By

Wayne Kozun

November, 2005

The Scarboro Golf & Country Club was founded in 1912 east of the city of Toronto in what was then farmland. A few years earlier the Toronto Golf Club (TGC) had moved from a location in the east end of Toronto, although much closer to the city than Scarboro, to a site west of Toronto at Dixie Road in what is now Mississauga. Apparently TGC considered the site that Scarboro bought in the future but decided that it wasn’t suitable for their purposes. Their move may have precipitated the founding of Scarboro as club members in the east end of the city who were members of nearby TGC may have wanted a course closer to home.

Scarboro hired George Cumming, the pro at the TGC from 1900-1950, to design the course. Unfortunately the club’s timing was very poor as the course and clubhouse were completed around 1914, the year that Canada entered World War I. A highlight of the club’s early years was a match between Harry Vardon and Ted Ray in 1920. These pros mentioned that they thought the course should be improved so the club decided to do so in 1923. They hired Willie Park Jr. to redesign the course but, unfortunately, he returned to Scotland in the winter of 1923, fell ill and never returned to Canada before he passed away.

The club asked the USGA to recommend another architect and they suggested A.W. Tillinghast. He proposed his design in 1924 and the work started soon thereafter although it was not completed until 1927. At the same time the club bought more land which consists of the current 1^st green, 2^nd hole and 3^rd tee.

Scarboro now seems to be the last Tillinghast course in existence in Canada. The club has hosted the Canadian Open on four occasions: 1940, 1947, 1953 and 1963. Those tournaments were won by, respectively, Sam Snead, Bobby Locke, Dave Douglas, and Doug Ford. Snead and Locke were, arguably, the greatest golfers in those periods. The club also hosted the 1958 Canadian Amateur which featured an appearance by a young Jack Nicklaus.

The course is rather short in the age of 7500 yard behemoths as it plays to 6376 yards from the blue tees. Four holes contain gold tees which lengthen the course to 6526 yards, but these tees are used by very few of the members. However the course is very challenging and is tightly treed although not in a way that trees directly affect many shots as at courses like Hilton Head, Sahalee or Shaughnessy. Visitors typically shoot several strokes over their handicap which surprises them given the modest length of the course.

The defining features of the course are the excellent short par 4s and the three long par 3s. The par 5s are also no slouch as they are not easy to reach in two unless you can drive the ball close over 275 yards. The course contains holes of varying lengths and forces the player to use every club in his bag.

1^st Hole

576 yard Par 5

The first hole at Scarboro is a straight hole which is, for all but the longest hitters, a 3 shot par 5. The tee shot is protected by fairway bunkers on the left hand side and a bad slice will go OB as railway tracks follow the length of the fairway on the right side. There are also a fairway bunkers on the left hand side near the landing area for the second shot but these rarely come into play. The fairway bunkers on this hole have been altered dramatically through the years with many such bunkers being added and subtracted. The green is well guarded by bunkers on both the left and right. Run up shots are not well received by the green as there is a bit of a hollow before the green, which is generally very soft, and the green has a false front. As is typical of a Tillinghast course the player must keep the ball below the hole. The centre of the green features a small hump which can make putting tricky.

2^nd Hole

213 yard Par 3 use 1919

The second hole is the first of three par 5s that play just over 200 yards but all three holes play different effective distances due to different directions and changes in elevation. This hole is relatively flat although a gully slashes diagonally from left to right about 30 yards short of the green. The right side of the green is protected by several large silver maple trees which kind of make the hole a dogleg left par 3 (the opposite of the 14^th hole as we shall see later). These trees block several bunkers on the right hand side of the green so that they see very little play. The green slopes from back left to front right so a high draw would be the ideal shot as long as it clears the trees. The more common shot is the fade which brings into play the two left hand bunkers.

The gully was used to great effect to give this flat hole its character.

