Alison's York Downs, Toronto (NLE)

[David_Tepper]

https://beyondthecontour.com/a-walk-around-c-h-alisons-york-downs-with-lorne-rubenstein/

[Ian Andrew]

There's quite a lot of information on the golf course available on line.
There are three golf course images from 1922 in the Canadian Golfer.
There's lots of good aerials (city of Toronto's archives) and photos (this one is from the Toronto Star).


The clubhouse in 1926

One fun footnote is Alison used to meet up with Thompson when he came to town.
I learnt this from Geoff Cornish during one of my many conversations with him.
They were good friends.

[Ian Andrew]

1947 Toronto Archives

[Ian Andrew]

The famous 12th in construction

[John Challenger]

It doesn't sound like there is much chance it will be recovered and restored, but maybe in the future. Look at all those traps around Green 5 and 8. My eye was first drawn to all the par 3s on the aerials. It looks like the aerial in Ian's photo is later as some of the bunkers look more elaborately shaped. I wonder if the one in the article is the earliest known?

[Ian Andrew]

It doesn't sound like there is much chance it will be recovered and restored, but maybe in the future. Look at all those traps around Green 5 and 8. My eye was first drawn to all the par 3s on the aerials. It looks like the aerial in Ian's photo is later as some of the bunkers look more elaborately shaped. I wonder if the one in the article is the earliest known?

John,


Andrew used the 1953, he references it under the photo.
The one I posted is 1947 - that's the first year in the public archives.
They are essentially the same. Although, the river has been altered since that image and Hurricane Hazel.


1938 is available (for order and purchase from the National Archives).


Btw, it's a public park (Earl Bales), bought from a developer in 1974. It's never going to be golf again.
It's locked into the city green space planning. It's more likely to see further naturalization programs.

[Ian Andrew]

16th hole in construction

[Andrew Harvie]

It will never be restored, even if it in theory could be, but it is not worth it. You would have to rip up a city-run ski hill, the Toronto Holocaust Memorial, and a very busy park, and after all that is said and done, it is sadly just not the effort (nor would the general public let it happen).


The land is quite severe and interesting, and it was fun to have Lorne show me around. I had done quite a bit of research on York Downs prior, so it was enjoyable to be able to se the property with someone who remembered the layout.