The Royal Canadian Golf Association was strictly an eastern Canada operation back in the 1920s, but it was Charles Harvey from the Elmhurst Golf and Country Club (which was also known for a time as Elmhurst Golf Links) who played a major role in making it a truly national organization.

Charlie Harvey was born in England in 1882 and came to Canada as a boy with his parents. His father was a pioneer merchant in Winnipeg. Charlie started his own business in Killarney and went on to become president of the Northland Knitting Company Ltd. In addition to his business operations, he was a keen golfer and curler as a member of Elmhurst and the Granite Curling Club.

He was president of the Elmhurst club in 1924, 1925 and 1926, the first to serve three years in that capacity. In 1926, he served as a delegate to the Royal Canadian Golf Association annual meeting, representing a number of golf organizations, including the Elmhurst club, the Manitoba Golf Association and the Western Canada Golf Association.

In 1927, Harvey served as president of both the Manitoba and Western Canada associations and was elected to the board of governors of the RCGA. In 1928, he became the first person elected vice-president under a new constitution. The following year he became the first person from outside Ontario and Quebec to be elected president of the national body.

As Elmhurst president in 1926, he was very involved with the organization of the Canadian ladies open amateur championship, played for the first time outside of Ontario and Quebec. He was also chair of the third annual Western Canada Open and Western Canada Amateur tournaments along with the Manitoba Open and Amateur, attracting 250 players to the Elmhurst and Pine Ridge courses. He was also instrumental in awarding the 1929 Canadian men’s amateur championship to Jasper, AB, which at the time was the furthest west it had been played.

Harvey died tragically in 1932 at the age of 50.

Known as “Iron Mike” for his diligence on the course and the practice range, Mike Pidlaski was a fixture on Manitoba Willingdon Cup teams and in men’s tournament play through the 1940s and 1950s.

Born April 18, 1917, he and his brothers (Bill was inducted into the Manitoba Golf Hall of Fame in 2004) were first involved with golf as caddies at Elmhurst Golf and Country Club, starting in 1928. He became one of the top municipal players before joining the RCAF at age 24 and serving for four years. He was nearing 30 when he reached his golfing prime.

Pidlaski played on the provincial Willingdon Cup teams eight times from 1947 through 1955 – six in a row from 1947-52, then again in 1954 and 1955 after missing in 1953. He won the Manitoba amateur championship twice in 1949 and 1950 and was runner-up in that competition to Allan Boes in 1948.

After making his mark on the municipal golf scene before his stint in the air force, the Pidlaski brothers played for several years at St. Boniface before winding up their careers at Elmhurst.

His earlier golf triumphs included the Windsor club championship and city municipal championship in 1938 and the Airflite championship (220 players from all municipal courses) in 1941. That same year he again won, the Windsor title and was runner-up in the municipal championship.

In the matches of the 1947 Canadian Amateur, he defeated Skee Riegel, who was then the top ranked amateur in the U.S. In the 1954 matches he defeated the U.S. Amateur Champion from 1949, Charlie Coe (who would also win the U.S. Amateur in 1958). In the 1957 Canadian Amateur at St. Charles Country Club, he defeated Gary Cowan in his match before finally losing to the eventual champion, Nick Weslock.

He also had a string of club championships at St. Boniface and was a regular competitor and frequent winner in many other tournaments around the province.

Mike Pidlaski died April 30, 1986, at the age of 69.

Developing a new golf course while keeping an old one in operation was a crowning accomplishment for Raymond Savard as a 35-year career as golf course superintendent came to a close.

Born in Winnipeg January 5, 1949, Savard became course superintendent at the old Charleswood Golf Club in 1976 and held that position until 1988, when he took on the superintendent duties at the Southwood Golf and Country Club. He retired from that position after the 2011 season.

He was an active member of the Manitoba Golf Superintendents Association for 35 years and belonged to the Canadian Golf Superintendents Association for 31 years. He served on the board in several capacities before becoming president of the MGSA in 1986-87. He was on the CGSA board of directors from 1988 to 1992.

Savard was chosen Manitoba superintendent of the year in 1989 and 2011 and received the John B. Steel Distinguished Service Award from the Canadian Golf Superintendents Association in 2011 for outstanding lifetime contribution to the advancement of the profession of Golf Course Superintendent.

The national award, which bears the name of the first superintendent inducted into the Manitoba Golf Hall of Fame, was awarded in part in recognition of the efforts Savard and his staff put in on double duty on the construction and grow-in of the new Southwood course in St. Norbert while maintaining the old Southwood course in Fort Garry.

During his career, Ray Savard always kept up with latest developments in course management and was available to provide assistance when fellow superintendents required a hand. He has also been an active volunteer in the community with the Christmas Cheer Board of Winnipeg, where he has been an integral part of the delivery of Christmas hampers.

Born Donna Margaret Patton in Winnipeg on July 26, 1938, she occupied a prominent position on the Manitoba golf scene through the 1950s before moving west to Vancouver and continuing her golfing success.

As a junior, she teamed with Jo-Ann Percy as the Manitoba team at the national championships in 1955, winning low net honours. She won the provincial junior championship in 1956 and 1958. She won the Manitoba amateur honours in 1957, 1958 and 1959. She was the City and District champion in four straight years, 1956 through 1959. She was also named University of Manitoba Athlete of the Year in 1956 and 1957 for excelling in golf and basketball.

She began golfing at Assiniboine Golf Club 1951-54, was a member of St. Charles Country Club 1954-58 and Niakwa Country Club 1959-61. Moving west, she belonged to Marine Drive Golf Club 1961 to 1996 and Sunshine Coast Golf and Country Club 1992 to present.

As Donna Collett from 1958 to 1973 and as Donna Thompson from 1975, she continued to have success in the west, playing on the British Columbia amateur team in 1965 and on BC senior teams eight times from 1990 through 2004, winning national team low gross honours in 2004. She won the BC senior championship in 1996, 1997 and 2004 and claimed the Vancouver District 2 championship in 1990, 1994 and 1996.

She won the club championship at Marine Drive eight times from 1967 through 1983 and the club championship at Sunshine Coast 12 times from 1995 through 2011. She won the Sunshine Coast Sea Cavalcade 11 times and Sunshine Coast Ladies Challenge Low Net Tournaments once as well as the gross prize four times.

She was also active in golf administration in BC, serving on the match and house committees and as ladies president at Marine Drive; on the board of trustees of the BC Sports Hall of Fame and BC Golf House and Museum; Ladies’ rules chair for Vancouver District 2; BC Ladies’ Rules Chair for 2 years; and Board Member, Ladies’ Captain, Ladies’ Rules chair, Ladies’ Handicap Chair and on the Ladies’ Challenge Committee for 13 years at Sunshine Coast.

On the national scene she was ranked 10th senior lady in 1990 and fourth senior lady in 1991.