3^rd Hole

342 yard Par 4 use 1928

The 3^rd is a mid-length par 4 with a tree in the middle of the fairway as the defining feature. The tree is a chestnut (buckeye) about 210 yards from the tee which can block the second shot. Originally the hole featured an elm tree that was closer to the tee than the current tree but which had a much wider umbrella, blocking the whole left half of the fairway. This tree succumbed to Dutch elm disease in the late 1960s. A few years back a series of bunkers were added on the left side of the fairway to force shots away from the driving range which borders this hole and to make the golfer challenge the tree. There are also two fairway bunkers on the right side to punish errant shots to the right and also collect balls that would otherwise be lost in the woods. The second shot is typically a 9-iron or PW to an elevated green which features a false front and is guarded by bunkers on the left, right and rear. The green slopes quite severely from back to front and features several other contours affecting one’s putts.

4^th Hole

205 yard par 3 use 1934&1938

The fourth is Scarboro’s signature hole featuring a creek on the right side of the green. Currently the hole features three bunkers between the green and the creek – the bunker configuration on this hole has changed very often through the years. In August of 2005 a severe flood completely washed out these bunkers and they were rebuilt. The green is also much larger than it was originally as it is now about 30 yards deep with two tiers. The green is about 40 yards deep and a back pin may require 2-3 more clubs than a front pin. Left of the green is a hill which will deflect errant shots back towards the green.

The thrilling downhill tee shot at the 4th.

5^th Hole

439 yard par 4

The #1 handicap hole requires a carry of about 170 yards off the blue tees to clear highland creek. The creek winds around the left of the fairway and will catch any slight pulls or hooks. A duck hook is safe as it will leave you on the 6^th fairway but no one but Tiger would be able to get home in two from that fairway. A fade from the tee is rewarded by the hill on the right side of the fairway which will allow the shot to bound forward and onto the fairway although one still usually has, at best, a long iron into the green. The green is protected by bunkers on both the left and right sides. The front entrance to the green is open and will accept a run-up shot provided it does not land on the upslope to the green. This green is relatively flat and has very subtle contours – a par on this hole is a very fine score.

6^th Hole

525 yard par 5

This is the shortest par 5 on the course but it is still a very hard hole to reach in two shots. The tee shot is rather tight as it is constrained by the creek on the left and a wooded area on the right. An errant tee shot in either direction will cost the player a stroke. This is one of the few holes on the course with a gold tee deck that lengthens the tee shot by about 35 yards. There is also an alternate tee set about 30 yards right of the main set that gives a different angle to the fairway. Like so many holes at Scarboro these tee decks will favour the player who hits the ball from left to right. There is very little trouble to get into on the second shot and the approach shot will rarely be from over 150 yards. The green is relatively large and features a bunker about 20 yards short and right plus a bunker left of the green. There is a severe slope at the back of the green that really punishes a long shot if the pin is at the back as it will be impossible to keep one’s chip near the hole.

7^th Hole

276 yard par 4

The 7^th is the first of several short par 4s at Scarboro and is likely the best of the lot and perhaps one of the finest short par 4s anywhere. Long hitters may be tempted to try to drive the green but the opening is very narrow so this is not a high percentage shot. There are bunkers about 20 yards short of the green on both the left and the right side leaving only about a 5 yard gap between. The green is tiny; two tiered and quite severely sloped from back to front. The wise shot is to hit your tee shot 180 yards or so to leave a full wedge into the green, particularly when the pin is on the lower tier as it is very hard to stop a half wedge shot on the lower tier. This is a birdie hole but it is also very common to see bogies or worse.

Best not to be too greedy at the 7th.

