HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Stanley Thompson (September 18, 1893 – January 4, 1953) was a
Canadian Canadians () are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their being ''C ...
golf course architect A golf course is the grounds on which the sport of golf is played. It consists of a series of holes, each consisting of a tee box, a fairway, the rough and other hazards, and a green with a cylindrical hole in the ground, known as a "cup". T ...
, and a high-standard amateur golfer. He was a co-founder of the
American Society of Golf Course Architects The American Society of Golf Course Architects (abbreviated as ASGCA) is a professional organization of golf course designers in America. Founded in 1946, its members are actively involved in the design of new courses and the renovation of existi ...
.


Early life, family, education, and military service

Stanley Thompson was born in
Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...
, as the seventh of nine surviving children, of parents James and Jeannie Thompson, who had married in Middlebie,
Dumfries and Galloway Dumfries and Galloway (; ) is one of the 32 unitary council areas of Scotland, located in the western part of the Southern Uplands. It is bordered by East Ayrshire, South Ayrshire, and South Lanarkshire to the north; Scottish Borders to the no ...
,
Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...
in 1880, and emigrated to Canada in June 1882. His father worked for the
Grand Trunk Railway The Grand Trunk Railway (; ) was a Rail transport, railway system that operated in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian provinces of Quebec and Ontario and in the List of states and territories of the United States, American sta ...
, which built a large depot in east-end Toronto. Stanley and his four brothers Nicol (1880–1957), Mathew (1885–1955), William J. (1889–1935), and Frank (1897–1959) all developed into excellent golfers, and each made very significant contributions to Canadian golf. All five Thompson brothers got started in golf by caddying at the Toronto Golf Club, then located in the eastern end of the city, and playing that course when given access. Stanley Thompson studied at
Malvern Collegiate Institute Malvern Collegiate Institute (Malvern CI, MCI or Malvern), previously known as East Toronto High School and Malvern High School is a high school located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada part of the Toronto District School Board. Prior to 1998, it was ...
from 1908 to 1911, played on its rugby team in 1911, and graduated. He attended the Ontario Agricultural College (now the
University of Guelph The University of Guelph (abbreviated U of G) is a comprehensive Public university, public research university in Guelph, Ontario, Canada. It was established in 1964 after the amalgamation of Ontario Agricultural College (1874), the MacDonald I ...
) for one year, from September 1912 to April 1913. He served with the Canadian military, the Canadian Expeditionary Force, in
Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...
during
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, earning the 1914–1915 Star, and was mentioned in a written dispatch on April 9, 1917, at
Vimy Ridge The Battle of Vimy Ridge was part of the Battle of Arras, in the Pas-de-Calais department of France, during the First World War. The main combatants were the four divisions of the Canadian Corps in the First Army, against three divisions of ...
. He served as a gunner with the 4th Brigade.


Early design career

During periods of leave from his military service, and after the war ended, Thompson visited and played many of the top courses in the British Isles. Thompson may have worked on golf course design in Canada before enlisting in the armed services. He worked with his brother Nicol, who had already begun to design courses on his own, immediately after the war ended. When he returned to Canada after the war he became a full-time golf course architect, going into business himself by 1923. In the 1920s there was a rapid expansion of golf in North America, and new courses were needed to accommodate the millions of new players, so Thompson and his peers were kept very busy. Thompson designed courses from 1912 to 1952, mostly in Canada, with a philosophy of preserving the natural lay and flow of the land. He wrote about his design ideas in golf magazines. Thompson got his design start with George Cumming, longtime professional at the Toronto Golf Club, who had designed several Canadian courses early in the 20th century, after arriving in Canada. The two had known each other since Thompson's boyhood as a caddie at the club.


Design associates

Thompson hired Howard Watson and C.E. (Robbie) Robinson in 1929; after working with Thompson for many years, both Watson and Robinson launched their own independent careers, each contributing to more than 50 courses. Canadian Geoffrey Cornish worked with Thompson, and eventually began his own practice, working mainly in the United States. Thompson became design partners with Robert Trent Jones in 1932; the two worked together for most of the 1930s, as Thompson trained the younger Jones, before Jones began his independent practice in 1940. Thompson also hired Norman H. Woods and Robert Moote while they were young graduates; each became a significant golf course architect.


