Dunany must be one of very few Canadian courses that owes its inception to the imagination to the imagination and enterprise of a woman, in fact the only other that comes to mind in this respect is The Toronto Women's Golf Club.

It was in the fateful year of 1914 - during the summer that saw the First World War begin - that Miss Katherine McRobie, then an ardent member of The Country Club of Montreal and, presently, a nonagenarian, first dropped a golfball in the hamlet of Dunany and commenced playing there over a crudely fashioned three holes. Her best friend, Miss Catherine Campbell, now Mrs. R.H.Dumbrille, at once challenged her to a game and so golf was introduced to a section of Quebec province that had been sparsely settled by emigres from the Dunany district in what is now the Republic of Ireland. Later a farsighted group of Montrealers, sensing the merits of the location as a summer resort, built a nine hole course there without which Dunany in Quebec would probably never have developed into so attractive a region. A club member in discussing this subject, aptly remarded: 'Golf is the goose that lays the golden eggs at Dunany!

Excellent Golf Country

Dunany is a resort area of about three hundred summer cottages, a score or two of winter houses a church and a general store-all lying inconspicuously in the woods around four small but attractive lakes some fifty miles almost due west of Montreal. Many of the district's original Irish settlers however have since moved away with their places being taken by French speaking Quebecois. Under these circumstances it is remarkable that two of Canada's finest golf clubs were in recent years established in the general vicinity of Dunany. Incidentally both clubs, Lachute and Carling Lake, were built for the Ayers' Interests by Howard Watson, the golf archetect who also designed the Toronto Board of Trade courses where the Carling World Tournament was held in the Fall of 1967 over a specially devised composite eighteen holes. Also within easy reach of Dunany is the St. Andrews East Club that years ago lured knowledgeable players from far and near because of the skill demanded by its nine holes - now dovetailed into a much expanded enterprise. Yet further afield, but close enough for the enthusiast, is another eighteen hole course of great eclat - the Seigneury club of Montebello, a Canadian Pacific promotion that quickly acquired international status.

It says much for the Dunany course, and those who fostered its growth, that, despite the competition just mentioned, the modest little country club, about which this booklet has been written, increasingly prospers and there is no doubt that it is a distinct asset to the sporting amenities of the Lachute region. It also interestingly exemplifies the manner in which several Quebec courses have come into being. But before detailing facts of the Dunany club's origin and development, a glance into golf's beginnings overseas is fascinating - that is of one adheres to the old fashioned belief that the past to some extent presages the future. And here, in musing on what lies ahead, is it too much to hope that golf in Quebec may act as a catalyst between the Anglo Saxon and Gallic peoples who together founded La Belle Province and still live there, amicably, side by side?

How Golf Originated

Golf is considered to have originated in Scotland through someone - Legendarily a shepherd - hitting a stone with a clublike branch of a tree. It was customary to start from a well known point, such as an inn, and play across fields, hills and dales, over hedges and stone walls, fences and streams to a local landmark such as a church tower, thus following the principle of a steeplechase. The idea of the game, expressed in modern jargon, had 'instant appeal', and as it caught on, matches were organized between two agreed points with the winners being those with the lowest scores. This is the basis for the version of golf now known as 'medal play'. So popular did the game become in the Old Country that it affected army enlistment and for a while the pastime was therefore banned by royal decree. To-day there are hundreds of amateurs to every professional, suggesting that if golf remains a game rather than becomes a business it should continue flourishing like the proverbial green bay tree. Long may it do so.

Golf, basically is among the simplest of outdoor amusements requiring, mainly, the ability to hit a stationary ball! Only the player and the element of chance - known as 'the rub of the green' - controls the ball. Furthermore as a game it is enjoyable even without a personal opponent as players can always pit themselves against 'par'. Our press, radio and television media have long and tacitly recognized, by the prominence they give to golf, that it has a universal appeal to the sporting instinct latent in humanity. But too seldom is there reference to the fact that it also provides healthy and pleasant exercise from childhood to well past the biblical three score years and ten, in short its attraction lasts practically from the cradle to the grave. Indeed its lure is such that, once tried, golf is apt to become part of the warp and weft of life itself.

Troops Spread the Game

As to the advent of the game on this continent, seemingly it was brought over by British troops on occupation duties
-as was the case with curling. Here there is evidence that British officers played on seigniorial lands at Murray Bay, P.Q.,
even prior to the founding of the oldest golf club in North America, The Royal Montreal, which celebrated its centenary
in 1973. Other evidence for supporting the belief that British soldiers introduced golf to the world are the scenic and primitive links at Doods on the shores of Galway Bay in Southern Ireland. Reputedly they were built by, and for, a battalion of The Black Watch to encourage the playing of golf and so lessen the boredom of garrison duties. Dooks is cited here as there is anaffinity between anything remotely linked with Erin, and men of Irish descent have, for years, worked on the Dunany Course in Quebec that like the Derry links just mentioned was literally bought for a song. Both clubs are pervaded by a spirit of amateurism that is singularly pleasant.