8^th Hole

413 yard par 4

This hole is very hard to describe, even to guests when one is standing on the tee. The hole is a long par 4 with a sharp dogleg to the right. Bordering the right side of the fairway is a steep hill with OB a little farther right. A weak drive or a drive into that hill turns the hole into a three-shotter. There is a very steep drop about 210 yards from the tee that leads down to the lower fairway. That lower fairway is only about 20 yards wide with the hill on one side and the creek on the other. A long tee shot that is slightly pulled could wind up in the creek. The ideal shot from the tee is a fade that just gets around the hill that blocks the right side, especially if this shot bounces down to the lower fairway. Very long hitters could hit a draw over the hill that will run down to close to the 100 yard market, but the typical player will have about 160-200 yards into the green. The creek cuts in front of the green about 60 yards before the green. The green is fairly large and flat and is one of the greens that has changed most often at the course. I believe the current location is approximately where the original green was, but for several years the green was a multi-tiered green about 20 yards left of the current green site.

As seen from the 8th tee, the routing takes full advantage of the unique landform.

9^th Hole

380 yard par 4 use 2020

This is a straightaway par 4 of medium length but the drive is out of a chute, particularly from the back tee. Drives that are in the left rough may be blocked out from the green by trees that protect the 17^th tee. There is a large tree at the left edge of the fairway about 180 yards from the tee that must be avoided by faders. The green is fairly large with a bit of slope from right to left as well as the customary back to front. There are bunkers guarding the short left and right shot at the green.

10^th hole

527 yard par 5

This is a dogleg right par 5 and is the last of the three par 5s at Scarboro. The tee shot has to contend with bunkers on both the inside and outside of the dogleg. The landing area of the fairway is canted from left to right and any balls that are hit to the right half of the fairway will roll down to the rough or perhaps the right hand bunker. A drive that is over 250 yards will roll down a hill that begins an undulating fairway for the next 100 yards or so. However it is not easy to get home from that location as one would have to clear the next hill while hitting a 3 wood which is rarely accomplished successfully. The landing area of the second shot is quite wide but there are additional fairway bunkers on the right hand side at about 100 yards and on the left hand side from about 70 yards right up to the green. The green is rather large but is very well protected by bunkers on both the left and right. There is a severe left to right slant on the green that makes putting very challenging - three putts or worse are not uncommon.

11^th hole

110 yard par 3

This hole, while very short, can be diabolically challenging and is a very short par 3, unlike the other par 3s at Scarboro that are over 200 yards. The lack of distance does not affect the quality of the hole as this is a great par 3. The tiny green is guarded by bunkers on all four sides. The back bunker is to be avoided at all costs as the green slopes from back to front and it is nearly impossible to keep the ball on the green from this hazard. The hole sees several holes in one each year but there are also many bogeys and others as missing the green is very costly.

12^th hole

416 yard par 4

The 12^th hole begins a stretch of three very difficult holes – the Amen Corner of Scarboro. The hole crosses the creek twice, the first time at 100 yards which is not really in play, but the second time at about 245 yards from the elevated tee requiring a carry of 270 yards to clear the hazard. Most players lay up with a fairway wood or long iron from the tee. The second shot will therefore be at least 180 yards to a medium sized green that has bunkers both left and long. A badly sliced shot may find the creek which meanders along the right side of the fairway. The green has relatively subtle contours and features a closely mown area to the right where many second shots end up.

13^th hole

417 yard par 4

This hole is likely the hardest at Scarboro and features blind shots from the tee and for the approach. Although the same length as 12 the hole plays much longer due to the uphill nature – the fairway is well above the tee and the green is well above the fairway. The tee shot must be hit at least 170 yards to clear a hill. From there the fairway slopes slightly downhill so a hard low drive will get plenty of roll. The second shot is typically from about 170-220 yards to a green that is substantially above the fairway. The green is very hard to hit as shots not hit directly to the centre carom off in either direction. Even if one does hit the green it is very hard to hold the putting surface as the approach shot is usually hit with a long iron or wood. This hole was changed substantially in the mid 1980s and all members who remember the old design think that the changes were detrimental to the hole. This is the only hole on the course without any sand bunkers.

