By William Crooks
Local Journalism Initiative
When Ryan Smith stepped into his new role as Director of the Old Lennoxville Golf & Ski (formerly the Old Lennoxville Golf Club), earlier this month, he was doing more than launching a new chapter for the course—he was continuing a deeply rooted family tradition. The clubhouse now bears the name of his grandfather, Garth Smith, a former head golf professional and longtime Bishop’s University coach and administrator remembered fondly throughout the community.
“The course just opened last Thursday,” Smith said in an interview April 30. “The rain helped clear the last patches of snow from the Orford Ski group, and now the course is in good shape—just waiting on some sun.”
Smith emphasized that his first year at the helm will be focused on enhancing the overall experience for players rather than making any major structural changes. “I just want to focus on how we can improve overall playing conditions and have a good experience on the course and in the clubhouse,” he said.
Garth Smith, who passed away in 2018, left a lasting mark not only on the golf course but on the local sports community more broadly. He served as the men’s basketball coach at Bishop’s University for 24 years and also held roles as Assistant Director of Athletics and Head Golf Professional. “He was a class act,” said former Gaiters coach Eddie Pomykala in The Record in 2018. “He taught us very well and left a great example showing us how to be an excellent human being.”
His contributions were officially recognized when the clubhouse at the Old Lennoxville Golf & Ski was named in his honour, a decision that came following his celebration of life in 2018. “I believe it was a Bishop’s initiative,” Ryan Smith explained, “and they reached out to my grandmother Sylvia [and family].”
Ryan credits both of his grandparents for their lasting impact on the local golf scene. “My grandmother was just as much a part of it,” he said. “There’s a long-standing tradition of golf in our family. My aunt’s a member here, another plays out of Milby, and my father plays out of Dufferin Heights.”