Courses in Canadian National Parks

Thompson's many world-famous courses include the Banff Springs Hotel Golf Course in
Banff, Alberta Banff is a resort town in Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada, in Alberta's Rockies along the Trans-Canada Highway, west of Calgary, east of Lake Louise, Alberta, Lake Louise, and above Banff was the first municipality to incorporate within ...
, the Jasper Park Lodge Golf Course in
Jasper, Alberta Jasper is a specialized municipality and townsite in western Alberta within the Canadian Rockies. The townsite is in the Athabasca River valley and is the commercial centre of Jasper National Park. History Established in 1813, Jasper ...
, the scenic Fundy National Park Golf Course in
New Brunswick New Brunswick is a Provinces and Territories of Canada, province of Canada, bordering Quebec to the north, Nova Scotia to the east, the Gulf of Saint Lawrence to the northeast, the Bay of Fundy to the southeast, and the U.S. state of Maine to ...
, the Green Gables Golf Course in Prince Edward Island National Park, Clear Lake Golf Course in Riding Mountain National Park in Manitoba, Waskesiu Golf Course in Prince Albert National Park, Elk Island Golf Course in Elk Island National Park, Waterton Lakes Golf Course in Waterton National Park, and the Highlands Links in Ingonish, Nova Scotia; all eight are publicly accessible and located in Canadian National Parks. Banff Springs and Jasper Park earned him a worldwide reputation.


Canadian private clubs

Private clubs designed or redesigned by Thompson are the Ashburn Golf Club (Old Course) in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Dundas Valley Golf and Curling Club, the Capilano Golf and Country Club in
West Vancouver, British Columbia West Vancouver is a district municipality in the province of British Columbia, Canada. A member municipality of the Metro Vancouver Regional District, West Vancouver is situated on the north shore of Burrard Inlet to the northwest of the city of ...
, the Edmonton Country Club and the Royal Mayfair Golf Club in
Edmonton, Alberta Edmonton is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Alberta. It is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Central Alberta ...
, Niakwa Country Club in
Winnipeg Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Manitoba. It is centred on the confluence of the Red River of the North, Red and Assiniboine River, Assiniboine rivers. , Winnipeg h ...
, the Kawartha Golf and Country Club, the Peterborough Golf and Country club, the Oakdale Golf & Country Club (which named one of its three nines after him), Islington Golf Club and the St. George's Golf and Country Club in
Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...
, the Westmount Golf and Country Club in
Kitchener, Ontario Kitchener is a city in the Canadian province of Ontario, about west of Toronto. It is one of three cities that make up the Regional Municipality of Waterloo and is the regional Administrative centre, seat. Kitchener was known as Berlin until a ...
, the Oshawa Golf Club in
Oshawa, Ontario Oshawa is a city in Ontario, Canada, on the Lake Ontario shoreline. It lies in Southern Ontario, approximately east of downtown Toronto. It is commonly viewed as the eastern anchor of the Greater Toronto Area and of the Golden Horseshoe. It ...
, Beach Grove Golf and Country Club near
Windsor, Ontario Windsor ( ) is a city in southwestern Ontario, Canada. It is situated on the south bank of the Detroit River directly across from the U.S city of Detroit, Detroit, Michigan. Geographically located within but administratively independent of Esse ...
, St. Thomas Golf and Country Club in Union, Ontario, Ladies' Golf Club of Toronto in Thornhill, Ontario, Muskoka Lakes Golf & Country Club in Port Carling, Ontario, the Cataraqui Golf and Country Club in
Kingston, Ontario Kingston is a city in Ontario, Canada, on the northeastern end of Lake Ontario. It is at the beginning of the St. Lawrence River and at the mouth of the Cataraqui River, the south end of the Rideau Canal. Kingston is near the Thousand Islands, ...
, Allendale Golf Course in Innisfil, Ontario and Big Bay Point Point Golf & Country Club in Innisfil, Ontario.


Helps to found ASGCA in 1948

In 1948, Thompson was a co-founder, with Donald Ross and Robert Trent Jones, of the
American Society of Golf Course Architects The American Society of Golf Course Architects (abbreviated as ASGCA) is a professional organization of golf course designers in America. Founded in 1946, its members are actively involved in the design of new courses and the renovation of existi ...
,. Thompson served as ASGCA president in 1949. Four of his design associates also later served as ASGCA presidents: Jones, Watson, Robinson, and Cornish.


