There is a new home for golf in Canada.
Golf Canada (formerly the Royal Canadian Golf Association) announced Wednesday a monumental agreement that would see a new "Home of Canadian Golf" at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley, with phase one of a $30-million (CAD) plan to be completed by 2025.
The national sport organization’s offices and the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame and museum are set to move to TPC Toronto, along with the offices of the Golf Canada Foundation, the Canadian Club Managers Association and Golf Ontario.
The First Tee – Canada’s national headquarters will be situated there eventually along with a public-access (and free) community putting green, an indoor golf performance centre (for its Team Canada athletes but also used by school groups and more), plus other assets for golf in the country.
"Establishing a new headquarters and a Canadian golf campus with our partners to meet, play, train, plan, celebrate and collaborate, represents a transformative moment to advance the sport," said Golf Canada CEO Laurence Applebaum. "The vision that the Humeniuk family and the leadership group at Osprey Valley have invited us to be a part of with this world-class property is progressive and incredibly exciting."
TPC Toronto has been owned by the Humeniuk family for 25 years. Chris Humeniuk is the current president, taking over a few years ago after selling his mortgage and financial services company. His father Roman and uncle Jerry are land developers who bought TPC Toronto from its first owner in the early 1990s.
TPC Toronto, the country’s lone facility as part of the TPC network, is a 54-hole club north of the city’s airport. Each of the three courses (Hoot, North, and Heathlands) are ranked in the top-60 in Canada according to the SCOREGolf Top 100 ranking — the country’s most visible course-ranking list.
The club, which is currently undergoing a significant expansion, has hosted the Osprey Valley Open on PGA Tour Canada since 2019, qualifier events for both the RBC Canadian Open and U.S. Open, and has committed to host the 2026 Canadian Junior Girls Championship.
The build-out effort at TPC Toronto is part of a grander strategy that will see the facility become a go-to destination for stay-and-play packages, business conferences, and more. Toronto is the fourth-largest city by population in North America.
There was no mention of whether a Canadian Open or CP Women’s Open would be contested at the facility in the future, although SCOREGolf.com reports it is possible one of the three courses at TPC Toronto could play host to a national open one day. Those conversations would take place with sponsors and the LPGA and PGA Tours outside of this new venture.
Phase one of the project will cost around $20 million and is being funded by Golf Canada, Osprey Valley Resorts Inc., and private donors. It will include the corporate headquarters’ moves, the Hall of Fame relocation, and the building of a 30,000 square foot community putting green inspired by the Himalayas Putting Course in St. Andrews.
Fundraising for phase one will be completed by early 2023 with the facility opening in 2025.
Phase two will proceed after fundraising campaigns and more monies raised via naming rights, contributions from industry partners, and government support. It will feature the development of Canada’s First Tee headquarters and an indoor short-game complex plus talent identification centre. Golf Canada previously announced an aggressive vision to advance 30 Canadians to the LPGA and PGA Tours by 2032.
Golf Canada began its search for a new home after Glen Abbey Golf Club’s owner, ClubLink, applied to pivot the site from a golf course in 2015. The vision for this project was originally brought to Golf Canada’s Board of Directors in 2019 and the team, led by Golf Canada chief operations officer Garrett Ball, examined 40 properties in the Greater Toronto Area.
Come 2025 Glen Abbey will have been the home of Golf Canada for 50 years. The Jack Nicklaus design hosted 30 Canadian Opens, the most of any course in the country.
Hicks Design Studio has been contracted by Golf Canada as the architect of the new Golf Canada campus.
“We’re thrilled by the vision presented by Laurence and the entire Golf Canada team and are elated to collaborate with partners who share our vision of elevating golf to new heights in this country,” said Osprey Valley president Chris Humeniuk. “Our family has long dreamed of Osprey Valley as a great Canadian golf destination, and we believe this announcement is a wonderful addition to the momentum we’ve been fortunate to experience in recent years."
