Hamilton

[T_MacWood]

Despite the low scores Hamilton looks to be an interesting golf course... the terrain especially stands out.

From what I understand the course was originally designed by Colt, then Alison, and then some more modern tinkering. How much of this course is Colt and how much is Alison and how much who ever else?

[Robert Thompson]

A vast majority of the course is intact, though the bunkers have little to do with Colt's work and a couple of holes were moved when the new nine (1960s) was added. I believe the course is primarily Colt (dating to 1914 construction). The course is very strong and intriguing, with great greens and a difficult set of long threes. There is also great elevation in the course, though you can still easily walk it. Terrific finishing hole which forces the pros to hit a long iron into a large green set in a natural theater-like hill. Dick Kirkpatrick did a lot of the construction work there and knows the club history very well. For some strange reason, Tom Clark is the consulting architect. Can't easily explain why....

I've got photos from 1915 on my blog (www.ontgolf.ca/blogs) for anyone interested....

[Greg Beaulieu]

As a proud Canadian I was very pleased at how good the course looked on TV this week (especially in HD, it was fabulous) and how it stood up to the pros despite the soft conditions and relative lack of length. The course looked very appealing to the eye on TV with the elevation changes being especially noticeable. In some ways it reminded me of watching Westchester C.C. during the Barclay's. Jim Nelford on Canadian TV did a nice feature on the 18th hole with the risk/reward aspect of the tee shot as his focus: a level lie if you lay back, but a longer approach; another level lie and a shorter approach if you hit driver perfectly and find the proper spot at the end of the fairway; but in between, a no-man's land of a downhill lie for a mid to long iron approach.

I really liked what I saw of the course during the tournament.

[Bob_Huntley]

Greg,

Does Hamilton have the worst weather in Canada?

Bob

[Greg Beaulieu]

Greg,

Does Hamilton have the worst weather in Canada?

Living here, I thought Halifax did. Or if not us, St. John's, Nfld...

[Jerry Kluger]

Ian Baker Finch commented at one point that the course plays much better and much tougher when its firm and fast - is that the normal condition and the way it was designed to be played?

[Wayne_Kozun]

Greg,

Does Hamilton have the worst weather in Canada?

Bob

No, believe it or not it has some of the best weather in Canada.  Hamilton is very close to the Niagara fruit region which is one of the best wine growing regions in Canada due to the moderate climate.  This week was a bit cool and rainy in these parts which is often what you get here in September.  They won't have that problem in the future as the tournament is moving to the week after the British Open in July when the temp is often in the 90s and it is dry but that won't help the field.

FYI - Hamilton is only about 40 miles west southwest of Toronto.

[Bill_McBride]

Don't they call Toronto down into that area, "Canada's Banana Belt?"  

[David Sneddon]

Don't they call Toronto down into that area, "Canada's Banana Belt?"  

For the *real* Banana Belt you have to drive another 200miles SW towards Windsor.  

[Paul_Turner]

Tom

I'll mostly reiterate what Robert wrote.  The general routing of the course is as Colt designed.  The biggest change being moving the whole 13th and I think the 15th green was shifted too (for the new 9).  I think some of the greens have had contour changes too (3,4?,7,16?).  

The bunker redo work has disregarded Colt's drawing and style.

The club has the report by Alison...not sure what he suggested.

It's an excellent course...in my view not quite as good as Toronto GC which is more intact and has more interesting greens.

The sharp switchback streams/creeks are unique in their curviness, in my experience.