REMEMBERING AN INDUSTRY ICON Hugh Kirkpatrick

(1941 – 2001) in his left hand. He had passed away in the place that had given him so much joy and pleasure since October of 1978.

Hugh’s career started in the early 1960’s working for his father’s construction company building golf courses all over Canada. He had taken on the role of shaping greens and took a lot of pride in his experience and abilities at the finishing touches before they were sowed in. Up until 1966, some of the courses he shaped include Bayview, Brampton Golf Club, Rideauview (Ottawa), The Truro G.C. in Nova Scotia, Calgary’s Earl Grey G.C., John Bloomberg G.C. in Winnipeg among others. Wanting to be closer to home with his wife Rosemary and two children, Hugh was hired as Superintendent at Conestoga G.C. and would stay there from 1967 – 1973. A new golf course was built by renowned architect Robbie Robinson north of Port Hope called Dalewood G.C. in 1974 where Hugh was hired as Superintendent until 1978. All of these experiences would eventually lead him to his final destination as

Hugh’s impact was not only felt on the golf course throughout his career but off the course as well.

Superintendent at Westmount Golf & C.C. in the fall of 1978.

Designed by Stanley Thompson, Westmount Golf & Country Club was looking for change, someone to really spruce the place up ahead of it’s 50th anniversary in 1981. Immediately he would become involved with a major leaf removal program by convincing the Board of Directors to purchase additional equipment. Removing 80 wagons, 40 yards each of leaves annually throughout the property and moving them to compost piles that he would manage throughout his career. Although the trees at Westmount are beautiful and really the make up of the course, they are a menace to Superintendents. Lack of air flow and immense shade are key ingredients for disease and ice damage. Hugh went on to manage this over the course of his career by strategically removing trees and installing fans at specific green locations to improve air flow. This was not received well by the membership according to recently retired CPGA Head Professional Rob Strahan. “I distinctly recall when Hugh cut down a number of trees between the 5th green and 6th tee deck. He struggled for years trying to grow grass on the 5th green and it was simply impossible with the amount of trees and shade he was dealing with. The membership was not happy initially but once they saw the improvement to the putting surface they realized it was necessary.” Rob Strahan made Westmount his home from 1981 –2021, where he would serve as the Head Professional for 31 years and work along side

Hugh Kirkpatrick. “Hughey loved to play golf, and he was pretty good too. The thing that sticks out the most is that after a round you would see him back out there on a piece of equipment cutting something or cleaning an area up that he noticed while he was playing” says Rob. Hugh felt it was important to see the property not just as a Superintendent, but as a golfer as well. “That’s when he would notice the imperfections and would get right on fixing or cleaning it up.”

With Hugh’s extensive experience in golf course construction and along side course designer Thomas McBroom, they completed a tee renovation on all 18 holes expanding from a 2 tee course to 4 tee decks per hole. He also went on to rebuild 4 of the greens to USGA specs and renovate the practice facility to include ten irrigated bentgrass target greens and 5 new practice tee decks. When asked who did the shaping on the projects in an interview back in 1997, Hugh replied “I did, it’s like riding a bike. Without a little construction on the course, it would get a little boring.” Another major challenge that he and his staff faced each year was the cold and bitter winters that would play havoc on the greens. In speaking with other industry experts and those facing similar challenges, Hugh decided to experiment with solid plastic covers on some of the most problematic greens that would not allow water and ice to touch the surface of the grass. This process not only improved the health of the turf as it came out of winter, but was also beneficial as the greens were dry and free of twigs and debris.

Although Hugh didn’t receive a formal education in turfgrass management, he was constantly learning and expanding his knowledge within his craft. Throughout his career he went on to teach and train several Class A superintendents and openly admitted that a two-year diploma in turfgrass management was mandatory when hiring his Assistants. Erik Vaughn, a graduate from the University of Guelph’s Diploma in Turfgrass Management program completed his internship under the mentorship and direction of Hugh Kirkpatrick in 1997. Current superintendent at Rebel Creek Golf Club in Baden, ON reflected on his time at Westmount. “That was an incredible experience and I really enjoyed my time learning from Hugh and his team” says Erik. “What I recall the most was that Hugh was very organized and planning weeks in advance. I really appreciated the time he took to teach and explain the processes as I was learning.”

Hugh’s impact was not only felt on the golf course throughout his career but off the course as well. He was a dedicated professional that devoted his time to the industry. Serving on the Board of Directors for the OGSA and elected President in 1985. His illustrious and successful career would be recognized in 1997 as he was awarded with the CGSA Superintendent of the Year. On that day in June 2001, we not only lost one of the turf industry’s finest, but we lost one of the most gentle, caring and respected individuals I have ever had the privilege to know. ■