Course Update

Check out the Highlands Links Facebook page for pictures of the improvements being made to the course. Looking very good!

Welcome!

My name is Greg McMullin and I've started this blog to share some of my thoughts on why Highlands Links has been, is, and will continue to be an important and unique place for anyone interested in golf, community and friendship.

Beyond sharing my thoughts and experiences at Highlands Links I will also provide readers with information on the history of the Highlands region of Cape Breton so as to provide some context for the development of the golf course and why Highlands Links has become, what many knowledgeable observers consider, a world class golf course and a national treasure.

While this blog will be authored by myself,  I would like to say that many of my opinions are shared by a large and growing group of people who have been fortunate enough to experience Highlands Links. I say this with confidence and am hopeful that this blog will encourage anyone who has experienced Highlands Links to share their experiences and stories with a larger audience.

Readers should note that I have organized the blog in reverse chronological order with the newest posts last and the oldest posts first. I have chosen this sequence in order to provide some continuity for those who may be reading the blog for the first time. Enjoy

Aerial Photo of Highlands Links circa
early 1990's by Warren Gordon

My Friends and I

For those that don't know me I'd like to provide a little background on myself and my association with Ingonish and Highlands Links.
I was born and raised in Sydney, Cape Breton Nova Scotia where I resided until the age of 20 at which time I moved to Halifax to attend St. Mary's University. Growing up in Sydney I attended Cornwallis Elementary School, Constantine School, Park Jr. High School, Sydney Academy and finally St. Francis Xavier Jr. College.

My earliest recollections of the Ingonish area date back to my teenage years when my friends and I would regularly travel to Ingonish for weekend camping excursions during the summer months. At that time some of my friends had access to vehicles and with this new found mobility we were able to set off and explore various parts of Cape Breton Island on most weekends. It was during these outings that I became more fully aware of what the Cape Breton Highlands National Park had to offer including outstanding scenery, rugged landscapes, beaches, hiking trails, camp grounds and the Highlands Links Golf Course.

My first occasion to experience Highlands Links was circa 1971 on a hot July afternoon. At that time I couldn't have been described as a golfer per se as I was just beginning to develope an interest in the game. As was the case with many young golfers at the time I had never had any instruction in the game and without doubt fit into the hacker category and in fact could most likely have been a poster child for the term. Regardless, I recall setting out to play Highlands Links with some balls and a short set of Kro Flight clubs with the end result being my getting severely beaten up by the course :-) but coming away with a lifetime memory.

Since this first experience at Highlands Links I have been fortunate to play and enjoy Highlands Links with my friends on many occasions and it is something I always look forward to!

My friends and I on number 16 green.

Some Old Highlands Links Pictures

One of my objectives with this blog is to provide the reader with some Highlands Links history starting with the events leading up to the decision to build the course and following along with noteworthy events up to today. I thought I would share some very early pictures of the course so as to set the stage. I hope you enjoy viewing these pictures.

This is a 1936 aerial photograph of the main portion of the land that
the golf course was built on.

This is the original Stanley Thompson drawing showing
the course layout. Most likely dated 1937. Interesting to note
that number 12 tee was originally planned to be located
across the Clyburn River

Highlands Links was built with only two pieces of heavy
equipment. The men who built the course 1938

Herb and Earl Donovan 1938 - Sixth fairway.

Number 1 - Ben Franey circa 1941

How did Cape Breton Highlands National Park Come to Be?

In the early part of the 20^th century the Federal Government made a commitment to the establishment of National Parks. These parks were to be protected environments that would strike a balance between public access and their enjoyment and preservation. The guiding principal upon which National Parks were founded can best be summed up with the phrase “use without abuse”.  The federal act that came into being when the National Parks Agency was founded stated that “ the national parks of Canada are hereby dedicated to the people of Canada for their benefit, education and enjoyment.”

The first national parks were established in Western Canada and included Banff, Alberta, Glacier, B.C. and Jasper. Alberta.  Following the establishment of these and other western parks there was a move to establish parks in other provinces and over time there were parks established in other provinces including Ontario and Manitoba.

In the early 1930’s discussions and lobby efforts were made by provincial politicians in the Maritime Provinces to designate national parks in the region and the Parks Department of the Federal Government undertook to search out appropriate location(s) that would be suitable. It was at this time that the Cape Breton Highlands area was identified as an appropriate location for a National Park due to it’s ruggedness and outstanding scenery.  In 1936 the Government of Nova Scotia deeded 95,000 hectares of land in the Cape Breton highlands to the Federal Government and the Cape Breton Highlands National Park was founded.

Once the park had been officially formed efforts began to put in place infrastructure that would provide access and enjoyment opportunities to people wishing to visit the park. During this period (1937-1938) the priority was to improve the roads to and in the park. Prior to this undertaking, the roads in northern Cape Breton were unpaved and notoriously difficult to navigate and it was clear to all that improving them was the first step in making the park a destination.

