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Business Profile: Hamilton Bay Golf
2010-07-06
“All in a Day’s Work: A monthly business profile”
Hamilton Bay Golf
Owned by: Art and Harry Hamilton
Boat, drive or putt your way to Hamilton Bay Golf Course! It is located on the south shore of Stoney Lake near McCracken's Landing and directly across from Viamede Resort. Since 1970, local residents and summer visitors have been enjoying the affordable, scenic, and family owned and operated golf course.
Hamilton Bay Golf offers a relaxed and fun atmosphere, whether you are just learning to golf or trying to squeeze one more game in the week, Hamilton Bay Golf is worth a round! You may catch a glimpse of a deer, fox, or some other wildlife. The course is well treed, rocky and has a small river. Hamilton Bay has leagues and hosts many tournaments throughout the golf season. They have a Senior Men’s League, Tuesdays at 9:30 a.m.; Ladies’ League, Tuesdays at 6:00 p.m.; Men’s League, Thursdays at 6:00 p.m.; and a just for fun Mixed League, Fridays at 6:00 p.m. The Mixed League is played “Best Ball” and barbecued hamburgers and sausages are available every week. They have several upcoming tournaments for Men’s, Mixed, Ladies, and Juniors. Wednesdays is two for the price of one green fees.
Ralph and Florence Hamilton built the golf course on their farm land after retiring in the mid 1960s. Ralph was a farmer, carpenter, salesman, and politician. At 71 years he started a new career as a golf course owner. He had also served on Council for Dummer Township and on Peterborough County Council. Ralph had always dreamt of getting his pilot’s license; this was one of the first things he did once he retired and started receiving his pension cheques. He was one of the oldest Canadian at that time to receive his Pilot license in 1974 at the age of 66. After receiving his pilot license he decided to go to Guelph University to take a greens keeping course. Ralph, Florence and cousin, Bill Hamilton turned about 75 acres into a nine-hole golf course. Bill brought his small loader and a dump truck and they got started. Ralph, Art and Harry, visited other golf courses to get ideas and then laid out the plan. A Golf Course Designer from the U.S. was staying at Wantasa Inn; he looked at the plans and thought they looked fine. Hamilton Bay was officially opened for its first round of golf in 1970. In 1975, the clubhouse was opened. Today the clubhouse has snacks, hamburgers, hotdogs, and is licensed under the LLBO.
Sons of Ralph and Florence, Art and Harry now look after the operations of Hamilton Bay Golf. Art and his wife Norma (nee Tedford), have one daughter Cindy (married to Tim Tyers) and two grand children: Brandon and Benjamin. Cindy and Tim hope once they retire from their careers in Kingston, to be involved with the golf course. Art retired in 1993 from the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food; Norma retired in 1995 from teaching. Harry and his wife Marta have three children: Bryan, Karl and Lorrie. Karl now looks after the greens maintenance of the course. Harry also had his own business building and refinishing custom furniture.
To book your tee time, or for more information about one of their leagues or tournaments call 705-652-3510 or visit their website www.hamiltonbaygolf.ca.
If you have a business and would like to be profiled on our website and in The Dummer News, please contact Tara Mels, taram@dourodummer.on.ca or 705-652-8392 x210 for further details.