The Local Area
St. Marys G & CC is nestled among towns and cities rich in culture and tradition
St. Marys, Ontario
St. Marys is located on the Thames River in Southwestern Ontario, southwest of Stratford, in the County of Perth. The town is also only 30 minutes north of London and 40 minutes west of the Kitchener-Waterloo area.
St. Marys is known as "The Stonetown" due to the abundance of limestone in the surrounding area. The proximity to this abundant resource gave rise to a large number of beautifully crafted limestone buildings and homes throughout the town. St. Marys contains many 19th century buildings built with locally quarried limestone. Notable buildings include the St. Marys Opera House built in 1880, the spired municipal St. Marys Town Hall built in 1891, and the St. Marys Public Library built in 1904. St. Marys Cement, a large cement producer founded in St. Marys, also capitalized on this close feedstock, and has grown to become a major producer of cement in the province of Ontario.
St. Marys was home to some of Canada's most famous citizens. St. Marys is the burial place of Arthur Meighen, Canada's 9th Prime Minister and was home to Timothy Eaton's first business in Canada. St. Marys is also home to the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame, which is committed to preserving the legacy of baseball in Canada.
Golf in St. Marys can be played at the St. Marys Golf & Country Club, the only course located in the town of St. Marys, and at a few other golf courses located in the surrounding St. Marys area.
Stratford, Ontario
Stratford is situated on the Avon River in Perth County in Southwestern Ontario and is home to approximately 31,000 people. When the area was first settled in 1832, the town site and the river were named after Stratford-upon-Avon, England, of Shakespearean fame. Stratford was incorporated as a town in 1859 and as a city in 1886. The swan has become a symbol of the city of Stratford; each year twenty-four white swans and two black swans are released into the Avon River.
Stratford’s economy took a major turn when the Stratford Shakespeare Festival began in 1953. The annual Stratford Festival now draws hundreds of thousands of theatre-goers and tourists to the area. The world-renowned Festival shows works in four theatres throughout the city: the Festival Theatre, the Avon Theatre, the Tom Patterson Theatre and the Studio Theatre.
Golf in the Stratford area includes two courses located in the city of Stratford, as well as a number of other golf courses, including the St. Marys Golf & Country Club, located in the farming community that surrounds Stratford. The St. Marys Golf & Country Club is only a 15 minute drive from downtown Stratford.
London, Ontario
London, the seat of Middlesex County, is situated along the Quebec City-Windsor Corridor with a metropolitan area population of 457,720. London is located at the forks of the non-navigable Thames River, halfway between Toronto, Ontario and Detroit, Michigan. London and the surrounding area (roughly, the territory between Guelph and Windsor) is collectively known as Southwestern Ontario. Southwestern Ontario is home to upwards of 90 golf courses, 15 of which are located in the city of London.
London was first permanently settled by European settler Peter Hagerman between 1801 and 1804 and became a village in 1826. Since then, London has become the largest municipality in Southwestern Ontario and is a prominent centre for education (The University of Western Ontario and Fanshawe College), health care, tourism, and manufacturing. Two of the most notable businesses founded in London include the London Life insurance company and the Labatt’s and Carling’s breweries. Other large companies that do substantial business in London include Kellogg’s, Ford Motor Products, and 3M.
St. Marys Golf & Country Club is located only 30 minutes North of London.
Kitchener-Waterloo
Kitchener was known as the Town of Berlin from 1854 until 1912 and the City of Berlin from 1912 until 1916. Now known as Kitchener, the metropolitan area, which includes the neighbouring cities of Waterloo and Cambridge is home to approximately 450,000 people.
St. Marys Golf & Country Club is located only 45 minutes southwest of the Kitchener-Waterloo area.