This picture is dated circa 1930 and shows a

section of the Cabot Trail near Cap Rouge on

the west side of the island

.

Cabot Trail road construction 1932

Alexander Graham Bell on Cabot Trail - Date and
Location unknown

Fortunately todays Cabot Trail is a much
better road surface!

Additional Cape Breton Pictures: Tom Childs, who resides in Aberdeen, Cape Breton has put together an outstanding collection of Cape Breton photographs. If you have never visited Cape Breton and would like to understand why many people consider Cape Breton to have some of the best scenery in the world please visit his site and judge for yourself. Anyone interested in pictures more specific to the northern part of the island where Highlands Links is located sould refer to any pictures in areas marked Ingonish, Northern Cabot Trail, Aspy Bay,
Dingwall, Pleasant Bay, Meat Cove and White Point.

http://www.capebretonestates.com/about_cape_breton.html

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For anyone interested in a much more complete understanding of the development of National Parks in the Maritime Provinces it is suggested that you refer to a well written and researched book by Alan MacEachern.  The details of this publication are:

"Natural Selections - National Parks in Atlantic Canada 1935-1970"

Author - Alan MacEachern,

McGill - Queen's University Press 2110

ISBN:  0-7735-2157-7

Accommodations for Travellers

In addition to the considerable effort expended to improve access along the Cabot Trail it also became a priority to provide accommodation facilities for travellers. Prior to the designation of the Park and the road improvement program the Highlands region of Cape Breton was remote and rugged and while it did see travellers and tourists, accommodation facilities for tourists were lacking. Given the anticipated increase in visitors to the area it became clear that this would have to be addressed.

Parks Canada was hopeful that an outside private investor would undertake to establish first class accommodations within the park much as was done in Banff and Jasper with CPR. Using its contacts, Parks Canada attempted to solicit interest but ultimately failed most likely due to the outbreak of war in 1939 which would limit visitors to the area for an indeterminate number of years.

The government of Nova Scotia realized that action had to be taken and in the fall of 1940 it undertook to refurbished the Corson property on Middle Head and name it “Keltic Lodge” in keeping with the Parks Scotish theme.  

History of the Corson Property

The Corson Property was originally built by Henry C. Corson who was a friend of Alexander Graham Bell and an executive with the B.F. Goodrich Company of Akron, Ohio.  Mr. Corson had travelled by horseback to Ingonish with Alexander Graham Bell in the 1890’s and fell in love with Ingonish.  Mr. Corson’s wife, Julia Corson, suffered from tuberculosis and during this era, the treatment recommended was a clean fresh air environment which Ingonish provided. It was reported that Mr. Corson purchased Middle Head for $120 and by 1904 had a home constructed on the property. The home was positioned to look out towards Ingonish beach and the grounds included gardens and outbuilding for cattle that were kept as a source of fresh food for the family and its visitors.  

Mr. and Mrs Corson enjoyed the property during the summer months until Mr. Corson passed away in March of 1928. In subsequent years Mrs. Corson continued to use the home during the summer months until the mid 1930’s at which time negotiations began with the Province of Nova Scotia and by 1938 the property was sold to the province.

Following the end of the Second World War visitors to the Park increased substantially and in 1950 Keltic Lodge was expanded to its current size and configuration. 

Corson property circa 1938

Dated 1941 "Keltic Lodge"

Circa 1950 - Expansion of Keltic Lodge

Keltic Lodge today

Likely mid to late 1950's aerial photo
of Keltic Lodge with Highlands
Links in the background

Another aerial view showing Ingonish Beach
and Freshwater Lake 1973

Why was Cape Breton Highlands Links built?

One of the founding principles of National Parks was to provide opportunities for visitors to enjoy leisure activities within the parks. In the case of Cape Breton Highlands National Park the natural attributes of the park itself provided a number of options for visitors to explore and enjoy the many fine beaches located within the park.

In addition to the natural opportunities available for enjoyment of the parks, it was generally accepted by Parks Canada officials that a golf course within the park was an important element that would contribute to attracting visitors and furthering their enjoyment and use of the parks.

Most likely this idea was the result of the success of Banff and Jasper National Parks in western Canada and Parks Canada leadership used this as a model for many subsequent parks.

Additionally, it must be remembered that during the 1930’s the country was still suffering the effects of the Great Depression and an undertaking such as the creation of a National Park would provide jobs that otherwise would not exist. The combination of these two factors contributed to the decision to move forward with the construction of Cape Breton Highlands Links.

In 1937 Parks Canada contracted with Canadian golf course architect Stanley Thompson to construct a golf course in Ingonish. Thompson was the architect responsible for both the Banff and Jasper courses and was well regarded by the Parks Canada officials.

Stanley Thompson fought in the First World War
Picture circa 1916