Lambton (Championship)

Tom Bendelow established the original 18-hole Championship layout at Lambton Golf & Country Club in 1903, twelve months after the club was formed. A year later, the 9-hole Valley course was also ready for play, offering club members the benefit of a 27-hole facility.

In its formative years, Lambton was honoured to host four Canadian Amateur championships (between 1907 and 1932) and the Championship course has also been the venue for four Canadian Opens, the last of which was won by Sam Snead in 1941.

A number of leading architects have contributed to the design of the course down the years – Robbie Robinson and Graham Cooke worked here in the 1950s and 1980s, respectively – and Rees Jones completed an ambitious three-phase project which saw the renovation of each and every hole on Lambton’s 170-acre property in 2012.

The Championship makeover involved the removal of trees, the installation of new tees and bunkers and the creation of an irrigation reservoir. More specifically, a new 5th hole replaced the old 2nd, with the remodelled 1st hole now a strong opening par four that plays to the greensite of the old 2nd hole.

The closing two holes have also been reversed, with the penultimate hole played as a long par three, followed by a 460-yard 18th that doglegs slightly left, ending at the back of the clubhouse.