|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
||
|
|
Walter
Genge, a factory worker at the local Dupont plant and a part-time farmer,
decided to build a golf course on a 100 acre portion of his land. He
correctly identified golf as a growing sport and with very limited knowledge
of the game and an even more limited amount of cash, he managed to build a
short nine-hole course that quickly became popular. In the early 70's, Walter
built an additional nine holes, which finally established his facility in the
growing golf community. The course at that time was quite short at around
5200 yards and a very generous self-rated par of 70. It was called Martin
Downs, named after the Purple Martin, a bird renowned for its insect-eating
appetite. It was Walter's idea to have Martin bird houses located at every
tee and green to help control these pests, particularly during the mosquito
and black fly season. The
business grew steadily, but as nature would have it, so did Walter's age The course had never been
handicap-rated by the Ontario Golf Association, so our very first task was to
toughen-up the layout with added length and more hazards, such as trees,
bunkers and bringing a bisecting creek more into play. This resulted in a
debatable rating of 65, but the very rating of the course resulted in a
considerable increase in membership and overall interest. In 1985, the old
farmhouse was renovated, and we opened the season that year with a
liquor-licensed dining lounge, serving delicious snacks and meals. Westbrook
Golf Club was now a factor in the community and a popular location for groups
and tournaments. Immediately
after the change in ownership, the name of the course became Westbrook
because it sounded like a good name for the type of business and was situated
in the tiny Kingston suburb of Westbrook. In 1994,
a large forested area of the back 9 was cleared and several hundred yards
were added to our overall length. In 1995, another 100 acres of adjacent land
was purchased and we managed to get it re-zoned for golf purposes. By this
time, we were also operating the area's only Par 3 golf course and we knew it
would soon close to make room for a sub-division. It was time for Westbrook
to bring in the earth-movers! First
off, we designed a challenging Par 3 course using much of the existing old
front nine with a few added new tees and greens. At the same time, and all
taking place with the original course in play, we built a much longer front
nine, featuring more bunkers, added length, full irrigation, and creeks and
ponds ominously located at curse-encouraging yardages. While par
from the white tees remained pretty much the same, the new yardage off the
blue tees increased to over 6,000 yards, a closer testament to the course's
true challenge. Westbrook's new 27-hole facility became an instant hit,
providing a real test for the good golfer as well as a well-matured course
for those seeking the fun and pleasure to be found in Par 3 golf. My
excellent, dedicated staff works hard to provide the best conditions which
are always offered at very competitive rates. The
newest of new news happened in July, 1999, when we opened our new Driving
Range located right next door to the golf course. At the busiest of times, we
can handle almost 60 golfers at once, all aiming at very visible target
greens located as far as 300 honest-to-god yards away. We keep
20 sheltered driving bays open all year by enclosing them in a sheltered
building. Each bay has its own gas powered heater, beaming down almost 40,000
BTU's of warmth for each player! So now
we're up to 2007, time to bring in the Pros. We've added some excitement to
our already popular driving range. Sincerely, Cec
Harnden, |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
© Westbrook Golf Club and Driving Range |
||
|
|
||
