Toronto Golf Club (Harry Colt, 1912) -- Brief Walkthrough

[Andrew Harvie]

I realized there wasn't anything about Toronto Golf Club on this board, a wonderful 1912 Colt with later revisions from Alison. Martin Hawtree in 2009 mostly restored the golf course, and made a couple judgement calls but we'll get into that. Figured I'd post something here since it's criminally underrated and overlooked in North America!


Hole 1: 370 yards, par 4 "First"


The original Colt hole played over this land, but Hawtree and co. bunkered the fairway and turned it into a slight dogleg left. It's a warm opener that lets the golfer ease into the round. A fun part, the opening tee shot is mere steps from the pro shop on the left. There's also no tee times at Toronto Golf Club. If you're a member, you show up and play (very rare in Canada).


Opening tee ball:





The approach from the landing area is below. Hawtree added the bunker on the right and a bunker on the back left. Colt's green had a single bunker short left.





Hole 2: 401 yards, par 4 "North"


A relatively gentle opener transitions to a slightly more difficult second hole, which is longer and more narrow. Three bunkers are staggered in the landing area.





The approach plays to a green re-built by Howard Watson. To be honest, I'm not sure exactly when that happened. I imagine in the 50s or 60s. It's a bit out of character with the rest of the course, but not really offensive. Other than the actual putting surface, the hole is fairly close to what Colt built here.





Hole 3: 467 yards, par 4 "Boundary"


We're into the meat of the golf course now. 467 yards, the 3rd is an animal par 4, with a sea of bunkers in the fairway that really messed with me the first time I played. They're fairly low lying too. You cannot pick the yardages up with a Bushnell, so it's good 'ol fashioned fun.





Walking up the fairway, you can see the bunkering scattered in the fairway:





They absolutely come into play, and particularly the bunker left and the right one. Here's the approach to a difficult green with a healthy amount of movement:





Hole 4: 190 yards "Colt"


A great par 3, yet almost odd it's classified as a "redan." The green slopes away from the player, but there's no real kicker slope and it doesn't move to the back left. Nonetheless, a strong, natural par 3.





It's a pretty difficult par 3 because you know the green slopes directly away from you, and yet short is treacherous. There's a very small little portion to land the ball on if it's firm, which it usually is at TGC.





The non-existent kicker slope actually directs balls away from the green!





Hole 5: 476 yards, par 4 "Pines Out"


Perhaps the most difficult two shotter in Toronto, alongside with the sublime 2nd at St. George's, the 5th at Toronto is a monster par 4, starting out with a tee shot through a chute of trees. Colt's hole originally had two bunkers in the landing area that would've been the same yardage to carry. Hawtree did not restore these, perhaps given how hard the hole already is he felt it would be overkill.





The approach shot is one of the more difficult long irons required to hit, and I think shows that Colt may have been a bit of a masochist! Benched onto a knob, the golfer is asked for an aerial shot all the way to the green, which is surrounded by five menacing bunkers.





Admittedly, I didn't take photos of the green contours too much. On my return trip I'll make sure I do. Pace of play is incredibly fast here, and I didn't want to hold up anyone by snapping a few photos! The 5th is divided by a gentle ridge in the middle which makes back pins even harder to get to.


Hole 6: 377 yards, par 4 "Barn"

Upon arrival at Toronto Golf Club, the entrance road weaves through the property, giving you a glimpse of half the golf course, but none more revealing than the 6th, which plays alongside the entrance drive on the left. Yet again, bunkering is staggered off the tee, with the two on the left 230 to carry, the one on the right 286 to fly, and the one in the background on the left 318 to get to.





The approach shot is brilliant, with that same bunker that's 318 yards off the tee hiding the front portion for anything left of the right side of the fairway.

[Andrew Harvie]

What a mess. How do I resize photos so I can properly post this

[Brian Ross]

Drew, go to Modify your post. Click the pointer icon with brackets on each side (top right on the toolbar).

For each image, you'll see (img) image link (/img) except the ( are [.

Change the code on the front end inside the brackets to img width=800

[Andrew Harvie]

Drew, go to Modify your post. Click the pointer icon with brackets on each side (top right on the toolbar).

For each image, you'll see (img) image link (/img) except the ( are [.

Change the code on the front end inside the brackets to img width=800

Thanks Brian! That fixed it.


I'll post the other 12 holes here momentarily. I didn't know it'd cut me off

[Brian Ross]

Thanks Brian! That fixed it.

