Golf Pioneer
He accomplished this feat in 1909 and again in 1914, but his exploits have been largely overlooked by the media. When you watch, listen to or read about The Canadian Open each year, you hear about British-born Pat Fletcher who was the last Canadian citizen to win the Canadian Open in 1954.
Let me introduce you to the late Karl Keffer.
“Born in 1882 in Tottenham, Ontario, Karl spent his first 25 years on the property of the Toronto Golf Club, in the east end of the city. Naturally, he became a caddy, and early showed his prowess by winning the first caddy match held on the Toronto links. Among the other players on that occasion were also the double champions-to-be, Charlie and Albert Murray, and Nicol Thompson... After three years as assistant pro with George Cummings, he won his first Open (in 1909)... In 1911 and 1913 he won the open competition at Caledonia Springs (Ontario)... The champion has a particularly fine, free style, and plays every shot in his bag with confidence. He has a natural golfing temperament.” – The Open Champion of Canada, Canadian Golfer, May, 1915
Mr. Keffer took a position as assistant professional at the Albany Country Club in Albany, N.Y. in 1910. The following year he joined the Ottawa Golf Club (“Royal” designation was awarded to the Ottawa Golf Club in 1912) as their head professional and stayed until 1943.
Unlike many golf professionals of that era who had to find other employment during the winter months, Mr. Keffer was hired as the Winter golf professional at the Jekyll Island Club on Jekyll Island, Georgia for the Canadian winter months, a position he was to hold for 32 years between 1910 and 1942.
After the Open Dominion Golf Championship held at the Ottawa Golf Club in 1911, Mr. Keffer along with his fellow golf professionals founded the Canadian Professional Golfers’ Association (CPGA). Their first tournament was held at the Mississauga Golf Club in 1912. A proud member of the new association, Mr Keffer served as Honorary Secretary-Treasurer from 1914 to 1928, Captain from 1934 to 1937 and President from 1938 to 1940. Mr Keffer was awarded the title of Honorary Vice-President in 1941.
A 1929 story in Canadian Golfer gave praise to Karl Keffer’s contributions to the CPGA. “Karl Keffer has seen the Association grow from very small numbers indeed into a very large and virile organization with a membership of all the leading golf professionals and assistants from coast to coast. Much of its success is unquestionably due to his able and painstaking attention and devotion to detail.”
The Toronto Globe described Karl Keffer’s win at the 1914 Canadian Open Championship: “The outstanding feature of Keffer’s game was its machine- like accuracy, which argues well for his nerves``.
This was the final Canadian Open Championship for the duration of World War 1. Many golf professionals immediately signed up for military service. In support of the war effort and to raise money for the Red Cross, CPGA golfers participated in charity golf matches with all proceeds finding their way to war charities.
Karl enlisted with Col. C.W. McLean`s 207th Infantry Battalion and although he could have qualified for a commission he preferred to go in the ranks as a private. A newspaper reported the following, ``Keffer is making a big sacrifice to go overseas, but he felt that every man who could go was needed, and is confident that other professional golfers who can do so, will follow suit``.
Royal Ottawa’s 100TH Anniversary Book, “Royal Ottawa Golf Club, 1891 – 1991, by Robert Majoribanks” reported: “After five months in France, he wrote home to the editor of The Canadian Golfer that he had seen ‘some strange sights which are not in any way connected with the game of golf’. Nevertheless, while training in Britain, he spent his leaves trying out some of the great British courses, including St. Andrews. He was very impressed with the British putting greens but he declared loyally: ‘I do not consider any of the courses that I played over here as severe a test of golf as my home course at Ottawa’.”
A 1919 column in the Ottawa Citizen reported that Mr Keffer ``...had some very exciting experiences at the front``. It also reported that ``He was on his way home several months ago when he took ill with pneumonia in England. For a time his life was in grave danger, but the brilliant young golfer`s rugged constitution stood by him and he pulled through``.
Returning home he resumed his duties at the Royal Ottawa Golf Club where his position had been held for him.
