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Betty Stanhope-Cole

Golf & Curling Athlete — Inducted 1980

Betty Stanhope-Cole (1937 – January 27, 2017) was one of Canada’s most accomplished amateur golfers and an outstanding competitive curler. Her remarkable success in two sports placed her among Alberta’s most versatile and decorated female athletes.

In golf, Stanhope-Cole dominated at the city, provincial, and national levels. She captured more than 29 Edmonton City Golf Championships and 13 Provincial titles early in her career. In 1956, she won the Canadian Junior Championship, and in 1957 she claimed the prestigious Canadian Ladies’ Open title. Over the course of her career, she represented Alberta as a provincial team member in 25 Canadian Championships.

Internationally, she was selected to the Canadian Commonwealth Team in 1963 and 1971, and competed as a member of the Canadian World Team in 1964, 1974, and 1976.

Equally accomplished in curling, Stanhope-Cole skipped three Alberta Championship teams. Her rink finished second at the 1978 Lassie Championship and captured 13 zone and Edmonton championships.

After Induction

Following her 1980 induction into the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame, Stanhope-Cole continued to build her legacy in golf.

She won four additional Alberta Ladies Amateur Championships in 1980, 1982, 1984, and 1988 — bringing her career total to a record-setting 17 provincial amateur titles. She also captured three Alberta Senior Championships and was ranked the No. 1 senior amateur golfer in Canada in 1989.

Beyond competition, Stanhope-Cole made significant contributions to golf administration and development. In 1981, she began serving the Canadian Ladies Golf Association as Rules Director. She later worked extensively with the Alberta Golf Association (now Alberta Golf), holding roles including Player Development Director, Rules Director, Zone Chair, and Tournament Committee member. She was also a dedicated mentor to young elite golfers at Alberta development camps.

Her many honours include induction into:

  • Canadian Golf Hall of Fame (1991)
  • Edmonton Sports Hall of Fame (1993)
  • Alberta Golf Hall of Fame (2005)

In recognition of her lifelong contributions to sport and community, the City of Edmonton named a park in the Highlands community in her honour on September 18, 2011.