Over 70 years of golf stories!
The origins of the property on which our course lies can be traced back to 1886 when Lieutenant Colonel Ernest G. May first arrived in what was then the District of Alberta in the Northwest Territories of Canada. Newly arrived from England, May was looking for land on which to build a home for his fiancé, Eliza Mary Paice, who waited in England. Finding some beautiful property near Springbank that had many trees, a creek, and a stunning view of the mountains, May quickly sent for Miss Eliza. She and Ernest were married, and together they filed a claim to purchase the land from the Hudson's Bay Company.
It was one of the May's children – Roderick, or Major ‘Dick' May as he became known during his WWI service – who built the original golf course on the property with designer Otto Anderson in 1947, calling it the "Mayview Golf Course". Dick also built a bandstand, buildings, and picnic area along the river valley, but his dreams of improving the golf course were never realized as he became severely handicapped by arthritis and confined to a wheelchair. Unmarried and lonesome at times for conversation, Dick spoke of his dreams for the golf course to his closest neighbor, Wilbur Griffith.
Dick May died in 1965, leaving his property to two nephews who unfortunately took little interest in it. The course became badly run down. When the nephews decided to sell the property in 1968, Wilbur Griffith, remembering his neighbor's dreams for the course, decided to buy and completely rebuild it, giving it the new name of "Pinebrook Golf & Winter Club". Course reconstruction was completed in 1975, and in March of that year, Clayton Robb was the first staff member hired as Head Golf Professional.
The Pinebrook Golf & Winter Club was owned and operated by Wilbur Griffith until 1980, when it was purchased by its Members and the name changed to the "Pinebrook Golf and Country Club".
Pinebrook exists today because a group of like-minded, friendly people chose to form a better club.