, and in October 1911 came together for a meeting where the idea of a provincial sport organization was created. A year later the Alberta Golf Association was created with the focus of providing amateur championships for the players. These five clubs are the true founders of the Alberta Golf Association.
The Pioneer Players being inducted are Janet Sparrow, Irene Horne, Mrs. J. Train Gray, Patricia Arnold, Charlie Hague, J. Munroe Hunter, Carson MacWilliams, Stu Vickers, Jim Hogan, and Fred Wells. Many of these players are the inaugural champions of the Men’s Amateur, Women’s Amateur, the U19 (Junior) Championship, and the Senior Championships. While many of these names have been long forgotten, they are the ones who paved the way for the future of the game.
The Pioneer Distinguished Service Award Builders are William Brinkworth, Tom Scott, Bill Broadfoot, and Stanley Thompson. These four men helped build the game in Alberta from behind the scenes in a variety of ways. Some were architects who helped created many of the courses still played to this day, while some were the early administrators within the Alberta Golf Association ensuring the game continued to grow in the early days.
The Pioneers will be celebrated for their long overdue achievements on October 30th with a special event held at the Calgary Golf & Country Club. Invitations have been sent to the guests already.
(Edward VIII, the Prince of Wales, plays nine holes with his entourage at Fort Macleod Golf Club in 1924.)
About the Inductees
Much is unknown about our inductees given the lack of information from that time, with many of the original Alberta Golf records and books being lost in the shuffle between clubs until Alberta Golf had its first permanent home which didn’t come until the 1970’s.
Janet Sparrow – Calgary Golf & Country Club
1913 Alberta Women’s Amateur Champion
Irene Horne – Calgary Golf & Country Club, Edmonton Country Club
1929,1930,1932-34, and 1937 Alberta Women’s Amateur Champion
1935 Canadian Women’s Amateur Champion
Mrs. J Train Gray – Calgary Golf & Country Club
1935-36 Alberta Women’s Amateur Champion
Patricia Arnold – Calgary Golf & Country Club
1938-39, 1946-49 Alberta Women’s Amateur Champion
6-time interprovincial team member
Charlie Hague – Calgary Golf & Country Club
1908,1910,1912 Alberta Men’s Amateur Champion
1921 Canadian Men’s Amateur Runner-Up
Munro Hunter – Edmonton Country Club
1913,1914, 1919, 1920 Alberta Men’s Amateur Champion
Carson MacWilliams – Earl Grey Golf Club
1923, 1925, 1926 Alberta Men’s Amateur Champion
Stu Vickers – Elks Golf Club of Calgary (The Winston Golf Club)
1932,1933,1935 Alberta Men’s Amateur Champion
1933-36, 1951 Willingdon Cup Team Member
Jim Hogan – Jasper Park Lodge
1938 Inaugural Alberta Junior Champion
Fred Wells – Earl Grey Golf Club
1946 (inaugural), 1947, 1949 Alberta Men’s Senior Champion
William Brinkworth – Edmonton Country Club, Glendale Golf & Country Club
Course Designer and Course Builder
Dr. Bill Broadfoot – Royal Mayfair Golf & Country Club
Alberta Golf Secretary-Treasurer 1935-45, first golf course turf consultant
Tom Scott
Presided over the Eaton’s Rose Bowl Matches starting in 1937
Alberta Golf Secretary-Treasurer 1948-1951
Stanley Thompson
Designed Banff Springs Golf Club, Edmonton Country Club, Jasper Park Lodge, Lethbridge Country Club, Royal Mayfair Golf & Country Club, and Waterton Park Golf Course
For more information about the founding clubs and their histories, please visit the following websites:
(Patricia Arnold, Alberta Golf Pioneer Player)
About the HOF
The Alberta Golf Hall of Fame honours the legacies of the men and women who have made a difference to the game of golf in Alberta, both the competitors and the builders who have helped change and grow the game in our province. The Hall of Fame has its own website where people can learn more about these people and the rich history of golf in Alberta. For more information, please visit https://www.albertagolfheritage.org