Writing of soldiers casts the mind back to the First World War and the effect it had on Dunany. With several of the younger element in uniform and overseas, the idea of creating a golf club, for the time being, had to be abandoned. But the spirit that had initiated playing the game in the area waxed, rather than waned, though several years were to pass before any progressive step could be taken. Then, in 1921, the property known as the Smith Farm came on the market and was quickly purchased by an enthusiastic syndicate of twenty men and women, golfers all. These were the Founding Members of the Dunany Country Club, each of whom subscribed $50 towards the $,000 purchase price. It was an excellent buy though the Crown had sold the same land in 1870 for $76. How many acres within fifty miles of a metropolis can now be bought for such a modest sum?

Dunany Starts From Scratch

   The terrain of the proposed course was well wooded, hilly and strewn with rocks, but it had enough turf for grazing animals and which held promise as potential fairways. Further there was a meandering stream and, here and there, depressions held water even in mid-summer. Thus the site appeared suitable for the syndicate’s purpose and time has justified their opinion, although nearly half a century will have passed since the first hole was built and the course changes now being made. The latter include an approximate five hundred yards eighth - a valley hole that will please the eye yet be regarded balefully by those prone to hook because of a pond and stream that will border the left of its fairway. The new dogleg ninth, too, will be longer than its predecessor and, happily, less of a climb. These two closing holes will increase the yardage of this natural and pretty course to around 3,300 yards. At the same time its hilly character makes Dunany play longer than the card suggests and the present par of 35 may be raised when the above changes are completed.

   The ‘horse and buggy’ days were coming to their end in 1922 when the Dunany club was incorporated and to commence with the staff - a man and a boy - had to do construction work, fell trees, remove rocks, clear brush, mow fairways and greens as well as to maintain the course with only, from time to time, added help from a rented team of horses. Even now - nearly fifty years on - the number of staff and the routine remains much the same. To put it in another way Dunany is an excellent example of how well and inexpensively a nine hole course can be built and maintained by a determined band of golfers prepared to donate some of their time for the benefit of their fellows.

   Soon it became obvious that a clubhouse, power mowers, and a watering system for the grass greens that were to replace the ‘sand’ greens, originally installed for economy and case of upkeep, were essential. For these things money - cold, hard cash - was needed, a commodity that was in very limited supply. However the Founders had envisioned this problem arising, together with a means for circumventing it to some extent. And, almost needless to say, the members and their womenfolk, sharing the same aspirations, wholeheartedly supported every club enterprise as it arose.

Financing The Course

   Raising funds was essential in the 1920’s, through the great depression of 1929 onwards and during the Second World War years. But , hidden in the bush, as it were, there were dollars in the form of timber, or, in other words, lumber, firewood and kindling that was salable. So, as soon as title to the property had been established, the staff began to busy themselves with woods operations while members gave willingly of their time at weekends to help in course maintenance. Since then the club has recovered the price paid for its land several times over and thus been able to erect various buildings including, in 1939, the present clubhouse. During this stage of development an adequate watering system was also installed and power driven equipment purchased, in fact every year in some way the club’s amenities were bettered. Behind these activities are many anecdotes that lack of space precludes detailing but which testify to the ‘do it yourself’ spirit of the staff and members and which resulted in improvements that most memorable for Montrealers because of Expo ‘67, The Dunany Country Club rested on a solid base and could pride itself on having achieved the aims of its Founders.

   It is pointless to give scoring records here as changes were constantly made in the course which, not having been designed professionally, like Topsy, ‘just growed’. And obviously each improvement tended to make on old record meaningless. But it is proper to remark that the late Rene Raguin, a life member, won every trophy for men at Dunany - a feat still unequaled.

Dunany’s Sylvan Charm

    One of the attractions of golf is the great variety of its courses. It is also indisputable that no two are identical though seaside links tend to resemble one another. Mountain courses, such as Banff and Jasper, too have similarities - their fairways being graced by alpine plants and frequently invaded by bears and here, and here, in the East, out senior clubs proudly uphold traditions of another day - notably so in the case of those honored by the title ’Royal’! But Dunany, set in the heart of a rural community slightly off the beaten track, lacks such distinctions. Nevertheless every year a stray moose, deer or bear, is still reportedly seen crossing its fairways while wolves and foxes, partridges, pheasants, snipe and curlew, curlew and woodcock, hares etc., - though in fewer numbers, remain common to the area. And, almost daily during spring and fall, flocks of geese and ducks in migratory flight pass overhead, thereby maintaining the impression that the course lies ‘far from the madding crowd’. simplicity and naturalness are consequently Dunany’s greatest charms with the sporting nature of its golf not far behind. Its fairways are also more diversified and undulating that the average town course, making it fun to play and a sound test of golfing ability. Moreover it somehow manages to remain slightly reminiscent of the period when ‘shop’ talk was all of spoons, baffies, mashies and niblicks etc., and golf was the coming thing socially. The so called ‘good old days’.

   The list of Dunany’s past and present officers is very lengthy and this fact bars its insertion here. Nevertheless the current Board of Directors regards this compilation of facts as offering an unique opportunity to record grateful thanks to all their predecessors and express their regrets for omitting names. At the same time a deep bow in the direction of the Ladies’ Branch is also due for their handling of countless social affairs over nearly half a century. recently the ladies’ graciously turned their attention to encouraging the playing activities of their sons and daughters, the Juniors, and in so doing are fanning the amateur spirit that the club has persistently favoured as epitomizing the best in golf. Hence to-day the accent at Dunany is very much on Junior golf.

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