Although little is known about Mr. Keffer’s time at the Royal Ottawa, we have been able to piece together some background information from Royal Ottawa Member King Finney, who is in his mid-90’s and who took his first lesson on the Royal Nine in 1931 with Karl Keffer, and Charlie Wakelam, son of Ernie Wakelam who was Karl’s assistant and eventual successor as head professional in 1943.
According to King Finney, “Karl was a man of principle who played by the rules and knew his place at the Club. He addressed everyone as sir or madam, even the junior members. He spent a lot of time in his workshop making and repairing golf clubs and left the pro shop to his assistants. Karl didn’t play a lot of golf at the Royal Ottawa, but he loved to watch his members play and putt, especially on the 18th green and he could tell the members by their swings. Karl did enjoy a drink and at the end of the workday would go to the kitchen, where bar service originated, to get a drink. Karl was made an honorary member of the club, but only once did he sit on the veranda and that was with George Cumming who was given the same honour at the Toronto Golf Club. After a game of golf, Karl did not want to sit on the veranda, but Mr. Cumming insisted that Karl sit with him as his guest. One must remember that it was unusual for golf professionals in that era to enter the clubhouse or any portion thereof.”
Charlie Wakelam remembers, “Mr. Keffer was a quiet man who never raised his voice. He was generous to a fault. He loaned my dad money to buy a house and only asked that the money be paid back when Ernie was able to pay. Mr. Keffer hired a man down on his luck to garden for him even though he didn’t need the work done. Once my dad arrived as an assistant professional, Mr. Keffer let him handle the majority of lessons at the Club. One thing I do remember about Mr. Keffer was that he always drove a Cadillac. Mr. Keffer enjoyed the company of his fellow golf professionals and their Sunday afternoon competitions. He had the respect of his fellow CPGA golf professionals, his membership at Royal Ottawa and also the golf community in the Ottawa area.”
He was a man who loved a variety of sports. His scrapbook dating back to the mid-1890’s through 1920 contains a treasure of newspaper accounts of cricket matches, golf games, golf personalities and major league baseball.
As a club designer, a trade he learned under George Cumming at the Toronto Golf Club, he designed and produced sets of golf clubs especially for women and was one of the first to ship golf clubs to Japan. His “KARL KEFFER OTTAWA or ROYAL OTTAWA GC” logoed golf clubs are treasured by collectors.
As a golf course designer, Mr. Keffer was instrumental in designing and supervising the construction of “Jekyll’s first ‘holes in the dunes’ in 1913. This began a period of course construction along the ocean, intended to shift play from the damp Donald Ross Course.” This excerpt is taken from The Story of Great Dunes Golf Course – A Walter Travis Masterpiece, by Andrea Marroquin and John Hunter of the Jekyll Island Museum.
Mr. Keffer is also referenced in the History section of the Arnprior Golf Club website; he laid out the original 9 holes of the club that were used until it was expanded to a full 18 in 1968.
Apart from his two Canadian Open wins, Karl Keffer along with R.T. ‘Bobby’ Jones and J.M. Barnes were runners-up in the 1919 Canadian Open to Leo Diegel. That same year he was also the winner of the Manitoba Open. Mr. Keffer won his last major title in 1927 when he was the winner of the Quebec Open at the Royal Ottawa.
Karl Keffer was awarded an Honorary Membership at the Royal Ottawa Golf Club on October 14, 1929 for his “faithful and meritorious service”. This was a rare honour for its time as only George Cumming of the Toronto GC and Charlie Murray of the Royal Montreal had been awarded honorary memberships.
In the May 11, 1943 Ottawa Citizen, Jack Koffman’s column “Along Sports Row – Outstanding Canadian Golfer”, the following information can be found. “Karl Keffer, professional at the Royal Ottawa Club for the past 32 years, has retired. Announcement was made yesterday that Mr. Keffer, who came to the Royal Ottawa in the summer of 1911, has decided to give up the game in the interest of his health.”
In the same column, Karl Keffer’s successor Ernie Wakelam was quoted, “I never worked for a finer fellow.”
