Naming Our Streets
I provided an article similar to the following for “Home on the Green”, which was
published in 2007. The article detailed the history behind the name of each street in our
complex. I thought it important to document this data as many years from now the names
will still be the same but the files may be closed.
Maurice Smith
September 30, 2013
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As it was to be a golf course community, the land developer selected a name for your
street from various prominent players in each of the following categories –
CONDO 1 – 968: Names honouring prominent Masters Tournament winners.
CONDO 2 – 1002: Names honouring prominent U. S. Open winners.
CONDO 3 – 1066: Names honouring and recognizing prominent CPGA Champions.
CONDO 4 – 1079: Winners of the British “The Open” Championship.
CONDO 5 – 1193: Names recognizing “Lady” legends and honourable mentions.
It all starts with the common roads in our complex. The main entry road from Highway
48 is named Ballantrae Common and leads to all other “common roads” The two traffic
circles were logically called First Round and Final Round.
The roadways called The Masters South and The Masters North delineate the south
and north portions of the “Ring Roads”. These were named after what could be described
as the most prominent single tournament in golf.
Our eastern entrance road, Legendary Trail, it has been suggested, was named for the
many legends that blazed a trail for the great game of golf. I am of the belief that it might
have been named for the many legendary tales told by golfers playing the game at
BG&CC.
Here are some facts on the golfer after which your specific street was named. Some of
these facts you may already know, some may be considered meaningless trivia and some
may be trivia you would like to know.
Andy’s Alley – Andy North was a three-time All American while attending the
University of Florida in Gainesville. He then had a moderately successful career on the
PGA Tour, winning only three tournaments. What is unique about Andy is that two of his
three wins came at the U. S. Open.
Arnie’s Chance – Arnold Palmer, as we know, was one of the players who dominated
the game for many years. He won the Masters four times and was also runner-up four
times. He participated in the Masters for an unbelievable 50 consecutive years. His very
first win as a pro was at the Canadian Open in 1955. It was played at Weston G&CC.
Does someone in your house watch too much golf on TV? You can blame Arnold, as he
was one of the founders of the Golf Channel.
Babe’s Way – Mildred (Babe) Didrikson-Zaharias was considered by many as the
greatest woman athlete of the first half of the 20th century. She was the first American
woman to win the British Amateur title (1947). She then turned professional and went on
to win 33 times on the LPGA tour, including three wins at the Ladies’ U. S. Open. Babe
married a professional wrestler with the last name Zaharias. Shortly before her death, she
donated the Babe Zaharias trophy, which is still presented today (2012) to the American
woman amateur athlete of the year.
Barrett Bend – Percy Barrett won the CPGA title twice. He also won the Canadian
Open the fourth year it was played (1907). He became a Southern Ontario course
designer and did the original layout for both the Mississaugua and Galt Golf Clubs.
Ben’s Reign – Ben Hogan won the Masters twice and was runner-up on four occasions.
He also won the U. S. Open four times. He was involved in a horrific auto accident in
1949, which really shortened his career. In 1951, he entered just five tournaments but he
won three of them including the Masters and the U.S. Open. He finished second and
fourth in the other two. He won the 1953 British Open Championship the only time he
entered the tournament.
Berg Court – Patricia (Patty) Berg won 39 times on the LPGA tour. She was also the
leading money winner on three occasions. As of 2012 she holds the record for the most
Major wins (15) on the LPGA tour. On three different occasions, the Associated Press
named her the Woman Athlete of the Year.
Bobby Locke Lane – Arthur D’Arcy “Bobby” Locke, like Gary Player, came from South
Africa. He finished as the low amateur the first time (1936) he played in the British Open
Championship. He eventually won it four times. He also won the Canadian Open in 1947.
Boros Link – Julius Boros won 18 times on the PGA Tour. He won the U. S. Open in
both 1952 & 1963. With his win at the PGA Championship at age 48, he became the
oldest player ever to win a major.
Braid Bend – James Braid was also a five-time winner of the British Open
Championship. When he retired from professional golf, he became a course designer. He
designed both the King’s Course and the Queen’s Course at Gleneagles, Scotland. Many
Canadians consider these courses among their favorites in that country.
Couples Gallery – The street named for Fred Couples lines the eastern portion of Condo
1. It encompasses the residential area much in the way the gallery of fans lined the
fairways when he is playing. His win at the Masters came in 1992 and he is still (2012) a
strong and popular player on the tour.
