Glen Abbey Golf Course facts for kids
Glen Abbey golf course in November 2016
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| Club information | |
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 Location in Southern Ontario
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| Coordinates | 43°27′07″N 79°43′08″W / 43.452°N 79.719°W |
| Location | 1333 Dorval Drive Oakville, Ontario L6M 4G2 |
| Established | 1976 |
| Owned by | Clublink |
| Total holes | 18 |
| Tournaments hosted | Canadian Open |
| Greens | Bentgrass |
| Fairways | Bentgrass / Poa annua |
| Designed by | Jack Nicklaus |
| Par | 73 |
| Length | 7,273 yards (6,650 m) |
| Course rating | 74.7 |
| Slope rating | 132 |
| Course record | 62 - Greg Norman (1986), John Merrick (2013) |
 Glen Abbey logo |
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Glen Abbey Golf Club is a famous golf course in Oakville, Ontario, Canada. It's one of Canada's most well-known golf courses. It's also home to Golf Canada and the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame. This course has hosted the Canadian Open golf tournament 30 times. That's more than any other course! The first time was in 1977. A famous golfer, Jack Nicklaus, designed it all by himself in 1976.
A special part of Glen Abbey is its "Valley Holes." These are holes 11 through 15. On hole 11, which is a par 4 (meaning it should take 4 shots to get the ball in the hole), golfers hit their first shot from a high cliff. The grass where the ball lands, called the fairway, is about 60 feet below in a valley. Their next shot has to fly over Sixteen Mile Creek to reach the green (the area around the hole). For holes 12, 13, and 14, Sixteen Mile Creek is a challenge. Hole 15 is a short par 3. After playing hole 15, golfers climb out of the valley to reach the 16th hole.
Glen Abbey is owned by a company called Clublink. This company wants to tear down the golf course. They plan to build homes and shops there instead. The local government, the Oakville Town Council, doesn't agree with this plan. They have said the golf course is a special "heritage site." In 2018, a court said Clublink could continue with their plans.
History of Glen Abbey
The land where Glen Abbey Golf Club is now has a long history. Many different groups owned it before it became a golf course. In 1814, the land was first given to King's College. This college later became the University of Toronto.
In 1937, a person named Andre Dorfman bought the property. He used it as his private estate. Later, in 1953, a religious group called the Jesuit Fathers bought the land. They used it as a quiet place for retreats. From 1963 to 1974, another developer owned the land. They first tried to build a private club and golf course. Then, they even thought about making it a ski hill!
In 1974, a different developer bought the property. They finally built the golf course we see today. In 1975, the Royal Canadian Golf Association moved its main office to the golf club. The Canadian Golf Hall of Fame also moved there the next year. Two years later, in 1977, the course hosted its first Canadian Open tournament. Glen Abbey has hosted this big event 30 times since then. The Royal Canadian Golf Association bought the club in 1990. They sold it to Clublink in 1999.
The 18th hole at Glen Abbey is very famous because of Tiger Woods. In the year 2000, during the final round of the Canadian Open, Tiger Woods hit an amazing shot. He hit his golf ball 218 yards from a sand trap (called a bunker). The ball flew over a large pond and landed very close to the hole. This incredible shot helped him win the tournament. Many people think this was one of the best shots in golf history.
In 2009, another golfer named Mark Calcavecchia set a new record. He made 9 birdies in a row during the Canadian Open. A birdie means getting the ball in the hole in one shot less than the expected "par" for that hole.
Plans for the Future
In 2015, Clublink, the owner of Glen Abbey, asked for permission to change the property. Their plan did not include keeping the golf course. The Town of Oakville Council disagreed with this idea. In 2017, they officially called the golf course a "heritage site." This makes it harder to build on the land. Clublink wanted to build 3,222 homes, along with shops and offices. Golf Canada was also worried about where they would hold the Canadian Open. However, the event was still held at Glen Abbey in 2018.
The Town of Oakville officially said "no" to the plan to tear down the golf course. This happened in February 2018. In the summer of 2018, Clublink was waiting for a court decision. They wanted to get permission to tear down the course. The Canadian Open still took place at Glen Abbey that year. In October 2018, a judge said Clublink had the right to ask for a demolition permit. The town council then decided to take the issue to a higher court.
In December 2018, another court ruled against the town's plan to stop the development. The judge said the town had gone too far. There will be more hearings in the future about Clublink's plans. The owner's plan is to build many homes, including nine apartment buildings. These buildings would be between nine and twelve stories tall. They also plan to build office and retail spaces.
The Canadian Open golf tournament was held at other courses in 2019 and 2023. However, it might return to Glen Abbey in the future if the building plans are not allowed to happen.
Images for kids
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Glen Abbey golf course in November 2016
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Glen Abbey logo
