Montreal Municipal Golf Club may not boast the grandeur of Canada’s most historic private clubs, but its legacy is undeniable.
Nestled in the heart of the city, this public course was a symbol of accessibility—a place where everyday golfers could share fairways once graced by champions. For decades, it stood as a community hub, offering an accessible space in a sport often perceived as exclusive. In a province that introduced golf to North America, Montreal Municipal embodied the game’s grassroots spirit.
That spirit made it the perfect stage for history in June 1973. The inaugural La Canadienne, Canada’s first LPGA Tour event, unfolded on its fairways, attracting a world-class field and thousands of fans. At the heart of it all was the legendary Jocelyne Bourassa, then a 26-year-old from Shawinigan who had already garnered national attention as LPGA Rookie of the Year in 1972. Injuries had sidelined her for much of the season, but returning home to Quebec, she carried the hopes of a nation.
The final round was pure drama. With renowned Montreal golf writer Mario Brisebois as her caddie, Bourassa drained a 28-foot putt on the last hole to force a playoff against legends Judy Rankin and Sandra Haynie. Under the gaze of 11,000 spectators, she held her nerve, sinking a three-foot par putt on the third playoff hole to claim victory—and the $10,000 winner’s prize. The roar that erupted wasn’t just for a golf champion; it was for a Quebec hero making history on home soil.
That win at Montreal Municipal was transformative. Bourassa became the first—and for 45 years, the only—Canadian woman to win Canada’s National Women’s Open, until Brooke Henderson’s triumph in 2018. Her victory elevated La Canadienne, which later rebranded and earned major championship status in 1979, eventually becoming what is now the CPKC Women’s Open and inspiring generations of Canadian golfers.
Though the course has faded from prominence – now existing as a 9-hole par 3 – its legacy endures. Montreal Municipal was more than a venue; it was a proving ground, a place where accessibility met excellence. It reminds us that golf history isn’t only written on the manicured grounds of private facilities—it thrives in the public spaces that welcome every player.
Watch the video below (credit: CBC News) to relive this iconic moment and celebrate a course that helped shape Canadian golf history.
