Course History

Course construction commenced during the summer of 1950 in a wooded area near Lake St. George. Ed Leeder, the original owner and builder, faced significant challenges in constructing the course due to the land being overgrown with waist-high grass, dense forest, and massive rocks. The project cost Mr. Leeder all the funds he could muster, forcing him to sell his car and Toronto home to finance it. When asked about this, he simply replied, "Owning a golf course is all I've ever desired."
The image below shows the early stages of construction, showcasing maintenance paths and preliminary green shaping on the north course.

The course was scheduled to open in June 1952, but it was postponed and eventually opened in the fall of the same year, possibly due to construction or grow-in delays.

In the autumn of 1952, the course was opened to the public for play. The original clubhouse was situated near the current location of 9 north tee. During this period, the course provided a complete season's men's membership for $20 and a women's membership for $15. On weekends, the green fees were $1.50, while on weekdays, they were only $1.00.

Between 1952 and 1953, Lake St. George Golf Club had a small log cabin as its clubhouse, situated next to the current 9th tee on the north course. In 1954, a new clubhouse was constructed at the center of the property, which is still being used as the pro shop, snack bar, and bar. This new building provided more space for the growing number of members and visitors to the golf club. The new clubhouse also offered a place for golfers to relax and socialize after their rounds of golf.

Following the construction of the new clubhouse in 1954, the routing of the course was updated.

In this aerial image from 1955, the original course is visible, along with the newly constructed clubhouse that had just been completed at that time.

From 1952 until 1972, Lake St. George operated as a 9 hole course.

Canadian Golf Hall of Fame inductee, Robbie Robinson, was enlisted in 1968 to create and construct nine additional holes. Before initiating work on the new course, Robinson revamped several holes on the north course. His modifications included introducing two new holes (2 & 5 north), reshaping 4 north fairway, merging two holes to form 6 north, relocating 9 north green 120 yards back from its previous spot, and reconstructing tee decks on 1, 3, 4, 7, 8, and 9 north.

This 1969 aerial photograph depicts some of the alterations that Robbie Robinson made to the north course, which were still under construction at the time. The construction of the new 2nd and 5th holes can be seen on the right-hand side of the image, while the development of the new tee deck on the 3rd hole has also started. However, the modifications to the 6th and 9th holes had not yet begun when this aerial image was taken.

Robbie Robinson's alterations to the north course included updating the routing of the course, which remains in use to this day.

Upon finishing the renovations on the north course, Robbie Robinson commenced the construction of the new south course. Members of the golf club generously volunteered to assist with the clearance of trees and rocks from the site.

During the summer of 1972, the south course was officially opened, thereby establishing Lake St. George as one of the first golf clubs in the region to offer an 18-hole course.

In 1979, George Louth acquired Lake St. George golf course after several years of financial instability and changes in ownership. George had a significant impact on the Ontario golf industry, having played a pivotal role in the development and management of Twenty Valley Golf Club in Vineland, Ontario. Notably, he oversaw the construction of the course and later served as its Head Pro, General Manager, and Superintendent. George continued to run the course before moving on to become the Head Pro and Superintendent at Sawmill Golf Club. It's worth noting that George's father, Les Louth, served as the head pro at Oakville Golf Club for over 40 years. The Louth family remains the current owner and operator of Lake St. George Golf Club.

During the early 1980s, George Louth and his son Greg undertook several improvements to the course, including the installation of irrigation and drainage systems throughout all 18 holes, and the construction of several new tees and greens. Additionally, they carried out a renovation and expansion of the clubhouse.

Until the early 1990s, the putting green occupied the space where the current patio is situated. The yellow tees for 1 north were situated where the current putting green stands. Later in 1994, the present putting green and patio were constructed.

During the 1970s and 1980s, Lake St. George continued to be one of the few 18-hole courses in the region.

In 1984, Greg Louth was giving a golf lesson on 1 south for CKVR, a local TV channel. At that time, it was a popular practice for news channels to showcase golf courses in the area.

It was a slow start to the season in 1985.

Lake St. George hosted the Ontario Jr. Pro/Sr. Pro tournament from 1985 to 1988, with notable participants like Moe Norman and George Clifton.

Coverage of the Ontario Jr. Pro / Sr. Pro held at Lake St. George in 1987 by a local news network.

Members in 1991 teeing off 1 north during the Big Event.

The west course was designed by Bob Moote and George Louth, and construction began with tree clearing in the fall of 1999. Building the new course, which was mainly wooded with some low swampy areas, took three years.

It took three years to build the west course, and during its first year of operation, a severe storm caused hundreds of trees to fall. These trees had not been previously exposed to strong winds as they were bush-bound.

The west course was opened in July 2002, and since then, it has been a regular part of the 18-hole rotation along with the south course.