Canada's Top 20 circa 1953

[T_MacWood]

Stanley Thompson died in 1953, what were the top 20 course in the country at the time of his death?

[Wayne_Kozun]

It is interesting that only 8 of the top 20 in the recent Score Canadian list were pre WWII courses whereas 18 of 20 are pre WWII in the Golf Magazine US list.

Re: top 20 (actually 22) circa 53 - It would look something like this, although I am probably missing some Montreal Courses:
St. Georges
Hamilton
Highland Links
Jasper
Capilano
Banff
Toronto GC
Westmount
Royal Colwood
Brantford
Weston
Mississauga
Victoria GC
Essex
Summit
St. Thomas
Oakdale
Cataraqui
Rosedale
Scarboro
Mt Bruno
Marine Drive

I believe 9 of these are Stanley Thompson, Brantford was done by Nicol Thompson, his brother.  Also on the list - Colt, Macan, Tillie, Ross, Park.

[Tyler Kearns]

Not much different than Canada's Top 20 in 2006. It's sad but true. In addition to Wayne's list, I would throw a few Manitoba courses into the fray, Elmhurst & Pine Ridge.

TK

[Wayne_Kozun]

Not much different than Canada's Top 20 in 2006. It's sad but true.

TK

But that is the same in the US.  The only US courses of the last 60 years in the top 20, at least according to Golf Magazine, are Sand Hills and Pacific Dunes.  There have been more than 2 courses built in Canada that rightfully belong in the top 20 - certainly the National, Devil's Paintbrush and Redtail belong in anyone's top 20 Canadian courses.

[Ian Andrew]

There is no rankings posted in Canadian Golfer from 1915-1940. After that we had no magazines for quite a while.

The earliest ranking I know of is from 1982

Top 5 (alphebetical in 5's)
Glen Abbey
Hamilton
National
Royal Montreal
St. George's

Capilano
Essex
London Hunt
Mississaugua
Royal Colwood

Ashburn (new)
Banff
Brantford
Cherry Hill
Mayfair

Clagary
Jasper Park
Laval-sur-le-lac
Ottowa Hunt
Westmount

Kanawaki
Red Deer
Riverside
St. Charles
Shaughnessy

[Tom_Doak]

I played The National fifteen years ago.  I think I gave it a 6 on the Doak scale.  Aren't there ten or twenty golf courses in Canada that I'd rate higher than a 6?

[Dan Herrmann]

I find it interesting that Highlands Links isn't on that list, and Glen Abbey is in the top 5.

I've played them both, and I'd much rather play HL.

Kinda confirms an earlier post (from Brad, I think) that new courses rise highly at first (Glen Abbey/Sandpines) and fall to their natural place.

[Ian Andrew]

Tom,

In respense to your scale, this is how I would respond

8 (world level)
Highlands St. George's

7 (must see)
Banff and Jasper
Toronto and Hamilton

The Better 6's (should see-but don't book just for them)
Capilano
Paintbrush
Eagle's Nest
Blackhawk

The Middle 6's (if your near by)
Catarqui
St. Thomas
Scarboro

[Wayne_Kozun]

I find it interesting that Highlands Links isn't on that list, and Glen Abbey is in the top 5.

I've played them both, and I'd much rather play HL.

Kinda confirms an earlier post (from Brad, I think) that new courses rise highly at first (Glen Abbey/Sandpines) and fall to their natural place.

You have to remember the context of the time.  This is an era when the Canadian Open was held at Glen Abbey every year so many people seemed to assume that it must be a great golf course.  Jack was still the top golfer in the world which also added to its cachet.

I believe at this time Highland Links was in very poor shape and it was thought to be a remote backwater.  This is also a time when classic golf courses weren't as highly regarded as they are today.  Lorne Rubenstein was instrumental in raising the profile of HL which caused it to go to #1 in Canada for a while and to be the highest ranked Canadian course in the global rankings.

[T_MacWood]

The 1974 ranking:

Top Five: Hamilton, London Hunt, Royal Colwood, Royal Montreal, St. Georges

2nd Five: Capilano, Cherry Hill, Ottawa Hunt, Mississauga, Toronto

3rd Five: Banff, Brantford, Cape Breton, Essex, Mayfair

4th Five: Ashburn-New, Jasper, Laval sure le lac, Pinegrove, Royal Quebec-Old

5th Five: Riverside, Scarborough, St. Charles, Summerlea, Westmount

[Ian Andrew]

Tom,

There are a lot of Canadian Opens at the top of that list.

London Hunt was the new modern track by Trent Jones and Royal was the big new track from Dick Wilson/Joe Lee? The moderns still dominate new lists don't they. Mississaugua just held the open and underwent massive surgery.

Fun list.

[Wayne_Kozun]

There are a lot of Canadian Opens at the top of that list.

In the top 5 Royal Colwood hasn't had the Open, nor had Royal Montreal, at least not at that course (they were to hold it in 75).  Hamilton hadn't had an Open since 1930 and London Hunt held it only in 1970.  Therefore the Opens come primarily from St. Georges & Mississauga.

[Tim MacEachern]

There was one year that Score Magazine listed the Cape Breton Highlands course twice, as the editors apparently didn't know that it is referred to as "Keltic", "Ingonish" and "Cape Breton Highlands".  So it got in the top 50 twice .