Friday, January 12, 2007

Stanley Thompson’s Definative Course List


I’ve been meaning to do this for some time. What I would like to do is produce a definitive list of his work and when it was done.

I do not want to list projects like York Downs where he was the contractor and Charles Alison actually designed the course. I want all these courses removed from his list of design credits for accuracy.

I also don’t want to list courses that are mislabeled like Brantford or Waskesiu where Thompson did not design the course. I have serious suspicions about Summit and a few others particularly when you look at the dates. I would like proof, one way or the other, to decide whether they should go on. I’m not interested in bunker projects like Beaconsfield or courses where he did plans only like Onondaga. I want new projects or complete rebuilds.

I would also like to clear up the lists where courses are listed twice under both names, ie Waterloo and Galt are in fact the same course. Essex and St. Thomas are likely too.

There are holes in what I have listed, because many of the clubs I have no familiarity with. The list I have offered are Stanley Thompson projects I’m familiar with through research. I ask for your assistance on my definitive list. The starting point is below.

Chronology of Stanley Thompson’s New Courses

Owen Sound Golf & Country Club 1921
Bigwin Island Golf Course 1921
Sarnia Golf & Country Club 1921
Glen Stewart Golf & Country Club 1921
Highland Country Club 1922
Niakwa Golf & Country Club 1922
Shoreacres Golf Course 1922
Cedar Brook Golf & Country Club 1922
St. Thomas Golf & Country Club 1922
Uplands Golf & Country Club 1922
Thornhill Golf & Country Club 1922
Islington Golf & Country Club 1923
Bayview Golf & Country Club 1923
Sleepy Hollow Golf & Country Club 1923
Burlington Golf & Country Club 1923
Jasper Park Lodge Golf Course 1924
Big Bay Point Golf Course 1924
The Toronto Ladies Golf Course 1924
St. Andrew’s Golf Course 1925
Oakdale Golf & Country Club 1926
Mayfair Golf & Country Club 1927
Banff Springs Hotel Golf Course 1927
Allandale Golf Course 1928
St. Georges Golf & Country Club 1928
Waterloo Golf & Country Club 1929
Digby Pines Resort 1929
Waterloo (now Galt) Golf & Country Club 1929
Brampton Golf & Country Club 1929
Dundas Valley Golf & Country Club 1929
Oshawa Golf & Country Club 1929
Seigniory Club (at Chateau Montebello) 1929
Peterborough Golf & Country Club 1930
Brockville Golf & Country Club 1930
Constant Springs Golf Course 1930
Catarqui Golf & Country Club 1930
Westmount Golf & Country Club 1931
Kawartha Golf & Country Club 1931
Sunningdale Golf & Country Club 1933
Credit Valley Golf & Country Club 1934
Capilano Golf & Country Club 1937
Cape Breton Highlands 1938
Anne of Green Gables 1938
St. Catharines Golf & Country Club 1946
Glendale Golf & Country Club 1946
Lockport Golf & Country Club 1946
Whirlpool Golf Course 1951
North Oaks Golf Course 1951

To follow the post also on GolfClubAtlas:

28 comments:

Anonymous said...

I was of the understanding that Credit Valley was designed by Robbie Robinson. The fact that Stan was responsible for Dundas surely proves, "you can't win'em all".

Anonymous said...

Ian: Is it safe to assume that you have a copy of The Toronto Terror? Fundy National Park in New Brunswick and Peninsula lakes Golf Club in Marathon Ontario certainly exhibit many of his design characteristics although both are only 9 hole courses. The construction dates would only be taken from Barclay's book so I won't add them here.

Tom Forsythe

paul m said...

Hi Ian,
The origional plan for I found for Thompson's contribution to PEI golf history calls the course " The Links at Green Gables", I wish we had a reason to restore that origional title.

Thanks,
Paul M.

Anonymous said...

Where was the Bayview Golf Club?
We built the present Bayview for CER in 1959

Ian Andrew said...

Credit Valley's 1st and 6th green is all that is left.

Dick,

There is a history of a Bayview before that one. There was a 600 yard par five and the ninth used to be in the little valley in front of the clubhouse.

Again, if that was Robbie's and there is confusion on my end, let me know.

Anonymous said...

Ian:
Not on that property, it was all farm land and bush.The club got cash short after a couple seasons, and they made the long par 5 into a par 4 and a par 3. Sorry, I don't remember the hole numbers, but they were on the left side of the entry road. Reg Acomb was the man in charge.