Emmo Alley – This Street is the only one in the complex not named after a professional
golfer. It was named as a tribute to a local Stouffville politician for his unwavering
support and efforts through the Municipal Planning and approval process for our
complex. Schickedanz Bros thought so highly of this person, the Mayor of Stouffville at
the time, that after the complex was designed they wanted to recognize and give credit for
all the work he had done. They ultimately decided to name a street in his honour and used
a nickname he had since his early years. The nickname, Emmo, (pronounced M – O)
belongs to Wayne Emmerson who at one time also lived in the complex.
Faldo’s Flight – Nick Faldo was a three-time winner of the Masters. With his win in
1996, he set a record by coming back from a six-stroke deficit after the third round. He
was one of the most successful European players in the U. S. He also won the British
Open Championship three times.
Gene’s Landing – Gene Sarazen is one of only a handful of players to win all Major golf
championships. He won 39 times on the PGA tour and won the U. S. Open in both 1922
and 1932.
Gentle Ben – “Gentle” Ben Crenshaw was a two-time winner of the Masters. He turned
pro in 1973 and won in 1984 and 1995. He, like Seve Ballesteros, has also been the
runner-up on two occasions. He is widely regarded as one of the best putters in golf
history.
Golden Bear – Jack William Nicklaus also known as “The Golden Bear” was for many
years revered as a major force in professional golf. Until recently he was generally
regarded as the greatest golfer of all time. Jack is the only golfer with two streets in our
complex named after him. See Jack’s Round.
Hagen Hollow – Walter Charles Hagen was a major golf figure in the first half of the
20th century. He won the U. S. Open twice. In 1922, he became the first American to win
the British Open. (He eventually won it four times.)
Hale’s Landing – Between 1971 and 1994, Hale Irwin won 20 times on the PGA Tour.
He played on five Ryder Cup teams and won the U. S. Open three times. His third win
came at Medinah in 1990, 15 days after his 45th birthday. This made him the oldest
player, ever (until 2012) to win this tournament.
Horton’s First – Horton Smith was the winner of the very first Masters, when it was held
in1934. He repeated the feat again in 1936. His share of the prize money in 1934 was
$1,500. Actually, the tournament lost money and one of the host-club members put up the
$1,500. The winner’s share of the 2013 purse was in excess of $1.4 million.
Jack’s Round – Jack Nicklaus is a six-time winner at Augusta and is revered as one of
the greatest golfers of all time. His dominance at the Masters spanned an amazing 24
years. Three of the Masters records he still holds are: the oldest golfer to win (46), most
cuts made (37) and most top ten finishes (22).
Jose’s Way – Jose Maria Olazabal spent the first ten years of his professional career on
the European tour. During this time, he travelled from Europe to twice win the Masters.
He was a member of the European Ryder Cup team on seven occasions.
Lamb’s Run – Willie Lamb was a successful multiple winner of tournaments in the early
years of the CPGA. When he retired from tournament play, he became the Head Pro at
Lambton G & CC in Toronto where he remained until 1964.
Lee’s Gallery – Lee Trevino (The Merry Mex) is an icon for Mexican Americans. He
won 29 times on the PGA Tour, and another 29 times on the Senior’s Tour. He won the
U. S. Open in both 1968 and 1971. His 1971 win came only after an 18 hole playoff with
Jack Nicklaus. Two weeks later he won the Canadian Open, and the following week the
British Open. He thereby became the only player ever to win three national titles in the
same year. He went on to win the Canadian Open on two other occasions.
Little Ben – The developer wanted to name a street after the local amateur icon, the great
Marlene Stewart-Streit. Unfortunately, the names Marlene and Streit where both rejected
by zoning officials. It was therefore decided to name a street Little Ben, a name by
which she had been affectionately referred to by members at Lookout Point in Fonthill
Ontario, the golf club where she first took up the game. The “Little” refers to her 5ft 4
stature and “Ben” to her golfing personality, spirit and competitiveness, somewhat like
another golfer named Ben Hogan. The accomplishments of Stewart-Streit are
unparalleled in the world of women’s golf. She was an eleven-time winner of the
Canadian Ladies’ Open Championship, the oldest to win the United States Senior
Women’s Amateur, and the only golfer to have ever won the British, the United States,
the Australian and the Canadian Ladies’ Amateur Golf Championships. Marlene is also
the only Canadian (male or female) to be inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame. In
1967 she was awarded an Officer of the Order of Canada. (This street was originally
named Mickey Lane after the prominent female golfer, Mickey Wright).
Long Stan – Stan Leonard was Canada’s most persistent champion capturing a total of
eight titles during his 21-year career. He played exclusively on the Canadian Tour from
1938 until 1954. In 1955 he joined the PGA Tour. Many years later, he was to say, “I
wish I had played some PGA events earlier in my career”. He finished in the top ten at
the Masters on four different occasions. He was also the low Canadian at the Canadian
Open nine times.
