As news of Rory McIlroy’s long-awaited Masters victory echoed around the golfing world, few in Central Alberta felt the pride quite like Eamon McCann, owner of Gull Lake Golf Course.
McCann, who hails from Ireland and has run the nine-hole Gull Lake course for 36 years, says the win was more than just a tournament result — it was a deeply meaningful moment for Irish golf fans everywhere.
“Being from Ireland, I am so proud of Rory,” McCann said. “You know, a young lad growing up outside Belfast and to hang in the way he did in the last so many years. The PGA Tournaments and especially the Masters, to finally get his green jacket. That means a lot to us back home in Europe, and Rory couldn't be a better guy to represent the European golfers.”
McCann’s connection to Ireland runs deep. Long before building a life in Alberta, he was an accomplished football player, competing in front of 65,000 fans at Croke Park in Dublin at just 17 years old. But after a falling out with his coach, he made a bold decision — one that would change his life forever.
“I came home and I said to my parents… I’m done. I’m going to Canada,” McCann recalled during a recent interview. At the time, he was one of seven brothers. With a sibling already working as a bricklayer in Toronto, McCann followed suit, arriving in Canada in 1978 and taking up the trade himself.
Years later, a chance opportunity led McCann and his wife — a nurse — to Gull Lake, where they became the owners of the local golf course.
Over the decades, the couple has transformed the property from an idle plot into a beloved community golf destination. McCann himself designed and built the brick-and-stucco clubhouse, drawing on his trade background to give the facility a personal touch.
“Golf has blossomed since Rory came on the scene," added McCann. "There's a lot of good golfers coming out of Europe and especially Ireland.”
Though McCann has called Alberta home for decades, his Irish roots still run deep — and McIlroy’s victory brought a bit of the old country back to Gull Lake.
The Gull Lake Golf Course opened for the season over the weekend and has already seen a strong turnout. All nine holes are open and the greens are in excellent shape coming out of the winter.
The course is fully operational and welcoming both members and the public.
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