14^th hole

212 yard par 4

Rumour has it that this hole was designed by Stanley Thompson some years after Tillinghast redesigned the course. This is the last of the par 3s and it is probably the most difficult of the bunch. The shot is downhill but it seems to play almost the full distance. There is a large tree short and left of the green which could block a low fade, but it shouldn’t be an issue for those who hit a high fade and is not in play for the straight shot or draw. There are large bunkers on both the left and right of the green. The green slopes from back right to front left and downhill putts from above the pin can be very treacherous.

The big, long one shot 14th.

15^th hole

285 yard par 4

This is another of Scarboro’s great short par 4 holes. The drive from the regular tee will ideally find the upper tier of the fairway that is about 185 yards off the tee and is about 30 feet above the tee. There is a Gold tee that was recently added on this hole that extends the hole length to 320 yards although the change in effective distance is less significant as this tee is about 50 feet above the regular tee which means that the drive to the fairway is substantially downhill. The very small green is also significantly elevated above the fairway making the approach shot very challenging. Further complicating matters is a large bunker that is in front of and runs the full width of the green. Almost all shots that are short will roll back down the bank into the bunker. Some players take driver off the tee and leave themselves with only about 50 yards in to the green. Others lay up with a fairway wood or long iron so that they have a full wedge into the green. Holes like this make you think about how to play the hole – bombing the drive is often not the best play. The green is severely sloped from back to left and putts above the hole must be handled with extreme delicacy.

At 285 yards, the 15th is a real teaser.

16^th hole

284 yard par 4

This hole is the same length as the 15^th but it plays much shorter as it is approximately flat while the 15^th features uphill shots from the tee and on the approach.. This is, arguably, the weakest hole on the course. The green is drivable when the wind is from behind but you must guard from going left as a wooded area guards the left side of the fairway that will almost certainly result in a lost ball. Most players lay up to about 100 yards leaving a wedge into a medium sized green which slopes from right to left. Therefore the ideal approach shot is hit from the left side of the fairway so the closer one flirts with the trees on the tee shot, the easier the approach. The right side of the green is guarded by three bunkers.

17^th hole

379 yard par 4

The 17^th is my favourite hole on the course. The tee shot is dramatically down hill and must carry the creek about 150 yards off the tee, which isn’t usually an issue. There is a series of four fairway bunkers on the right side of the fairway that force the tee shot to the left which is a shortcut on this dogleg-left. The left side is protected by a series of trees that were planted about 30 years ago but long hitters can try to take their tee shot over these trees and leave themselves about 100 yards into the green. Very long hitters might try to drive the green but this is a blind shot and then they risk going in the creek which is about 40 yards short of the green. The length of the green is angled so as to best accept a shot from the right side of the fairway, particularly a draw. The green is relatively large and is guarded by a large bunker on the left side.

The sharply downhill, dogleg left 17th hole as seen from the tee.

The green at the 17th is angled to best accept shots from the right center of the fairway.

18^th hole

377 yard par 4

The unique obstacle on this hole is a fence which guards a city street that cuts through the hole. The road did not exist when the course was built in the early part of the 20^th century and it was a small path until 40 years ago or so. Shots must be hit over the fence to an elevated fairway with a saddle cut into it. Once again this hole is, on the scorecard, the same distance as the previous hole but plays a completely different distance. A drive that is not very well struck will roll back several yards leaving a very long approach. There is a flat landing area on the left side of the fairway which is an ideal location from which to hit the approach shot. The green is elevated and is guarded by bunkers on the left and right. There are also two pot bunkers that will catch shots hit about 20 yards short and to the right. The green is very large but the size is deceiving from the fairway as the green extends much farther right than one can see in the fairway. There is a false front to the green to punish short shots.

The unique tee shot at the 18th.

Concluding the round with the clubhouse in the background.

This course, while not long, is very challenging. The back nine features an interesting theme as you get pairs of holes (12-13, 15-16 and 17-18) that are the same distance on the scorecard but they play completely differently.

The End

© Copyright GCA 1999 - 2000. All rights reserved.