WINNIPEG, MANITOBA | Looking back to move forward.
That’s what St. Charles Country Club is doing. Nine of its holes sit as a mix of exposed earth, roughed-in bunkers, and rebuilt greens. Next year, the club will do it all over again, ripping up another nine. For many, it is hard to envision the final result given – restored versions of holes designed by two of the masters of golf architecture, Alister MacKenzie and Donald Ross, carefully crafted under the watchful eyes of Jim Urbina.
Cory Kartusch, St. Charles’ director of golf and chief operating officer, says his membership, many of whom have played in MacKenzie Society events designed to celebrate the architect’s work, are keen to see the designer’s genius returned.
“There’s something about the designs of Golden Age architects,” said Kartusch, referring to designers who built courses before World War II. “They are playable and enjoyable for everyone. They work for the best players, and for those who are just looking to have fun on the course. That’s super-important at a club like St. Charles.”
Kartusch points to the third hole on the course as an example. Years ago, in a quest to grab length, the short, drivable par 4 was abandoned, turned into a forgettable dogleg. Urbina, with Canadian shaper Riley Johns, is returning the hole to its former glory, making it a 290-yard devil that will tantalize golfers into trying to smash their way onto the green in one bold shot.
“It is one of those holes that members are blown away by in tours of the work,” Kartusch said. “Jim has put so much time in trying to make that hole right. He’s looked at aerials and spent time talking to members who recall what it was like. The feedback has been amazing.”
St. Charles is just one of several important Canadian courses to turn to their history to make improvements to their current state. This year, Hamilton Golf and Country Club started showing off its reworked greens and bunkers as part of a project that ran through the heat of the pandemic and was directed by Martin Ebert. St. George’s, which hosted this year’s RBC Canadian Open, restored its bunkers in time for the tournament using long-time consulting architect Ian Andrew, who also restored Stanley Thompson’s look at Oakdale, which will host next year’s flagship Canadian PGA Tour event. A couple of years back, Ottawa Hunt looked to Michael Hurdzan to bring back some of its Willie Park Jr. flair, and Jeff Mingay has spent the past couple of summers tackling Cutten Fields, a unique Thompson/Chick Evans design an hour west of Toronto.
Once upon a time, classic courses often were put under the knife like a supermodel trying to maintain her youthful look. That meant courses were modernized, with splashy new bunkering and greens that handled modern speeds more effectively. That’s basically what happened at St. Charles. Over time, some of the bold Ross and MacKenzie features were muted, with greens and bunkers altered, something common at courses that now are 100 years old. Over time, many committees and newer designers thought they knew better, and could improve upon the playing surfaces laid on the ground by architects long gone. Most of these changes were done in good faith, trying to modernize elements that had fallen out of favour. Unfortunately, many of those changes fell well short of their intent, leaving courses stuck in time, with modern features clashing with initial design concepts.
In the case of St. Charles, the club felt the notion that its course, the only known Ross/MacKenzie design in North America, was unique enough to warrant special attention. The club hired Urbina, a former Tom Doak associate who lives in Denver, to helm the project. The restoration, designed to coincide with an irrigation update, was supposed to start two years ago, but, like many things, the pandemic altered the timeline. Urbina couldn’t readily get into Canada given pandemic restrictions, and so the project sat on hold until this summer when it finally went forward.
St. Charles members have been used to a muted, toned-down version of a MacKenzie design, but that’s not what they’ll have when the nine holes reopen next summer. Gone is the plain bunkering, replaced by bold, artistic concepts that attempt to replicate MacKenzie’s artistry. Urbina rebuilt green surrounds, highlighting short-grass areas. And many of MacKenzie’s key design concepts, diminished over time, have returned.
“You use Jim because he’s an expert when it comes to MacKenzie,” Kartusch said. “He’s shown that in the work that’s been done. The club has turned its trust over to Jim. You ultimately have to trust your architect to make the right choices.”
Urbina will move on to the Ross Nine next summer, once again trying to recapture some of the features that made it special in the first place. When it is all over, St. Charles officials are confident that their course, once considered one of the best in Canada, will once again capture the magnificence of its Golden Age roots.
“Our members are really proud of their course,” Kartusch said. “It would be great to see some recognition, and so far, the reception has been great.”
If St. Charles fulfills its promise, there’s a chance other courses from the same era will make the bold step to embrace their past. And golf in Canada will be only better for it.
Top: Jim Urbina is overseeing a faithful restoration of the Alister MacKenzie Nine at St. Charles.