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2024 Hall of Fame Celebration Announced

Written by Taylor Tracey

(H.M. Stratton 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:

Calgary Golf & Country Club

Edmonton Country Club

Lethbridge Country Club

Fort Macleod Golf Club

Calgary St. Andrews Golf Club

(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

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