The Beginning
On August 2, 1930, Mr. J. P. Gordon, a successful Renfrew businessman, sent a letter to the Executive Members of the Renfrew, Pembroke, Arnprior, and Carleton Place (Mississippi) Golf Clubs.
In the letter, Mr. Gordon confirmed that he would be presenting a Cup to be awarded to the championship team in the Ottawa Valley Golf Championship with the following provisions:
That this Cup shall be emblematic of the Golf Championship for the Ottawa Valley.
That the Clubs involved shall be Renfrew, Pembroke, Arnprior and Carleton Place.
The match and rules concerning same shall be governed in each year by a committee consisting of the Chairman of the Greens Committee and the Captain of each Club, said committee to hold its meetings in each year at the Club on whose course the match is being played for that year.
That the playing representatives shall be eight players for 1930 and twelve members from each Club for each succeeding year.
That such members shall be bona fide members of the Clubs represented.
That the match shall be played on the first Saturday after the 15th of September in each year rain or shine, medal play.
That the Cup shall remain in perpetuity in the hands of the committee representing the Clubs as above outlined, and that the Cup shall be presented to the winning club at the close of the contest and shall be returned to the committee one month before the next contest.
The first Gordon Cup was played a month later at the Renfrew Golf Club with the home club winning the trophy.
Over the years Renfrew has won the Gordon Cup 35 times followed by Pembroke (26), Arnprior (18), Mississippi (6) and Deep River once.
There has been no interruption in play for the Gordon Cup since 1930, including the War Years and in 1981 Deep River was added to the Gordon Cup rotation.
Gordon Cup Team Positions are sought after at each of the Member Clubs involved and the event now falls on the Second weekend in September over two days.
