Interviews

Oakmont: An interview with Gil Hanse

With the 2025 US Open arriving at Oakmont, Richard Humphreys spoke with the architect, who renovated the course in 2023, about what to expect

Martin Ebert: Design journey

With a portfolio that includes eight of the ten Open venues, Mackenzie & Ebert occupies an enviable position in the golf design industry. Adam Lawrence spoke with principal Martin Ebert to learn how they got there

Designs for the big screen

Chad Goetz and Agustin Piza discuss their design decisions for the virtual holes that featured in the first season of TGL

Bob Harrison: Wizard of Oz

The Australian designer has had a long career and, like many of his countrymen, has spent much of it away from home. Adam Lawrence listened to his tales from the road

Ben Cowan-Dewar: Shock and awe

Golf development firm Cabot now has properties in six countries. Richard Humphreys speaks with co-founder and CEO Ben Cowan-Dewar about what makes a great site, selection of golf course architects, and more

Team building

Turfgrass has launched its US arm with the appointment of John Lawrence, Adam Moeller and Brad Owen. Richard Humphreys speaks with them, Turfgrass founder John Clarkin and director of agronomy Julian Mooney to find out more

Brian Curley: Life of Brian

The designer has surely clocked up more air miles than anyone else in the business. Adam Lawrence caught up with him in between flights to discuss his career and his new venture with Jim Wagner

Oakmont: An interview with Gil Hanse

With the 2025 US Open arriving at Oakmont, Richard Humphreys spoke with the architect, who renovated the course in 2023, about what to expect

Martin Ebert: Design journey

With a portfolio that includes eight of the ten Open venues, Mackenzie & Ebert occupies an enviable position in the golf design industry. Adam Lawrence spoke with principal Martin Ebert to learn how they got there

Designs for the big screen

Chad Goetz and Agustin Piza discuss their design decisions for the virtual holes that featured in the first season of TGL

Bob Harrison: Wizard of Oz

The Australian designer has had a long career and, like many of his countrymen, has spent much of it away from home. Adam Lawrence listened to his tales from the road

Ben Cowan-Dewar: Shock and awe

Golf development firm Cabot now has properties in six countries. Richard Humphreys speaks with co-founder and CEO Ben Cowan-Dewar about what makes a great site, selection of golf course architects, and more

Team building

Turfgrass has launched its US arm with the appointment of John Lawrence, Adam Moeller and Brad Owen. Richard Humphreys speaks with them, Turfgrass founder John Clarkin and director of agronomy Julian Mooney to find out more

Brian Curley: Life of Brian

The designer has surely clocked up more air miles than anyone else in the business. Adam Lawrence caught up with him in between flights to discuss his career and his new venture with Jim Wagner

Amber Hickman
/ Categories: News

WAC Golf develops renovation plans for Hillsdale

Whitman, Axland & Cutten (WAC Golf) is developing a golf course renovation plan for Hillsdale Golf Club in Montreal, Canada.

The club, in the Mirabel suburb of Montreal, was founded in 1953 and has two 18-hole courses – the Laurentien, which hosted the Canadian Amateur Championship in 1998 and the Canadian Women’s Open in 2011, and the Woodside – across its 430-acre property. The courses were designed by Canadian architect Howard Watson, who worked with Stanley Thompson in the 1930s.

Local businessman Herbert Black now owns the club and has stated his commitment to a club “second to none in the Greater Montreal area but also beyond those limits of a club recognised throughout North America for the quality of its golf courses, facilities, amenities, and services.”

WAC Golf was hired in May 2022 and are developing a masterplan that will convert the existing two 18-hole courses to a new 18-hole course, a 9-hole course and practice facilities.

“While major adjustments to the general layout and sequence of play will ultimately transform the golf course property, several of the existing hole corridors will be repurposed,” said Keith Cutten of WAC Golf. “Nevertheless, every feature – including tees, bunkers and greens – will be reimagined.”

The redesign will also feature a subsurface drainage system and upgrades to irrigation.

Environmental restrictions mean that all development will take place within the existing golf perimeter on the property. “Any land area on our property, outside of this perimeter will not be accessible for several reasons and constraints, including but not exclusively of wetlands, protected sugar maple growths and restriction on the use of agricultural zoned land which may not be used for other purposes,” said Black in a letter to members of the club. “We are all in agreement that with these amenities, new clubhouse and higher service standards, Hillsdale will become the great club envisioned.”

Final plans are expected to be finalised in summer 2023, with the club closing at the end of the year ahead of breaking ground in spring 2024, and reopening with new facilities in 2026.

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    Whitman, Axland & Cutten (WAC Golf) is developing a golf course renovation plan for Hillsdale Golf Club in Canada

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Amber Hickman

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