At Credit Valley, the first green is CER, the 6th is Bob Moote as well as the 10th. The old short par 3 second hole is still there, almost entirely. The green is at the top of the hill just before going down the path to the 6th tees.

Ian Andrew said...

Dick,

Yeah, there was once talk about reinstating that hole too. So Credit is a complete NLE.

Now the trick is to find out if Bayview moved or if that is miscredited.

Thanks Dick,

Ian

Anonymous said...

Ian,
Thompson's layout of Cataraqui wasn't in play until May 1933.

Great job on the blog!!!!

Anonymous said...

"Where was the Bayview Golf Club?
We built the present Bayview for CER in 1959."


Dick,

The Toronto Terror records, from the March 1923 issue of Canadian Golfer that,
"Bayview was at the rear of Lawrence Park on the corner of Bayview and Lawrence Avenues."
The club had apparently recently contracted with Stanley Thompson & Co., Limited, for the construction of an additional nine holes.

Anonymous said...

Like I said to Ian Chris, where is the Bayview Golf Club.
Is it at Bayview and Lawrence?
I don't think so.
The only one I know of is the one we built for Robbie Robinson

Anonymous said...

Dick,

The second nine of the Bayview Golf Club that Thompson designed was at Bayview and Lawrence in 1923. I imagine it closed sometime before Robbie built the one in 1959. Other than that, I don't think I understand your question.

Anonymous said...

Chris:
The point I was trying to make was that the golf course at Bayview and Lawrence is not there now.
Is Ian's list supposed to be of golf courses that no longer exist?
I seem to remember that there were a couple of holes at the Sholdice Clinic (just below Toronto Ladies)
but that would be closer to Bayview and John St. in Thornhill.

Ian Andrew said...

Dick, Chris and others,

I'm only trying to get together a list of what he built from scratch. I've always wanted that list in particular. I do think a renovation list is important. In an ideal world I would love a list of original holes to study. But like any quest of this nature - the realization of the work involved is frightening.

Ian

Anonymous said...

Ian:
You bet it is frightening, the ST Society has been compiling a list for years now, and it is still a work in progress.
I notice Saugeen is not on your list, there is still some of the original course still there (it was 9 holes) They have the original blueprint, and a copy is at the U of Guelph archives.
It looks to me like the Bayview GC at Bayview and Lawrence NEL

Anonymous said...

I think Thompson's only work at Oshawa was remodelling the 4th green. John Gall
Thanks for your time with the Blog.

Anonymous said...

definative?

or definitive?

Anonymous said...

I think you missed a club designed by Stanley Thompson,

Eriedowns in Fort Erie, Ontario
built in 1927
Presently known as Bridgewater Country Club.....
It is regularily visited by his neice, and his great neice actually was a server there in 2005

Anonymous said...

Truro golf club (www.trurogolfclub.com) in Nova Scotia was designed as a 9-hole course by Thompson in 1930, but was expanded to 18 holes in 1967. Green Gables in PEI - another Thompson course that you have referenced - has been undergoing extensive renovations for the past two years, and has been closed for most of this time.

Brewnoser said...

Fundy National Park in New Brunswick (Alma) is definitely a "from scratch" Thompson course. I've seen his drawings for a full 18, but only 9 were built.

Anonymous said...

It burns me that Waskesiu Golf Course advertises itself as a Stanley Thompson design. Parks Canada engineer James Atkinson and Golf Pro Albert Kam designed it 1934-1936. Why does this myth still get perpetuated in the Society?

Anonymous said...

You missed another course in the US:

Metropolitan GC- Cleveland, Ohio.
The course is now known as "Big Met" since there is a smaller nearby 9 hole course called "Little Met." Both the courses are now public and part of the Cleveland Metroparks system. Thompson designed the course in 1926. 6,524 yards from the tips. Sleepy Hollow that is listed is also a Cleveland Metroparks course that Thopmson designed.

Anonymous said...

Green Gables finally opened again this summer!!!! Yay!!!

Patrick said...

I have yet another course by Stanley....in 1927 it was named Erie Downs and today is know as Bridgewater Country Club and is located in Fort Erie, Ontario.

Anonymous said...

Ashburn Golf Club in Halifax was an original designed in 1923... perhaps one of his only par 67 with amazing par 3's

Anonymous said...

i'm new... promise to despatch round more often!

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Anonymous said...

The Briars Golf Club (original nine holes) was a Thompson design... with Robiie coming in in approx '72 to expand to an 18 course

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