History

The golf club was founded by Bishop’s University and received a charter from the Royal Canadian Golf Association in the year 1897.

There are four golf clubs that pre-exist Lennoxville in the RCGA. They are: Royal Montreal founded in 1873; Royal Quebec founded in 1874; Murray Bay founded in 1876; and Royal Ottawa founded in 1891. The Old Lennoxville Golf Club is the oldest “9 hole” golf club in the RCGA and in the province of Quebec.

In 1902, a request was made to Bishop’s from a group of professors. Their proposal was accepted and consequently, a clubhouse was erected and the “College Golf Links” was born. The College Golf Links operated under this agreement for five years. The name was changed to the “St. Francis Golf Club” in 1908. The Club operated until 1920 under the same type of contractual agreement.

In November 1927, a new lease between Bishop’s and Lennoxville Golf Club was approved with an additional package of land to facilitate the expansion to the present 9 hole layout. This expansion took place around 1930. The Club also hired its first Pro/Greens Keeper in 1927. His name was Alfie Lawrence. From 1927 through 1962 the Lennoxville Golf Club operated with a Board of Directors which continued to lease from the University.

In 1963, the Directors of the Lennoxville Golf Club founded and constructed the “Milby” course. Owned and operated by the Lennoxville Golf Club, the “Directors” continued to operate both clubs under the umbrella of “the Lennoxville Golf Club” until 1975. The two different locations were being referred to as the Lennoxville Golf Club (Milby Course) and the Lennoxville Golf Club (the Old Course), thus the present name of the “Old Lennoxville Golf Club” was established.

In 1975, the Directors hired Max Oxford as Head Professional at the Milby Course and Garth Smith returned to The Old Course to operate it for Bishop’s University and occupy the Head Profession/Superintendent position. Eventually, Bishop’s divested itself of the “Milby Course”.

In 1979, the Lennoxville Golf Club (Milby Course) changed its name to the “Milby Golf Club” as it is presently referred to. The two golf clubs have been run as two separate entities since that time.