A moment in history: June 5, 1964

On this day in 1964, the Glendale Golf and Country Club was showing off its brand-new clubhouse.

The original plan wasn't for a golf course. Instead, the land at 124 Avenue and 199 Street in northwest Edmonton was initially purchased for residential development. The plan fell apart. But the rolling hills and natural reservoir made the land attractive for a new golf course.

When the Glendale officially opened as a private club with 18 holes in 1961, it faced a lot of competition. Edmonton was in a boom time, both in terms of population and prosperity. So the Glendale was just one of several new golf courses to open in the city in a few short years. At the same time, Edmonton's existing country clubs were undergoing a shift, aiming to expand beyond the domain of wealthy men and to offer facilities for their members' entire families.

As an Edmonton Journal writer noted at the time, "it is no longer wise or healthy to sneak off for 18 holes and leave the family at home to mow the lawn and paint the garage."

The heavy competition meant a rough go in the Glendale's early years. The club's 10 original members put houses and businesses up as collateral to keep it afloat. And the course itself had issues, including greens that were sometimes washed away by rain.

But it did have some advantages. The course was designed by Norman Woods, a well-known golf course architect who apprenticed under legendary designer Stanley Thompson. The course that Woods created was a strategic and challenging one that has drawn praise over the years.

The club has twice hosted the Canadian Amateur Championship (in 1996 and 2000), and it has frequently been the site of the TELUS Edmonton Open. It remains one of the largest courses in the city, behind The Quarry and Jägare Ridge.

The Glendale remains a private club, but Explore Edmonton lists 11 golf courses that visitors can try within the city limits. Coun. Michael Janz has raised questions about whether that's a good use of land, particularly in the river valley. The Royal Mayfair Golf Club, a private club next to Hawrelak Park, is particularly vexing to Janz, but it will be contributing to the visitor economy this summer as it hosts the CPKC Canadian Women's Open from Aug. 19 to 23.

This clipping was found on Vintage Edmonton, a daily look at Edmonton's history from armchair archivist Rev Recluse of Vintage Edmonton.