by Joe McLean
During this stressful time we are all experiencing with the Covid-19 pandemic forcing us into isolation mode, I am fortunate in that my passion for golf history allows me this time to research the history of golf, especially the history of golf in the Ottawa Valley in Ontario and Quebec, Canada.
I am also fortunate that the Ottawa Citizen Digital Archives provide such a wonderful resource for my research.
Always a fan of the late Alexa Stirling Fraser, who played out of the Royal Ottawa Golf Club in Gatineau, Quebec, I was pleased to find an article in the April 10, 1950 edition of the Ottawa Citizen titled – “Mrs. W. G. Fraser, Ottawa, Named To Golf Hall Of Fame”.
Having written a profile story on Alexa Stirling (Mrs. W. G. Fraser) in the August, 2014 issue of Flagstick Golf Magazine (you can read it here), I thought I knew about her past history.
I knew about her United States Women’s Amateur wins in 1916, 1919 and 1920 as well as her Canadian Women’s Amateur wins in 1920 and 1934.
Locally, Alexa was the winner of the Canadian Ladies Golf Union Ottawa City & District Championship nine times beginning in 1927 to her last win in 1941 as well as the Royal Ottawa Golf Club’s Lady Championship nine times over four decades beginning in 1925 and her last being in 1957.
Alexa was named an Honorary Member of the Royal Ottawa Golf Club in 1934 in recognition of the distinction she brought to the Club in winning the Canadian Ladies Golf Association Championship in that year for the second time as stated in the Royal Ottawa Golf Club, 1891-1991 Anniversary book written by Robert Majoribanks.
I knew that she had been inducted into the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame in 1978; the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame in 1986; the Georgia Golf Hall of Fame in 1989 and the Ontario Golf Hall of Fame in 2013.
But I did not know that in 1950 Alexa Stirling Fraser was named as a Charter Member of the Ladies PGA Hall of Fame along with Beatrix Hoyt, Margaret Curtis, Dorothy Campbell Hurd, Glenna Collett Vare and Virginia Van Wie.
That recognition given to Alexa Stirling Fraser is quite an honor for her to be recognized along with this wonderful group of golfers.
Eventually I know that I would have come across this important honor given to Royal Ottawa’s Alexa Stirling Fraser, but it is nice to come across this recognition sooner than later.
On a more personal note, please be careful everyone during this critical time with the Coronavirus affecting many people around the world. Hopefully it spares your family and friends. Be safe and hopefully we’ll all get through this together and eventually get back to the game of golf where we can add to its illustrious history.
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