Karl Keffer continued to serve as a consultant with the Royal Ottawa Golf Club after his retirement. In the Royal Ottawa’s Captain’s Book for 1950, there is a hand-written record: “October 22nd, Karl Keffer passed away ...a great golfer, sportsman and gentleman.”
Let me introduce you to the late Karl Keffer.
“Born in 1882 in Tottenham, Ontario, Karl spent his first 25 years on the property of the Toronto Golf Club, in the east end of the city. Naturally, he became a caddy, and early showed his prowess by winning the first caddy match held on the Toronto links. Among the other players on that occasion were also the double champions-to-be, Charlie and Albert Murray, and Nicol Thompson... After three years as assistant pro with George Cummings, he won his first Open (in 1909)... In 1911 and 1913 he won the open competition at Caledonia Springs (Ontario)... The champion has a particularly fine, free style, and plays every shot in his bag with confidence. He has a natural golfing temperament.” – The Open Champion of Canada, Canadian Golfer, May, 1915
Mr. Keffer took a position as assistant professional at the Albany Country Club in Albany, N.Y. in 1910. The following year he joined the Ottawa Golf Club (“Royal” designation was awarded to the Ottawa Golf Club in 1912) as their head professional and stayed until 1943.
Unlike many golf professionals of that era who had to find other employment during the winter months, Mr. Keffer was hired as the Winter golf professional at the Jekyll Island Club on Jekyll Island, Georgia for the Canadian winter months, a position he was to hold for 32 years between 1910 and 1942.
After the Open Dominion Golf Championship held at the Ottawa Golf Club in 1911, Mr. Keffer along with his fellow golf professionals founded the Canadian Professional Golfers’ Association (CPGA). Their first tournament was held at the Mississauga Golf Club in 1912. A proud member of the new association, Mr Keffer served as Honorary Secretary-Treasurer from 1914 to 1928, Captain from 1934 to 1937 and President from 1938 to 1940. Mr Keffer was awarded the title of Honorary Vice-President in 1941.
A 1929 story in Canadian Golfer gave praise to Karl Keffer’s contributions to the CPGA. “Karl Keffer has seen the Association grow from very small numbers indeed into a very large and virile organization with a membership of all the leading golf professionals and assistants from coast to coast. Much of its success is unquestionably due to his able and painstaking attention and devotion to detail.”
The Toronto Globe described Karl Keffer’s win at the 1914 Canadian Open Championship: “The outstanding feature of Keffer’s game was its machine- like accuracy, which argues well for his nerves``.
This was the final Canadian Open Championship for the duration of World War 1. Many golf professionals immediately signed up for military service. In support of the war effort and to raise money for the Red Cross, CPGA golfers participated in charity golf matches with all proceeds finding their way to war charities.
Karl enlisted with Col. C.W. McLean`s 207th Infantry Battalion and although he could have qualified for a commission he preferred to go in the ranks as a private. A newspaper reported the following, ``Keffer is making a big sacrifice to go overseas, but he felt that every man who could go was needed, and is confident that other professional golfers who can do so, will follow suit``.
Royal Ottawa’s 100TH Anniversary Book, “Royal Ottawa Golf Club, 1891 – 1991, by Robert Majoribanks” reported: “After five months in France, he wrote home to the editor of The Canadian Golfer that he had seen ‘some strange sights which are not in any way connected with the game of golf’. Nevertheless, while training in Britain, he spent his leaves trying out some of the great British courses, including St. Andrews. He was very impressed with the British putting greens but he declared loyally: ‘I do not consider any of the courses that I played over here as severe a test of golf as my home course at Ottawa’.”
A 1919 column in the Ottawa Citizen reported that Mr Keffer ``...had some very exciting experiences at the front``. It also reported that ``He was on his way home several months ago when he took ill with pneumonia in England. For a time his life was in grave danger, but the brilliant young golfer`s rugged constitution stood by him and he pulled through``.
Returning home he resumed his duties at the Royal Ottawa Golf Club where his position had been held for him.
Although little is known about Mr. Keffer’s time at the Royal Ottawa, we have been able to piece together some background information from Royal Ottawa Member King Finney, who is in his mid-90’s and who took his first lesson on the Royal Nine in 1931 with Karl Keffer, and Charlie Wakelam, son of Ernie Wakelam who was Karl’s assistant and eventual successor as head professional in 1943.