I'll post the other 12 holes here momentarily. I didn't know it'd cut me off

No problem! I really enjoyed my one visit to TGC back in 2012 and look forward to seeing the rest of your tour.

[Andrew Harvie]

Hole 7: 221 yards, par 3 "Plateau"


Hole 7 is a pretty mean golf hole, and one that requires all carry. There is a bail out short and left which isn't awful. The bunker short left awaits the weak stomach, while the bunker long right was added by Hawtree. The steps you see cut into the hillside were also added by Hawtree. Colt's hole fell way down into the valley. I imagine his hands were a bit tied here, as Colt's version was probably too extreme for some of the elderly members who likely campaigned hard to not lose balls here anymore.





From the bail out area left, you can see the green complex. This is also the angle the front tee box plays from:




Hole 8: 406 yards, par 4 "Meadow"


This is likely the hole Hawtree modified most. The echelon bunkers in the fairway are not Colt's, and really makes this tee shot difficult and frankly, a bit awkward. Two bunkers on the left are 212 to fly, while the bunkering over the furthest right line is 234 to fly. To get over all the bunkers, a modest poke of 256 yards is asked from the back tees. Complicating the tee shot, a gorge on the inside corner of this dogleg right also sits in the landing area, which is only 284 yards to get to off the tee on the inside line.





You can see the valley on the right side of the hole below:





On Colt's 8th hole, there was only one bunker left and one right that looked like trench bunkers from the old aerials. Hawtree split these up into two smaller bunkers left, and three smaller bunkers right.





Hole 9: 452 yards, par 4 "Valley"


I imagine Colt laughed or smirked when he saw the land the 9th hole currently plays over, because it looks as if golf was meant to be played here! A stream running up the left cuts through the fairway at 304 yards from the back deck, while the bottom of the valley is a perfect width for a fairway.





After the meandering creek crosses the fairway, it hugs the righthand side of the hole until the green. Two bunkers help defend the hole as well, with one left and one right. This is a brilliant hole!





Looking back through the valley, with a look at the classy flagsticks at TGC:





Hole 10: 380 yards, par 4 "Pulpit"


A wonderful middle to short length par 4, the hole's shape is almost an S, with the tee shot working left and the tee shot straightening out, if working back to the right a little. Two bunkers await in the fairway, with the left one screaming to be hit into.





The tee shot drops into the valley, while the approach gently climbs out of it. The green complex features a pretty good false front on the front third of the green. Getting it above that is paramount!





Hole 11: 426 yards, par 4 "Clubhouse"


Heading directly back to the tee on 10, the 11th is a slightly longer par 4 playing over similar land. The tee shot is sneaky tight, accentuated by the bunker on the right, which will come into play for most.





The approach shot plays over the stream that the golfer flirted with on the 9th (it shouldn't come into play though), and back up to the hill the 10th fell off of. A single bunker left hides the front left portion of the green. Of course, the green site selection here into the hillside is brilliant. It's worth noting that Hawtree moved Colt's bunker from the front right to the front left. You also get a wonderful look at the clubhouse in behind.





Hole 12: 390 yards, par 4 "South"

Steps from the clubhouse patio, which is full on a nice warm day, the tee shot on 12 plays alongside the perimeter on the left. To a split fairway divided by a single bunker on the left, the golfer chooses the harder tee shot on the right, or the harder approach from the left.





Below, you can see the ridge dividing the hole into the upper and lower levels. While not a huge difference, and certainly not as aggressive as the valley on the right side of 8 or the fall off around 3 green, it's enough to add a bit of interest, and especially for a middle handicapper from the left coming up and over the bunker short left.





From the upper fairway on the right, the green complex is approachable. A very subtle false front is tough to see from the fairway.

[Tim Gallant]

Drew,


Great write-up! Can't wait to see the rest of the holes.

[Andrew Harvie]

Hole 13: 556 yards, par 5 "High Hole"


It took us 13 holes to get to a par 5, which is pretty odd, but with the variety of par 4's in the first 12, you really don't notice it. A strong par 5 here as well, one bunker left and right make this a demanding tee ball.





For the shorter hitters, your second shot will likely be entirely blind coming up the hill. Big hitters can potentially get it enough up the hill for a bit of a sneak peak. I didn't snap a picture from the bottom, so here's a view from the top of the hill.





The last 50 or so yards of this hole are actually Charles Alison's doing, with the bunkers and green complex pushed back and re-built when Alison was hanging around Toronto in the early 20's. It's a good green, but I think if someone knew Alison vs Colt's style, they'd be able to tell the difference.





