The most interesting part of the recently-published The First 100 Years: Mississaugua Golf and Country Club Centenary history has, interestingly enough, nothing to do with golf.
Brent Long’s commissioned history of the club includes a lot of fascinating stuff, including the story of how founder John A. Hall and friends, who were looking to relocate the Highlands Golf Club in west Toronto in late 1905, stumbled onto the beautiful property south of Dundas St. W. that would become the future Mississaugua.
It turns out that a hankering for a sweet, fresh apple had a little something to do with the location of the course. Hall and friends jumped out of the surrey they’d taken down the dirt track known as Springfield Rd. because they spotted some heavily-laden apple trees.
While they were munching the fruit, Hall was overwhelmed at the sight of the magnificent view of the Credit River valley that unfolded before his eyes.
He announced that the search was over and the spot of the future course had been determined. Then he promptly pulled out a golf club and marked the territory by driving a ball deep into the valley.
It’s possible that Hall’s drive hit a tree that still stands there.
In a fascinating chapter near the end of his book, titled A Walk In Our Park - Our Beautiful Trees, Long, arborist Bill Hall and greens chairman John Cornwall extoll the virtues of the many mature trees on the property that are potential candidates for the Ontario Honour Roll of Trees. It is a long and impressive list.
The age and variety of these trees are a revelation for those of us who have seen nothing more of the course than the grand old clubhouse.
On the left side of the fairway approaching the eleventh green stand a pair of
Burr Oaks that are 56 inches in diameter and nearly 300 years old.
Other impressive specimens include a 200-year-old elm on the first hole, two rare Sycamore trees (Are we in Indiana, Toto?) near the seventh green that are likely two-and-a-half centuries old, several white pines that exceed 150 years of age and the two largest Red Oak trees in the City.
The most infamous tree on the course is the 55-inch diameter horse chestnut that predates the course and stands to the left side of the 18th green (It is shown in the accompanying photo). There’s a wonderful picture in the book of the chestnut in full blooming spring glory. “It is the one tree on the property that most members have a story or two to tell about,” writes Long.
Mississaugua’s amazing collection of about 50 varieties makes it one of the few courses that could double as an arboretum.
You no longer have to be a member to see many of these superb specimens. You can go to http://www.mississauguagolf.com/index.cfm?ID=618 to check them out.
The book, which costs $79.50 and includes many striking pictures of the trees, is still for sale at the club.