Norfolk Golf Club (NGC) is relatively small compared to its Ontario counterparts, but few courses can boast a more prestigious history.<\/p>\n
Published Jul 23, 2025 \u00a0\u2022\u00a0 Last updated 22\u00a0hours ago \u00a0\u2022\u00a0 3 minute read<\/p>\n
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The Norfolk Golf Club in downtown Simcoe is celebrating its 130th anniversary this summer. Pictured are secretary and treasurer Jason Bernardon alongside Club President Kirby Shieck. Photo by Jacob RobinsonArticle content<\/p>\n
Norfolk Golf Club is relatively small compared to its Ontario counterparts, but few courses can boast a more prestigious history. \u00a0<\/p>\n
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\u201cIt\u2019s just a great track,\u201d said club president Kirby Shieck. \u201cIt\u2019s a golf course that is short by yardage but plays way longer than it measures and it\u2019s not a golf course you can overpower. The big hitters can\u2019t overpower it \u2013 if you don\u2019t get the ball in the right place for the next shot, it\u2019s work. \u201c \u00a0<\/p>\n
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\u201cPeople who get golf really get this golf course.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
The nine-hole course is so beloved that it\u2019s now celebrating its 130 anniversary. It stands as one of the oldest in the country, especially given that the club has maintained the same location for its entire existence.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s extraordinary to be on the original ground,\u201d said Shieck.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s just a great test, and most golfers will say if you can score well here you can score well anywhere.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
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The man responsible for the current layout is none other than famous golf course designer Stanley Thompson. <\/p>\n
A Torontonian, Thompson returned from the First World War and began designing or redesigning more than 140 golf courses across Canada, the US, the Caribbean, and South America. Thompson was often called \u201cthe genius of Canadian golf architecture\u201d with a signature for dramatic landscapes and a strong connection to the natural environment.\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0<\/p>\n
Thompson attended and advised club management of the day on ways to layout the property in the 1920s and little has changed since. \u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThe result is classic golf architecture laid over intriguing terrain,\u201d Ron Gable, president of the Stanley Thompson Society, said in a letter acknowledging the club\u2019s anniversary. \u00a0<\/p>\n
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Despite its longevity, club secretary and treasurer Jason Bernardon says the course remains \u201crelatively unknown\u201d even within its own community. Bernardon added that all it takes is a single round to understand the appeal.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s one of those things where you know once they play that first nine and maybe play a second nine on that same day they\u2019re amazed when they see the challenging shots and the diversity of the shots you have to hit,\u201d he explained.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
These days, the club is opening its arms to the public. Like most courses in Ontario, membership numbers are down, but that doesn\u2019t mean people aren\u2019t enjoying the sport in new ways.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThis place has been run as a private club for 128 years,\u201d\u00a0 Shieck explained. \u201cIt\u2019s just not a financial model that works, so our effort now is to try and get the public to be aware that they are absolutely welcome to come here and it\u2019s working.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
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Last year, the the NGC clubhouse welcomed popular Simcoe eatery Ferrera and what Shieck called its \u201ccult following\u201d to the grounds, which has helped further increase traffic. \u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cOur green fee play last year grew 60 percent, we\u2019d love to see it grow another 60 percent this year,\u201d Shieck noted. \u201cEven with 60 percent growth, our best month was August, it was at a 36 percent utilization rate. There\u2019s tons of room to grow.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
For as much as things have stayed the same at the club, updates are happening. New lawnmowers have allowed for an expansion of greens while a fresh fleet of carts and flags also greet players.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re making an investment in the future,\u201d Shieck.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
In addition to cosmetic updates, Shieck and company are openly welcoming families and young children to get involved.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re quite open to families,\u201d he added. \u201cIf you want to go out there with your young children, we\u2019re quite open to that, we encourage that. A lot of courses don\u2019t.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Bernardon, now in his fifth year at NGC, said walk-ins are also encouraged.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe can always find a spot for people that are here,\u201d he said. \u201cWe want to get the families out \u2013 it\u2019s a friendly atmosphere we want to promote that.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
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