Guess the Architect.....

[Yannick Pilon]

This is a picture of a course I happened to visit this summer while working for another client.  I thought some of the features had a familiar look....  The original first nine holes of this course were designed by a famous architect more than 50 years ago.

Can anyone guess the architect of that course?

[Brad Klein]

I didn't realize until now that Jeff Brauer has been in the business THAT long.

[Mike Hendren]

Thompson

[Dan Kelly]

Raynor?

[Tyler Kearns]

Thompson.

[Ian Andrew]

You think Thompson on first blush, but I'll guess Herbert Strong on a hunch.

[T_MacWood]

I agree with the others...my guess would be Stanley Thompson. Second choice: AV Macan.

[mark chalfant]

Devereux Emmet   or   Walter  Travis  ??

[Ian Andrew]

Yannick,

I'm curious to know more about the photo.

[Robert Emmons]

It does look like a Emmet and Tull....RHE

[Craig_Rokke]

Yannick

Based solely on the fact that you said designed "more than 50 years
ago", rather than "more than 70 years ago", I'm going in a direction other than the Golden-agers. I'll say Trent Jones.

[JNC Lyon]

Is there a way to view the photo? It does not seem to registar on my screen.

[JNC Lyon]

Funny, right after I posted that, I could view the photo!!!

[Yannick Pilon]

A lot of you guys had it right.

Its the Saguenay Arvida Golf Course in Saguenay, Quebec, and it was designed by Stanley Thompson.

I am not a Stanley Thompson expert and don't know exactly when it was designed, but it had to be somewhere between 1921 and 1952, the year that he died. That's why I was not more specific....  Thompson has been active in Quebec between 1927 (with an other, unidentified course in Saguenay (!!)) and 1934 (in Thetford Mines), so my guess would be that the course was built around those years.

He only designed 9 holes and the club expanded to 18 sometime after his death.  His original nine is made up of the existing following holes: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 16, 17, 18.

I had worked on an expansion plan about seven years ago, and that plan had to be developped during the winter.  So I never had the chance to really see the features of the course.  So when I went back to the site this summer, I had totally forgotten that parts of this course had been designed by Thompson.  But I was quickly reminded when I saw some of the features.  They had a distinctive look that simply could not have been created by anybody other than Thompson.

This course would truly benefit from a restoration.  The rest of the course would have to be revised as well to fit with the Thomson originals, but there sure is a great potential.

I have a few more shots that I could post if anyone is interested.  The ones who can read french could also get more info on the Club's website, but it is still worth it for the couple of pictures they have of the course.  He is the link:
http://golfsaguenayarvida.com

[Jeff_Mingay]

Yannick,

According to Jim Barclay's research (author of The Toronto Terror), Saguenay was laid out by Thompson around 1947.

[Yannick Pilon]

Jeff,

I don't know if that's the right course.... The Architects of Golf by Cornish and Whitten mentions the Saguenay course   in 1927 (9 holes), and an Arvida Course (9 holes) without any date.  I wonder if they are not the same course mentionned twice....  I have seen all the courses in the Saguenay region this summer and none of them had similar Thompson caracteristics....

Most of them, although, did have the potential to become very interesting courses, but needed a serious input of money to do so.  Its a shame because in that region, money for golf course improvements is scarce.  The market is small and the season, quite short.

[Jeff_Mingay]

Yannick,

Do you have Barclay's book? A small blurb on Saguenay reads: "Club records confirm that Stanley Thompson laid this out in 1947."

I don't know if this is 100% accurate either. But that statement indicates to me that Barclay, and/or the club has some factual documentation.

[Yannick Pilon]

We have the book at the office.

I'll check.  I actually never read that one. :-[

[Ian Andrew]

Why not contact the club, often hidden in the old files are all the answers (such as who and when a project was done).
Suprises like Brantford an Waskesiu come from many of them.
Correspondnace is always the best proof.

[Jeff_Mingay]

A Canadian golf architect hasn't read Barclay's Thompson bio.?! Yannick... start reading, man  

Ian: as I mention above, I think Barclay did delve into the club archives at Saguenay. The quoted passage from his book suggests that to me.  

[Yannick Pilon]

Jeff,

I first have to finish Golf Architecture Vol. III (Including your article!) and then finish the 8 issues of Golf Architecture (the Australian Mag) I had to put aside to read Vol. III.  Man, this book is filled with pictures that literally make me drool! (The articles are not bad too

But I'll get to The Toronto Terror next, I promise!

[Jeff_Mingay]

Yannick,

You have your priorities in order anyway... Barclay, admittedly, missed out on including a lot more info. on, and facts about Thompson's architecture. The book's more about the history of the Thompson family, and Stanley's activities throughout his life and career.

Still interesting, The Toronto Terror is very much worth reading. It's not as important of a book as GAV-3 though, nor every issue of Golf Archtiecture magazine!

That's for sure