Set to celebrate its centennial next year, the Lookout Point Golf and Country Club has come a long way from idea to reality, beginning with a humble farmhouse and culminating in a world-champion-spawning modern golf course that has served as a source of pride for Fonthill.
The idea for Lookout Point Golf and Country Club seemed to have existed as far back as 1919, when a group of Welland businessmen decided to establish a course in the area, one that would serve as a sporting mecca for both amateurs and golfing pros across the continent.
With this in mind, an old dilapidated farmhouse located at what was then known as Pelham Heights was acquired, along with approximately 110 acres of land. For designing the facility and the course layout, the team approached Walter J. Travis, an Australian-American considered among the foremost amateur golfers of the United States in the first quarter of the 1900s, and widely consulted as a course architect.
The principal work in building and development seems to have been done in 1921. Initially, the course consisted of four holes that encircled the clubhouse, which formerly stood at the 16th tee.
The board of directors’ original plan called for nine holes, but was soon expanded to 18 in hopes that the expenditure would be worth it based on public reception, increasing the projected capital expenditures to approximately $100,000 and doubling expected membership from 150 to 300 people.
On June 3, 1922, an official ceremony opened Lookout Point to the public. The list of directors of the fledgling club included L.B. Spencer, R.M. Beatty, T.J. Dillon, Robert Cooper, and other well-known business leaders from Welland.
The first local professional golfers at the club were A. Campbell and J.N. Ogilvie. The original version of the clubhouse can be seen in today’s photo, taken in 1926.
In 1928, the clubhouse relocated to the peak of the hill, and the course was redesigned. During the 1930s, future 1938 senior men’s champion Arthur Keeling served as club professional, and 1962 title winner Stan Horne served as the assistant pro.
In 1942, a devastating fire consumed the old building, and the club had to be rebuilt from the ground up. Construction of the current clubhouse structure began in 1946 and was completed by 1963.
Some of the amenities that came with the new structure included an incline car and a pro shop that was added in 1951. From 1967 to 1983, the club also hosted the Fonthill Ski Centre, a cross-country and downhill facility that allowed the golf slopes to be utilized during the winter.
Over the years, many notable golfers have been associated with Lookout Point, because they played, visited, or trained there.
PGA Hall-of-Famer Gordon McInnis Sr. began as a caddy and junior member at the club before joining as an assistant pro in 1938.