Hole 14: 175 yards, par 3 "Hawtree"


I'm not really sure why this hole is called Hawtree, and it's honestly a bit disrespectful considering it's an Alison hole! Nonetheless, it's an attractive hole, with three bunkers short staggered to the right, two bunkers left, and a single bunker left.





A closer look at the green surrounds:





Hole 15: 463 yards, par 4 "Pines In"


A stout golf hole, this dogleg right's tee shot is particularly demanding, with two bunkers cutting off the golfer at around 290 yards on both the left or right.
 



The green complex is heavily bunkered, demanding a good long iron. One of the gentlemen who helped Hawtree with this hole told me they moved the green up 35 yards to accommodate the new 6th tee and pushed the tee back. They scanned the green to replicate the Colt contours. Pretty cool!





A closer look at the green surrounds, with a slight bail out short left. The green severely slopes to the front.




Hole 16: 516 yards, par 5 "Long"


The name "Long" comes from pre-Alison days when this would've been the longest hole on the golf course. The second par 5 is a good birdie opportunity if avoiding the echelon bunkers Hawtree built (not Colt original). They start at about 200 yards off the tee, and to get over all of them it's a 248 yards. To make the tee shot even more complicated, for those who can get over the bunkers, the gully comes into play at 310 yards, which is reachable for more people than you'd think with how firm TGC can play.


To be honest, the echelon bunkers are a bit weird here. Colt had two bunkers before the fairway, and one left that looked like a Sour Key candy. Here's an old aerial:

http://jpeg2000.eloquent-systems.com/toronto.html?image=ser12/s0012_fl1956_it0180.jp2

for those who are interested. I'm unable to figure out how to download it off City of Toronto's website. The course to the west of the road is Lakeview, a Herbert Strong muni which is pretty solid, too.





A closer look at Hawtree's echelon bunkers, which divides the fairway into two portions for most golfers:





After navigating the bunkers, the golfer plays over a stream. Although it shouldn't come into play, the depression area surrounding it will affect a poor layup, as shown below.





The further the golfer lays up, the better the view will be coming in. However, three bunkers await those who are going for the flattest portion of the fairway. The green also is quite tricky, and slopes heavily to the front.





Looking back, you get a sense of the terrain the golfer played over:





Hole 17: 225 yards, par 3 "Graveyard"


A wonderful long par 3, and nice change from holes 4, 7 and 14, which all ask the golfer to hit it in the air. On the 17th, the golfer can skirt one up, but the two bunkers short of the green some 40 yards from the front edge will be more in play.





Walking up, you can see how far back the bunkering is. The more club you take and can carry, the better you likely are. For a mishit though, ending up in these are really, really bad.





hole 18: 345 yards, par 4 "Home"


The home hole at Toronto is a bit controversial because it's less flashy or eye-catching as the first 17. Is it a bad hole? I'd say no. It's maybe "quirky," depending on the definition. But I don't think it's a bad hole. A grassy hollow is on the right hand side about 220 to carry, while the fairway ends at 270 or so.





What the 18th does have, however, is an excellent finishing green site, cut behind the valley short. It's an interesting little green, with the left side bringing balls to the middle, and a front right knob bringing a bit of unpredictability into the equation. A ridge on the right side is also exceptional. A fine finishing hole, IMO.





Overall, Toronto is easily in the top 10 in Canada (somehow always in the teens with our national publication) and shouldn't be missed on a trip to Toronto. It's currently more authentic than Hamilton (and looking like that won't change for a LONG time), and plays better, too. While the land is maybe not as bold as some of the other Greater Toronto Area courses, it's as good as anything in Ontario, and is the second best in the province, to me, only slightly behind St. George's.


It's worth noting the importance of Toronto Golf Club, which a young Stanley Thompson was caddying at when the new Colt course opened. This was also the first "good" golf course in the country, and brought the Heathlands style of golf over the pond.


Overall, a wonderful golf experience and a better golf course!

[Mark_Fine]

Drew,
Really well done post.  Brings back lots of memories.  Toronto GC is probably my favorite course in that whole area and I agree it is under appreciated.  I haven't studied it enough to know how much is original and how much has changed over the years (your comments were helpful) but what is there now I really enjoyed.  It is definitely on my replay list when American's are welcomed again in Canada.  That should happen next year. 

[Mike Baillie]

Drew's comments are right on.  Toronto Golf Club is the best overall golf experience I know of in the Greater Toronto Area.  While I enjoyed all holes the middle of the round was the highlight for me.


