Feature Interview with Dr. James Harris on Stanley Thompson now posted

[Ran Morrissett]

Stanley Thompson is a hero of mine, as evidenced by the "147 Custodians of the Game" where 5 of his works are in the top 85. When Jefff Mingay informed me in August that a new book on Thompson had just been released, I was delighted. I was even more thrilled when my copy of Stanley Thompson and the Icons of Canada arrived because it is Devil’s Cauldron 😉w-o-n-d-e-r-f-u-l.
 
Biographies are niche works, labors of love to ensure that individuals are properly remembered. It's hundreds and hundreds of hours of work with no financial reward. Dr. James Harris embraced the task, noting, ‘if you can’t find what you want to read, write it yourself.’ His  book is a treasure, beautifully researched and presents Thompson in the light he deserved. More than any book on an architect that I have read, the history of his native country shines through creating a narrative that you read page after page versus skipping around to the sections that capture your fancy.
 
It took an expansive personality like Thompson's to build the kind of expansive courses that he left behind; A small man with a cramped mind would never have enthused such unabashed joy into so many places. To play a Thompson course – certainly one of his Big 5 – is to experience something on an emotional level that surpasses what all but a few other architects have achieved. RTJ Sr thought so and some of the correspondence that Dr. Harris unearthed between him and his mentor is fascinating.  I have always been an enormous fan of RTJ’s early works (the Dunes and Peachtree with its punchbowl 10th green) which are prime examples of Thompson’s influence south of the border.

Sometimes, I play a perfectly okay course and wonder what another architect might have wrought from the same opportunity. That is not true with Thompson. I know that his best was the best that could have been, especially at his Big 5. That’s saying something because few architects have had four sites as magnificent as Jasper, Banff, St. George's, and Cape Breton Highlands and met those diverse challenges/opportunities so masterfully.  As importantly, Dr. Harris points out how adroitly Thompson exploited the less than ideal sites, like Capilano.  One of my resolutions for 2019 is to see a couple of his lesser gems, which are also bound to be chock full of character. After reading Stanley Thompson and the Icons of Canada, I reckon you too will make an earnest effort to explore more of this titan’s work.
 
The book can be acquired through the Stanley Thompson Society, www.stanleythompson.com.  Congrats to Dr. Harris for providing a history lesson on Canada and for putting Thompson’s massive accomplishments into historical context and for making sure he will never be forgotten. FYI, This Feature Interview represents a rare opportunity to see a picture of Marilyn Monroe so – like the book - don’t miss it!

Here is the link:

http://golfclubatlas.com/feature-interview/feature-interview-with-dr-james-harris/

Best,

[John Mayhugh]

Thanks for this interview. Interesting reading about the roles of the railroads.
I've only seen one Thompson course - Capilano, which is wonderful. I don't remember seeing anything about Sleepy Hollow in Ohio, but that's now on my list.

[David Davis]

Ran,


Thanks for posting this. Very interesting!


I love the Thompson courses I have seen to date and like you really notice the influence on the early work from RTJ, my favorite being Peachtree as well.


My big gap is still to make it to Jasper and Banff which are high on the list. St. Georges is wonderful and still my favorite.


Look forward to reading this book.

[Tommy Williamsen]

Thanks Ran, wonderful reading.