Credit Valley - Ontario - Canada

Legendary architect Stanley Thompson was engaged in 1934 to remodel a 6-hole course that he had fashioned five years earlier at the Ontario Lieutenant Governor’s summer residence. He was also asked by the new owner to add another three holes, forming a new 9-hole layout for use as a pay and play facility.

Another four holes were appended later on and this 13-hole course remained in use until 1954 when five valley holes were built on the west side of the river, creating a full 18-hole layout. When adjoining land was purchased in the 1970s, old Thompson associate Robbie Robinson was called in to redesign a new 18-hole course.

Robinson certainly made good use of the Credit River in his routing of the new course as no fewer than eight of the holes now cross its fast flowing waters. Indeed, between the 6th and the 12th, the river is crossed seven times in seven holes. The most memorable of these crossings occurs at the par three 11th, where the kidney-shaped green seems rather a tiny target from 201 yards away on the opposite bank.

Graham Cooke is currently the consulting architect at Credit Valley and it’s a venue he remembers well from his playing days as he finished runner up here to Gareth Paddison at the 2001 Canadian Amateur Championships.