By Tim Lambrinos
Beginning in 1965, a brand new golf course was opened on the northwest corner of Islington Ave at Steeles Ave W. The large property extended north to the CPR train tracks and west to the Humber River. It was named the Riverside Golf Course as a result of running beside the Humber River.
The business initially opened as a nine hole par three golf course with all individual holes located on a flat area flanking Islington Ave. There was a small pond in the centre of the course but there were no sand traps or any obstacles along any portion of the entire grassy course.
Having all par three's, the course was generally designed for beginner golfers. The site had a small clubhouse and a negligible 18 hole miniature golf set-up too. A substantial driving range highlighted the course with 45 separate launching-point rubber mats.
The mats ran alongside the ridge at the top of the crest of the hill. Large flood lamps were erected on towering poles at the top of the driving range that can still be seen today. The multifaceted course actually was ideal in offering an introductory spot for beginners to comprehensively learn how to play the game of golf.
At the landing area at the base of the hill, an additional nine par three holes were initially set up. The incredible and scenic driving range sat atop this steep hill. Customers would drive golf balls down the hill to a clearing extending all the way to the Humber River. However, this area at the base of the hill closest to the Humber was essentially a flood plain. These lower holes became prone to flooding by the river and were abandoned in place of utilizing the area solely as an extended landing area for the driving range.
In the 1970's, local children were sometimes able to arrange tobogganing in the winter months on the driving range hill. The owner of the course would sometimes graciously turn the flood lamps on at the driving range for children to use their sleds during early winter evenings.
Some other local teenagers were fortunate enough to have a summer job at the golf course on Sunday mornings. These lucky area boys were paid $10 a day to pick up and retrieve the driving range balls that had red stripes through the middle of them. The young crew included this writer and another area boy named Mark Waddell. The boys would start their work at 6 a.m. and would work filling up baskets of balls until the first balls came sailing down the driving range hill around 11 a.m. At times, the owner of the course would allow the boys a free game of miniature golf, as a bonus for their work.
The Riverside Golf Course operated until 1990. Currently, there is a new development set to occur. The development being planned is set to take place solely on the top portion of the old golf course. The bottom portion closest to the Humber River is to remain zoned as open space. The development calls for four separate residential apartment towers with 17 blocks of townhomes as 156 back-to-back units.
This month, Brad Butt could be seen hard at work helping set up the showroom that will be used as the new development's sales office. Butt works for Chislett Asphalt Roofing Ltd. and was amazed to still find that the old Riverside Golf Course still listed on many google mapping ledgers when he was trying to find out where to come to work.
The new residential units that will be built atop the old driving range hill will have a picturesque view of the ravine that continues to be stunning.