London Hunt & Country Club

London Hunt Prepares To Welcome World

Courtesy of Jeffrey Reed
The Londoner

You can’t blame London Hunt and Country Club head golf professional Tim McKeiver for boasting about the club’s amenities – especially this year, when the golf course (one of Canada’s most revered) suffered devastating winter damage to its greens.

But all is forgotten now as London Hunt – in tip-top shape – puts final touches on its preparation for the CP Women’s Open August 18-24.

“If you picked up this course and put it in Toronto, I don’t know what it would cost to join,” said McKeiver of higher costs associated with clubs in the GTA. “It’s very unique.”

That is an understatement. With origins dating back to 1843, London Hunt was formally organized in 1885. Early locations on Western Road, and later at the corner of Richmond Street and Windermere Road, gave way in 1959 to the club’s current home on Oxford Street West.

London Hunt’s 18-Hole, 7,200-yard championship golf course (est. 1960), designed by renowned golf course architect Robert Trent Jones, and renovated in 1999 and 2000 by his son, Rees Jones, one of today's leading golf course designers, is steeped in history. Among its past championships, London Hunt has hosted The Americas Cup Match (1954), Canadian Ladies’ Open Championship (1953, 1980), Shell’s Wonderful World of Golf (1968), Canadian Open Championship (1970) and the Canadian Professional Golfers Association Championship (1985).

More recently, London Hunt hosted the du Maurier Ltd. Classic (1993), captured by American Brandie Burton; CN Canadian Women’s Open (2006) won by American Cristie Kerr; and Canadian Men's Amateur (2010) won by Canadian Albin Choi.

In 1993, Burton’s four-round total of 277 (-11) from 6,331 yards put her in a playoff with fellow American Betsy King. Burton’s 20-foot birdie putt in heavy rain at the first playoff hole at No. 18 gave her the win.

In 2006, Kerr shot a final-round 7-under 65 to come from eight shots off the lead, beating fellow American Angela Stanford by one stroke.

“I remember the crowds, and the momentum I had on Sunday. It was a really special experience for me,” remembered Kerr. “Of all the courses in Canada, I actually still think that London Hunt Club is my favourite – the setup, how the full of the course builds, different holes. No two holes are alike. And it keeps you very interested.”

If ever there was a year when London Hunt needed immaculate turf conditions, 2014 is it. However, a long winter of bitter cold temperatures and extended ice coverage, plus an unseasonably-cold and delayed spring saw vulnerable Poa annua greens suffer devastating winter kill, with anywhere from 40% to 90% damage.

In June, London Hunt general manager Jon Nusink said the aggressive yet patient greens recovery plan was “a big expense. Golfers are anxious to get on the greens, but they need to be in perfect condition for the tournament in August.

“We hadn’t had a winter like this last one in 40 years,” added Nusink. “No one expected that sort of ice coverage. But the silver lining is, our greens are going to be in the best shape in decades.”

McKeiver has now declared the greens to be at “100 per cent” and said he can’t wait until the new crop of LPGA Tour stars again call London Hunt home for a week.

“Someone’s going to shoot 64 or 65. They always do,” said McKeiver. This year, the course will play at 6,656 yards.

Immediately following the CP event, the existing 43,000-square-foot clubhouse at London Hunt will see 18,000 square feet of space added plus a 4,200-square-foot patio built overlooking No. 9 green and fairway. The additions will include a new casual restaurant, state-of-the-art fitness centre and expanded kitchens and banquet areas. Construction is slated for summer 2015 completion.