Canadians remember golf legend Dick Grimm

Canadian golf lost a truly special individual on May 26, 2014. Dick Grimm, born April 29, 1923, in Chicago, Illinois, was 91 years old when he passed away this past Monday.

Affectionately referred to as Mr. Canadian Open, Grimm is responsible for laying the foundations that allowed Canadian golf to become what it is today. He initially spearheaded the Canadian Open in 1965 in Mississauga, Ontario, working day and night to ensure that the event would continue to run for years into the future. Grimm then went on to serve as chairman of the Open for Golf Canada—then the Royal Canadian Golf Association (RCGA)—on seven additional occasions between 1970 and 1981.

During those 11 years, Grimm was still working away at other golf projects, including serving as RCGA president in 1974 and helping build the Glen Abbey Golf Club, which opened in 1976. Grimm’s contributions to Glen Abbey didn’t stop just at building, though—he managed to befriend golf legend Jack Nicklaus and convince him to design the course that would go on to become home of the RCGA and the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame.

After a decade of being the Director of Professional Tournaments for Golf Canada, Grimm finally was inducted into the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame in 1993, the same year that he left Golf Canada to take on the role of Canadian Tour Commissioner. He would stay at that position for the next several years before finally retiring in 1997.

But Grimm, of course, wouldn’t let retirement stop him from contributing to the world of golf. He continued to serve on numerous committees for Canadian golf and in 2011 was awarded the inaugural George Cumming Distinguished Service Award by the PGA of Canada. According to the Canadian PGA, this award is designed “to recognize outstanding individuals who display leadership and humanitarian qualities, including integrity, sportsmanship and enthusiasm for the game of golf”—qualities that Grimm has undoubtedly shown throughout his entire life. The PGA of Canada then went on to make Grimm a lifetime member later on in 2012.

From his first Canadian Open in 1965 right up until the very end, Grimm touched many lives in the world of Canadian golf, and we can say with absolute certainty that he will be missed.