Harry Allard
PGA of Ontario Hall of Fame Class of 2025
Born: July 15, 1937
Born in South Porcupine, Ontario, Harry Allard began his career in golf as a caddie at the age of nine at Toronto Golf Club. By sixteen, he was working on the greens crew, and the following year he moved to Rosedale Golf Club, where he worked in the Pro Shop.
In 1956, he joined the PGA of Canada and, soon after, opened a winter golf school. During the summers, he served as the First Assistant Teaching Professional under Murray Tucker at Rosedale. In the winters of 1961 and 1962, Harry worked with Burt Turcot at the Eglington Golf School, while in the golf season he served as Head Golf Professional at Rolling Hills Golf and Curling Club in Whitchurch-Stouffville. By 1964, he had taken on the role of full-time Club Manager, overseeing curling operations, golf course maintenance, and serving as Head Golf Professional.
In 1966, Harry leased Rolling Hills Golf and Curling Club, a 45-hole facility, where he worked tirelessly to enhance the property. He implemented significant course improvements, installed an in-ground irrigation system, and hosted countless events in a renovated clubhouse. Balancing duties as superintendent, Head Golf Professional, and General Manager kept him busy year-round. In 1976, he purchased Rolling Hills, only to sell it in 1979 to build a high-end public golf course.
That same year, Harry purchased 200 acres of land on Warden Avenue north of Bloomington Road and designed and built Emerald Hills Golf Club. He personally operated bulldozers and worked tirelessly for two years to create a challenging yet fair course, which became a destination for avid golfers. In 1976, he converted Emerald Hills into a private club after designing and building the Colonial-style clubhouse. He hosted the 1988 Canadian PGA Championship and, during his tenure, was named Golf Professional of the Year (1982) and joined the Canadian Golf Superintendents Association (1985). He sold Emerald Hills in 1989.
In 1994, Harry purchased Woodington Lake Golf Club, then in a partially completed and overgrown state. Within a year, he reconstructed the greens and irrigation system on the front nine, completed the back nine, and officially opened the course in July 1995. In 1999, he unveiled a 35,000-square-foot clubhouse overlooking the signature 18th hole and its namesake lake. Soon after, he designed and built a second course at Woodington Lake stretching over 7600 yards from the tips, with five sets of tee decks and the highest course rating in Canada at the time. It became his lasting legacy to the game.
Harry has been a PGA of Canada member for nearly 70 years, serving 15 years on the Board of Directors. He made substantial contributions to the game of golf and to the careers of golf professionals. He secured and renovated the PGA of Ontario’s first office space, even building the boardroom table himself. He rewrote the PGA bylaws during the recertification program, revised the criteria for honorary directors, and established the employment committee. He chaired the Golf Show from 1971–1973, organized the Awards Banquet for three years, facilitated Pro-Am trips to the Bahamas and Tobago for five years, and hosted countless professional events at his courses - including the Quebec-Ontario Matches, Senior Fall Championships, and Senior Pro Junior Pro Best Ball Championships.
Harry received numerous awards for his contributions: a 1976 Appreciation Award for major contributions to professional golf in Canada, a 1977 Award for Advancement of the Game of Golf in Ontario (presented by then-Premier Bill Davis), the Golf Association of Ontario Wall of Fame Award (2013), as well as 25-year and 50-year service awards. He was also recognized as a Life Member of the CPGA and served two years on the Canadian PGA Board of Directors.
Beyond golf, Harry is a passionate philanthropist. He supported national charities such as Easter Seals, Heart & Stroke, and cancer organizations, while also giving generously to local causes through hockey and softball sponsorships. He founded and chaired the George Knudson Celebrity Pro-Am, which raised over half a million dollars for cancer research at Princess Margaret Hospital. He often donated the use of his golf courses and contributed his own funds to charitable initiatives.
Harry retired at age 81. Today, he tends to his 27 acres of private property where he built four golf holes of his own. He still plays golf four times a week in the winter months, and once a week in the summer when mowing duties keep him busy.
Harry Allard has truly dedicated his life to golf, improving the profession, mentoring countless golf course superintendents, and leaving behind some of Ontario’s most memorable golf properties. His legacy continues to inspire golf professionals and players alike.