Lord Byron – Byron Nelson was a two-time winner of the Masters and a prominent
player in the early years of the PGA. He also won the Canadian Open in 1945 when it
was played at Thornhill Country Club. That year he won a total of 18 official PGA
tournaments and finished second in seven others.
McDermott Trail – John J. McDermott Jr. was the first U. S. born golfer to win the U.S.
Open. He won in both 1911 and 1912. When he won in 1911, he was 19 years 10
months old, making him the youngest ever to win this tournament. One hundred years
later this record still stands.
Morris Belt – The British Open Championship is unique in that it has had multiple father
and son winners. Not only that, but Tom Morris Sr. and Tom Morris Jr. each won the
tournament four times. The Belt portion of this name also has some historical
significance. Tom Morris Jr. was the first participant ever to receive an actual award for
his efforts. The prize? … a belt.
Player Place – Gary Player was born in South Africa and has three Masters titles. With
his win in 1961, he became the first ever non-American winner. With 23, he still holds
the record for the most-consecutive cuts made at this tournament.
Rawlins Gate – Horace Rawlins was the winner of the very first U. S. Open, played in
1895. There were 11 entries that year and he received $150.00 of the $335.00 purse plus
a $50.00 gold medal. In 2013, there were 9820 entries with the winner receiving
$1,440,000 of the $8,000,000 purse.
Rawls Lane – Elizabeth (Betsy) Earle Rawls took up the game when she was 17 years
old. She won her first of 55 LPGA Tour events when she was 24. Included in her 55 wins
were eight Majors. She won the U. S. Women’s Open four times, a feat she shares only
with Mickey Wright. Betsy was inducted into the LPGA Hall of Fame in 1967.
Seve’s Approach – Severiano “Seve” Ballesteros was one of six professional golfers in
the Ballesteros family. He won the Masters twice and was runner-up on two other
occasions. His win at Augusta in 1980 was the first ever by a European player. In
addition, at the time, it gave him the record as the youngest (at 23) ever winner. (Tiger
Woods, of course, broke this record in 1997)
Sir George – George Knudson is one of Canada’s most recognized golf names in the
world. He won the CPGA title five times. He tied for second in the 1969 Masters when
he missed a birdie putt on the 72nd hole. Making the putt would have put him in a playoff
with the eventual winner, George Archer. He still shares (with Mike Weir) the record as
the Canadian with the most wins (eight) on the PGA Tour.
Snead’s Green –Sam Snead managed three wins at the Masters. He is also famous for
holding the record as the oldest player ever to make the cut at the U. S. Open. He did it in
1973 at the ripe age of 61. His 82 PGA wins is still the record (at least until 2012) for the
most lifetime wins on tour.
Suggs Lane – Louise Suggs won 50 times on the LPGA tour; eight were Major
Championship titles. In 1950, she was a Co-Founder of the LPGA. She was also the first
woman elected to the LPGA Hall of Fame. In 1949, she won the U. S. Women’s Open
with a 14 stroke margin. This was a record for the largest victory margin, at least until
2012.
Turn Taylor – John Taylor, along with James Braid and Harry Vardon dominated the
British Open Championship at the turn of the 20th century. He was the winner five times.
He also captained Britain’s Ryder Cup team to their win over the U. S. in 1933. He is the
only team captain on either side never to have played in an actual Ryder Cup match.
Tommy Armour Alley – Armour won the Canadian Open three times. He also won each
of the PGA Championship and the British Open once. In 1921, he was a member of the
British team that played an international tournament against the U. S. In 1926 he played
for a professional U. S. team that played an international match against Britain. Thereby,
he became the first player ever to represent both the U. S. and Britain in international
play.
Vardon Gate – Harry Vardon, by winning the British Open six times, holds the record
for the most wins of this prestigious event. If, when holding your golf club, you have the
little finger of your lower hand overlapping the index finger of the upper hand, you are
using what is called a Vardon grip. This grip style was originally used and made famous
by Harry Vardon. Today the PGA tour player with the lowest stroke average for a season
is presented with the Vardon trophy, named for Harry Vardon.
Wethered Way – Joyce Wethered (later to become Lady Heathcote-Amory) won the
British Women’s Amateur on four occasions. She also won all five English Ladies’
Championships she entered. The immortal Bobby Jones once remarked, after golfing with
her, that she was the finest golfer, man or woman, he had ever seen.
Willie’s Round – Willie Anderson was a Scottish emigrant who became the first golfer to
win four U. S. Opens. He is one of four players to accomplish this feat. (Others were Ben
Hogan, Jack Nicklaus and the amateur Robert T. Jones Jr.). He is however the only
player in history to have won this tournament in three consecutive years.