Thompson family golf achievements

Stanley Thompson was an excellent player himself, competing with success many times in the
Canadian Amateur Championship The Canadian Amateur Championship, begun in 1895, is the men's amateur golf championship of Canada. It is staged annually by Golf Canada. It was played at match play until 1968, went to stroke play beginning in 1969, and reverted to match play i ...
and in other top-class events, winning titles such as the Winter Championship of
Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...
. His four brothers—Nicol, Frank, Mathew, and William J.—all became outstanding Canadian players in the 1910s and 1920s. Nicol served as the club professional at Hamilton Golf and Country Club for most of his career, and won the Canadian PGA Championship title in 1922. The other four Thompson brothers remained top-class amateurs for most of their lives. Mathew turned professional in his 40s at the Elmhurst Club near
Winnipeg Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Manitoba. It is centred on the confluence of the Red River of the North, Red and Assiniboine River, Assiniboine rivers. , Winnipeg h ...
, where he had been a member and club champion. Frank won two
Canadian Amateur Championship The Canadian Amateur Championship, begun in 1895, is the men's amateur golf championship of Canada. It is staged annually by Golf Canada. It was played at match play until 1968, went to stroke play beginning in 1969, and reverted to match play i ...
titles, in 1921 and 1924, while also losing the final in 1927. William J. won one Canadian title, in 1923; he also won the Ontario Amateur Championship in 1924 and 1925, while playing a central role in founding and serving as a director with the Ontario Golf Association (now the Golf Association of Ontario). As an outstanding competitive golf family, the Thompsons were somewhat comparable to the higher-profile Turnesa family of the United States, most of whom turned professional at golf, during a slightly later era. Nicol, William, Frank and Mathew each assisted Stanley at various times with his course design work and construction.


Summary of courses designed

The Stanley Thompson Society provides a list of 178 courses which Thompson laid out, had constructed, or remodeled through one of the companies that he worked for or managed in the years 1912-1953. Geographically, the courses are located in: * Canada (144 courses) * USA (26 courses) * Brazil (4 courses) * Colombia (2 courses) * Jamaica (2 courses)


Death and legacy

Thompson died of an
aneurysm An aneurysm is an outward :wikt:bulge, bulging, likened to a bubble or balloon, caused by a localized, abnormal, weak spot on a blood vessel wall. Aneurysms may be a result of a hereditary condition or an acquired disease. Aneurysms can also b ...
in early 1953, at age 59, in Toronto, just as he was starting travel to
South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a considerably smaller portion in the Northern Hemisphere. It can also be described as the southern Subregion#Americas, subregion o ...
, where he was to design a golf course. Thompson was inducted into the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame in 1980. In 2000, golf historian James A. Barclay wrote a biography of Thompson entitled ''The Toronto Terror.'' The Stanley Thompson Society was founded in 1998. Thompson was inducted into the Ontario Golf Hall of Fame in its 2000 charter class. In 2008, Thompson was recognized as a Person of National Historic Significance. Thompson was inducted into
Canada's Sports Hall of Fame Canada's Sports Hall of Fame (; sometimes referred to as the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame) is a Canadian sports hall of fame and museum in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Dedicated to the history of sports in Canada, it serves as a hall of fame and mu ...
in 2015, in the Builder category. The Canadian golf magazine SCORE ranks, on a biennial basis, Canada's top courses. For 2016, six Stanley Thompson courses were ranked in the top 13 in the country. These were: Fairmont Jasper Park (#3), St. George's (#5), Highlands Links (#7), Fairmont Banff Springs (#8), Capilano (#10), and Westmount (#13). An additional seven Thompson courses were ranked in the top 100.scoregolf.com/top-100-2016


References


External links


The Stanley Thompson SocietyProfile at Canadian Golf Hall of FameThe Friends of Stanley Thompsonstanleythompson.freeservers.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Thompson, Stanley Canadian male golfers Amateur golfers Golf course architects Golfers from Toronto University of Guelph alumni Canadian military personnel of World War I Persons of National Historic Significance (Canada) 1893 births 1953 deaths 20th-century Canadian sportsmen