Bowing To Royalty

Filed in archive Golf Courses on September 26, 2007

Courtesy: AP Photo/CP

When we think of royalty, we often think of history and tradition.

History and tradition are two of the hallmarks in the world of golf. And those two chief characteristics of the game are epitomized by the Royal Montreal Golf Club, site of this year's President's Cup which gets underway tomorrow.

Royal Montreal is North America's oldest golf club, dating back to 1873 when it was founded. 11 years later, venerable Queen Victoria bestowed the prefix "royal" on the club, a somewhat ironic moniker considering the subsequent and even recent history of the province of Quebec with its cultural roots tied so closely to France rather than England.

Nonetheless, "Royal" Montreal it has remained, a recognition of its rich past and distinct place in the annals of the game.

Over the years, Royal Montreal has had to relocate, expanding as it did so. Today the club boasts 45 holes. 18 of those holes comprise the Blue Course, site of the President's Cup.

The Blue Course is consistently ranked as one of the top 100 courses in the world. It measures 7100 yards, a good length for the pros who have high praise for Royal Montreal.

Professional golfers seek out competitions that are being played on challenging courses. They like to be forced to think and improvise.

That's why many in Canada would love to see the Canadian Open, third oldest tournament in the game, played at North America's oldest club more often. The last time was back in 2001.

It's bewildering, then, why so many PGA tournaments are staged at target-golf facilities when layouts like the Blue Course are what make a pro's feet hit the floor each morning.

That's why this year's President's Cup will be an exciting competition and one to be remembered for some time. That's my prediction but I'm confident that Royal Montreal will do its name and history justice.