Whitevale GC to host GAO Junior Boy’s Championship as part of 50th Anniversary Celebrations

Whitevale, Ontario, February 7, 2008 — Fifty years to the day that original members played their first round at Whitevale Golf Club today’s members will take part in the biggest party in club history.

As part of a weeklong celebration from June 9-14, the club will be inviting back former members and new friends to take part in a series of events including the 50th Anniversary party on June 14—50 years to the day that the club opened its fairways. A lavish dinner/dance for several hundred people is planned highlighted by a 20-piece band.

The private member equity club that’s located in the quaint hamlet of Whitevale in the northeast GTA will also unveil a “Wall of Fame” paying tribute to the extraordinary golfers who called Whitevale home over the years.

In a tribute to Jack Boyes, the club founder, who had a passion for promoting junior golf at the club and across the province, Whitevale Golf Club is hosting the GAO Junior Boys Championship from July 22-25 as part of its anniversary festivities.

Boyes, a pharmacist from Oshawa, dedicated 15 years volunteering as a member of the GAO’s Board of Directors and one year travelling the province as the head of the course rating and measurement committee.

“Junior golf is part of the rich history and traditions we have established over the decades at Whitevale,” says General Manager Alex Maggiacomo. “The club and the course has come a long way over the years and we’re looking forward to showing it for the province’s top juniors in July.”

Whitevale's 6,712, par-72 layout wanders peacefully through countryside hills and valleys in a picturesque natural golf setting that is far removed from the hustle and bustle of the city—although downtown Toronto is only 30-minutes away. West Duffin's Creek, which is strategically woven into the design, meanders through the walkable course and it is connected to the Seaton Hiking Trail.

In the early stages of developing the club, Boyes called upon his good friend Bill Diddel, a founding member of the American Society of Golf Course Architects, to assist him with laying out the course. Construction started in 1955 and was a slow process. Diddel, who died at the age of 100 in 1985, is credited with designing 300 courses, mainly in the American Midwest. A web site dedicated to him, www.billdiddel.com says Diddel, a three-time Indiana amateur champion, shot his age on more than 1,200 occasions in his lifetime!

Renowned Canadian golf course architect Tom McBroom worked his magic at the club in stages from August 2004 to June 2006 when the entire renovation project was complete. As part of the $3 million renewal, all bunkers were rebuilt and a few were added or relocated, several holes were realigned, a couple of ponds were expanded, new tee decks were built and added, a new irrigation system was installed and a reservoir was built. Interestingly, the club had one of its busiest summers on record in 2007 with over 37,000 rounds played!

Additional club and course photos available upon request by contacting brentlong@cogeco.ca

For more information please contact: Alex Maggiacomo, General Manager, Whitevale Golf Club
905-294-9600, alex@whitevalegolfclub.com, www.whitevalegolfclub.com