There can be no doubting Stanley Thompson’s greatness. His legacy lives on across Canada in courses that are distinguished by his vision, at places like St. George’s, Highlands Links, Capilano, Banff, and Jasper. All are a testament to his timeless and remarkable vision for golf in this country. To date, no other designer has managed to create such an imaginative, complex, and stunning canon of golf courses in this country.

Such is the case with the Edmonton Country Club. Though the course was initially designed by an American club pro, L.G. White, it is Thompson who is largely credited with the current course, having made significant adjustments to the Edmonton Country Club towards the end of his career.

There are surely elements of Thompson’s genius that are very visible to this day. The designer believed in aggressive, flashed bunkers and greens with interesting contours, but also felt golfers should be given the freedom to play without being unduly penalized. Throughout it all, the designer felt each hole should have its own identity and that they should vary in length and in the way they challenge the golfer. 

“He left a mark on the Canadian landscape from coast to coast,” wrote the Ottawa Citizen soon after Thompson’s untimely death in 1953. “No man could ask for a more handsome set of memorials.” And you can add the Edmonton Country Club to Thompson’s vaunted list of achievements.