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Hylands Golf Course - Memorial Project
By Manuela Charette, Communications Advisor
Photo: Members of the committee and veterans at the unveiling of the Memorial Project – Hylands Golf Course.
It was a beautiful day to honour our veterans and military personnel at Hylands Golf Club. On 30 July 2009, the military golf course in South Ottawa unveiled the Memorial Project that was born back in 2005.
In September of that year, the President of Hylands Golf Club, LCol Martha Stouffer, and her committee endorsed a project to name Hylands’ two golf courses and the 36 holes after specific battles, battle honours, and famous units, ships and squadrons. The First World War was selected as a start date for the naming of the holes.
Committee members CWO (Ret’d) Chuck Bowden, Capt (N) John Pickford, CWO Ray McInnis, MCpl Terry Thorburn and Mr. Mel Gilbey met several times between April 2006 and May 2007 to discuss the naming of the courses and holes. They selected the names and wrote descriptions for each hole, giving equal distribution amongst Navy, Army, and Air services. Environmental historians as well as the Director of History and Heritage (DHH) were consulted on the final descriptions.
“I am very excited about today’s ceremony,” said Mr. Bowden. “I have a hard time keeping my heart in my shirt.”
“It’s nice for members who come here to see the recognition that has been given for their dedication and sacrifice over their service life,” said Capt (N) Pickford.
“This memorial project is important because it helps us carry the tradition and the history of the CF to the younger generations because a lot of people forgot the sacrifices that were made during both World Wars. The plaques that we have at each hole are a vibrant remembrance of these people and what they’ve done for the country,” stated Col JP Cyr, the President of Hylands, before the ceremony started.
The ceremony brought together the participants of the Men’s Member Guest Golf Tournament, the committee members, four recent Afghanistan veterans and also three Second World War veterans who assisted with the unveiling of the memorial. Jack Highley, Gord Pantalone, and George Roper were honoured to be part of the event.
“It’s a great day for the club. The memorial is enticing new members to join the club and shows them what the military has achieved. These plaques will endure for a long time and people will have an opportunity to receive a real history course every time they golf,” said Jack Highley.
When asked what he feels about the memorial, George Roper said: “I think about all the comrades I served with. It’s great to have these plaques to tell the story of all our great achievements, great battles, great warriors we had and great generals who led us.”
“Every time you read these memorial plaques you are paying homage to the military. This is the club’s way of celebrating the military heritage and promoting Esprit de Corp,” concluded LCol Martha Stouffer, who came to the event.
“Five years from concept to completion, today was a very special day for Hylands Golf Course.
When you play the Rockcliffe and Uplands courses, it is a look back at history and our veterans will never be forgotten” said CWO Ray McInnis.
A true jewel among Canadian Forces golf facilities, Hylands provides affordable golf to military personnel and also hosts numerous regional, national and international military tournaments.
For more information about the Hylands Golf Course or to become a member, please visit www.hylandsgc.com.
What’s in a name?
The Hylands Golf Club renamed the North course as Rockcliffe and the South course as Uplands.
Rockcliffe Course:
Known as the Rockcliffe Rifle Range in 1897 and handed over to the military in 1899, Ottawa Air Station became one of the six original airfields opened by the Air Board in various locations across Canada in 1920. In fact, it was the only combined land and water station in Canada. First as RCAF Station Ottawa in 1933, and then RCAF Station Rockcliffe in 1940, it was very active during and after the Second World War, being the home to many squadrons. It was also the home of Air Material Command and the RCAF Hospital until it ceased being used as an air station in the mid-1960s. The site was eventually called CFB Ottawa (North), until its closure in 1994.
Memorial Plaques:
Hole #1: VIMY
Hole #2: ENGLISH CHANNEL
Hole #3: REMEMBRANCE
Hole #4: KOREA
Hole #5: HMCS HAIDA (G63/215)
Hole #6: HONG KONG
Hole #7: FORTRESS EUROPE
Hole #8: PEACEKEEPERS
Hole #9: ORTONA
Hole #10: BCATP
Hole #11: BISCAY
Hole #12: SICILY
Hole #13: PASSCHENDAELE
Hole #14: COASTAL COMMAND
Hole #15: HMCS ST LAURENT (DDE/DDH 205)
Hole #16: BATTLE OF BRITAIN
Hole #17: GOTHIC LINE
Hole #18: NORMANDY
Uplands Course:
Uplands was first used as an airfield in 1919 and it grew into a thriving civil and commercial airport by 1939. In 1940, No.2 Service Flying Training School of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan was established at the airport and during the Second World War it graduated some 70 RCAF and Allied pilots a month. From 1945 to 1947 it was known as RCAF Station Uplands and the home of Maintenance Command. In 1950, the RCAF returned to Uplands and for the next few decades it was a fighter base as well as home to various transport and photographic squadrons. From 1968 to 1994 it was designated Canadian Forces Base Ottawa (South), and despite its closure, many military organizations are still stationed there today.
Memorial Plaques:
Hole #1: ARNHEM
Hole #2: GULF AND KUWAIT
Hole #3: YPRES
Hole #4: CEYLON
Hole #5: MEDITERRANEAN
Hole #6: FLERS-COURCELETTE
Hole #7: BURMA
Hole #8: DIEPPE
Hole #9: ARCTIC
Hole #10: THE SCHELDT
Hole #11: FALCON SQUADRON
Hole #12: HMCS RAINBOW (CN JG)
Hole #13: PACIFIC COAST
Hole #14: AMIENS
Hole #15: HMCS SACKVILLE (K181)
Hole #16: SOUTH WEST ASIA
Hole #17: NORTH AFRICA
Hole #18: ATLANTIC
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