Like him I think TGC should be in Canada's Top 10.  It will continue to be a challenge to get there with Score Golf.  I would knock The National down a lot and slot TGC in ahead of Devil's Paintbrush for sure.  When Cape Breton Highlands suffers from poor conditioning, Toronto Golf should be ahead.  Many of the other top 10 will be difficult to pass.  Further, it meets all the criteria of the 147 Custodians.


On another matter, Drew, your comments suggest that Hamilton's restoration will not be authentic. Any info on what is happening / planned there would be great. HGCC is one of five courses in Ontario that I have not yet played but quite hope to.

[Andrew Harvie]

Drew's comments are right on.  Toronto Golf Club is the best overall golf experience I know of in the Greater Toronto Area.  While I enjoyed all holes the middle of the round was the highlight for me.


Like him I think TGC should be in Canada's Top 10.  It will continue to be a challenge to get there with Score Golf.  I would knock The National down a lot and slot TGC in ahead of Devil's Paintbrush for sure.  When Cape Breton Highlands suffers from poor conditioning, Toronto Golf should be ahead.  Many of the other top 10 will be difficult to pass.  Further, it meets all the criteria of the 147 Custodians.


On another matter, Drew, your comments suggest that Hamilton's restoration will not be authentic. Any info on what is happening / planned there would be great. HGCC is one of five courses in Ontario that I have not yet played but quite hope to.

148th Custodian?

We can debate where courses should fall all we like, but SCORE's affection for National Golf Club of Canada is really weird. Toronto's better than Beacon, Paintbrush and National, so there's top 10! I'd even think it's better than Banff, although that's a coin flip to me.

Hamilton's "restoration" from what I've seen is a bit of a chop shop. I ordered Hamilton's club history book which has Colt's drawings (they're also in the clubhouse), but the bunkering style is terrible, and they've added bunkers in weird spots, like the low point on 10, and pinched the landing area on 17, and added bunkers on 1. That's all I've seen from photos sent to me, but members keep telling me it'll be #1 in Canada (laughable given the photos I've seen). We'll see I guess. I have absolutely no idea how you botch this restoration when you have Colt's drawings and hundreds of aerials and photos. Blows my mind, really. Here's a photo of the bunker style they bizarrely went with:





And here's the bunker style Colt had the Superintendent build (Colt never actually saw Hamilton complete, leaving North America in May of 1914), which was Colt's "ripped" bunkering style to mimic the London Heathlands, which both Hamilton and Toronto were supposed to do when they opened. You'd have no idea at Hamilton now. To be honest, I can't even figure out which hole this is--that's how far it's gone. It's either 5 or 7, those are the only holes that work this ferociously up the hill.





Courtesy of Ian Andrew's In Every Genius There's a Little Madness.

[Andrew Harvie]

Drew,
Really well done post.  Brings back lots of memories.  Toronto GC is probably my favorite course in that whole area and I agree it is under appreciated.  I haven't studied it enough to know how much is original and how much has changed over the years (your comments were helpful) but what is there now I really enjoyed.  It is definitely on my replay list when American's are welcomed again in Canada.  That should happen next year.

Let me know when you come to Toronto again! I attached an aerial in the post around the 16th hole from the 60's, which the course didn't change much from 1912-until the mid 60's. Here's Colt's drawing hanging in the clubhouse, too. You can see the orientation of 13/14 is a bit different, but other than that, it's pretty close. Howard Watson re-built 2, 3, 16 and 18 greens, and Hawtree added bunkers on 1, 8, 16, but everything else is Colt, aside from a few nickpicky things (like the bunker shifting from the right to the left after Hawtree on 11 green).





Let me get in touch with some of the folks at Toronto and I'll see if they can send me some more historical documents. They have a good archives room and club historian

[PCCraig]

Really enjoyed your tour, thank you.

[Ronald Montesano]

Drew, check your instagram. I grabbed that image you wanted to download from the COT site.

[Tommy Williamsen]

Nice job, Drew. This is one good looking course. I love the bunkering.

[Ronald Montesano]

Ran used to have a "Next" list of courses that he and the squad wanted to see, and TGC was a fixture on that list.

[Guy Nicholson]

Well done, Drew. I'd echo your comments about holes like 4, 5 and 16 in particular. I was lucky enough to play TGC several times while writing a club history book, and the history is fascinating. It was one of the very first golf clubs in North America, founded by transplanted Scots from a young country's banking elite and dislocated multiple times by the growing city around it. It has one of the strongest amateur traditions anywhere and walking into the clubhouse can be both thrilling and intimidating. An absolute must if you have the chance to visit.