Tree of the Week showcases some of the biggest and most beautiful trees in the GTA, as compiled by Megan Ogilvie. Here, Bill Weeks tells us about a massive and centuries-old basswood tree that grows on the fifth hole of the Weston Golf and Country Club in Etobicoke, and which has become a beloved curiosity on the golf course.

This is an American linden tree, or Tilia americana, also known as a basswood tree.

At the Weston Golf and Country Club, where it grows near the fairway of the fifth hole, it is simply known as The Basswood.

At first glance, it looks like an impressively large tree. But a closer inspection reveals that it is a true survivor.

Basswood trees are not fussy, do not require a lot of maintenance and can grow to be 35 m (115 feet) tall and 200 years old.

Nobody knows for sure the age of this basswood, but it has been growing here for as long as anyone can remember.

It may have been a sapling before European settlement, when the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation lived in the area.

It could have been growing when, in 1815, a local mill owner first named the settlement Weston.

The tree would certainly have been present in 1920 when Scottish architect Willie Park Jr. was commissioned to design the 18-hole golf course (his design remains to this day).

And we know this basswood survived Hurricane Hazel in 1954 and, one year later, it watched Arnold Palmer win his first PGA Tour victory at the Canadian Open.

I am grateful this tree has not been cut down and thrives on the course, along with other big and beautiful trees, including a centuries-old heritage bur oak.

I’ve known this tree for more than 47 years, ever since a late spring day in 1972 when I played my first golf game at the Weston with my friend, Jim Ray.

I remember the day clearly. When we came to the fifth tee, Jim told me that despite it being considered the toughest hole on the course, it was his favourite and that he almost always scored well.

I recall walking down the fairway with Jim, who pointed out the basswood, which grew to our left and in the rough. He suggested I have a close look at the trunk as its days were numbered, and so I did.

I was amazed when I ventured to the other side of the tree to find that its trunk was almost entirely hollow.

It was about this same time, in the mid-1970s, when the club’s greens committee, which looks after the care of the course, determined that the basswood was nearing the end of its life. After some discussion, the committee decided to plant a small pin oak near the basswood as its replacement.

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Four decades later, this pin oak is now about 9 m (30 feet) high — and the basswood is still standing. They make an impressive pair.

Years ago, the basswood was struck by lightning, and the top of the tree was lopped off. But, as it has for so long, the tree proves to be resilient. It has withstood harsh winters, vicious windstorms and the famous ice storm of 2013.

For me, I see the basswood as a symbol of hope — both on and off the golf course.

When I double bogey the fourth hole and get to the fifth, I see this tree and I realize that if it can survive all it has been through, then I should be able to overcome a bad hole once in a while.

The Basswood has been around for a very long time in spite of its condition.

I have been on planet Earth for 87 years and with regular swimming and golf am in reasonably good condition.

We are both survivors!

After today, Tree of the Week will become a monthly feature.

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