According to King Finney, “Karl was a man of principle who played by the rules and knew his place at the Club. He addressed everyone as sir or madam, even the junior members. He spent a lot of time in his workshop making and repairing golf clubs and left the pro shop to his assistants. Karl didn’t play a lot of golf at the Royal Ottawa, but he loved to watch his members play and putt, especially on the 18th green and he could tell the members by their swings. Karl did enjoy a drink and at the end of the workday would go to the kitchen, where bar service originated, to get a drink. Karl was made an honorary member of the club, but only once did he sit on the veranda and that was with George Cumming who was given the same honour at the Toronto Golf Club. After a game of golf, Karl did not want to sit on the veranda, but Mr. Cumming insisted that Karl sit with him as his guest. One must remember that it was unusual for golf professionals in that era to enter the clubhouse or any portion thereof.”
Charlie Wakelam remembers, “Mr. Keffer was a quiet man who never raised his voice. He was generous to a fault. He loaned my dad money to buy a house and only asked that the money be paid back when Ernie was able to pay. Mr. Keffer hired a man down on his luck to garden for him even though he didn’t need the work done. Once my dad arrived as an assistant professional, Mr. Keffer let him handle the majority of lessons at the Club. One thing I do remember about Mr. Keffer was that he always drove a Cadillac. Mr. Keffer enjoyed the company of his fellow golf professionals and their Sunday afternoon competitions. He had the respect of his fellow CPGA golf professionals, his membership at Royal Ottawa and also the golf community in the Ottawa area.”
He was a man who loved a variety of sports. His scrapbook dating back to the mid-1890’s through 1920 contains a treasure of newspaper accounts of cricket matches, golf games, golf personalities and major league baseball.
As a club designer, a trade he learned under George Cumming at the Toronto Golf Club, he designed and produced sets of golf clubs especially for women and was one of the first to ship golf clubs to Japan. His “KARL KEFFER OTTAWA or ROYAL OTTAWA GC” logoed golf clubs are treasured by collectors.
As a golf course designer, Mr. Keffer was instrumental in designing and supervising the construction of “Jekyll’s first ‘holes in the dunes’ in 1913. This began a period of course construction along the ocean, intended to shift play from the damp Donald Ross Course.” This excerpt is taken from The Story of Great Dunes Golf Course – A Walter Travis Masterpiece, by Andrea Marroquin and John Hunter of the Jekyll Island Museum.
Mr. Keffer is also referenced in the History section of the Arnprior Golf Club website; he laid out the original 9 holes of the club that were used until it was expanded to a full 18 in 1968.
Apart from his two Canadian Open wins, Karl Keffer along with R.T. ‘Bobby’ Jones and J.M. Barnes were runners-up in the 1919 Canadian Open to Leo Diegel. That same year he was also the winner of the Manitoba Open. Mr. Keffer won his last major title in 1927 when he was the winner of the Quebec Open at the Royal Ottawa.
Karl Keffer was awarded an Honorary Membership at the Royal Ottawa Golf Club on October 14, 1929 for his “faithful and meritorious service”. This was a rare honour for its time as only George Cumming of the Toronto GC and Charlie Murray of the Royal Montreal had been awarded honorary memberships.
In the May 11, 1943 Ottawa Citizen, Jack Koffman’s column “Along Sports Row – Outstanding Canadian Golfer”, the following information can be found. “Karl Keffer, professional at the Royal Ottawa Club for the past 32 years, has retired. Announcement was made yesterday that Mr. Keffer, who came to the Royal Ottawa in the summer of 1911, has decided to give up the game in the interest of his health.”
In the same column, Karl Keffer’s successor Ernie Wakelam was quoted, “I never worked for a finer fellow.”
Karl Keffer continued to serve as a consultant with the Royal Ottawa Golf Club after his retirement. In the Royal Ottawa’s Captain’s Book for 1950, there is a hand-written record: “October 22nd, Karl Keffer passed away ...a great golfer, sportsman and gentleman.”