Chedoke Golf Club - The Beddoe Course

The Beddoe Course is a wonderful mature parkland course that's defined by its rolling terrain, beautiful tree lined fairways, hazardous Chedoke Creek, which comes into play on six holes and of course the lingering Niagara Escarpment.

Short off the tee by today's standards, the Beddoe Course has three sets of tees ranging from 5,464 to 6,084 yards. The distance is a little deceiving because the course plays to a challenging par-70, with five par-3s, including three on the front (Nos. 3, 6 & 8) and two on the back (Nos. 13 &17) and just three par-5s. The course features tight landing areas, rolling fairways that follow the escarpment's undulating contours and small, sloping greens.

The 18-hole Stanley Thompson layout was significantly altered in the early 1960s when Highway 403 was built through a section of the course. Thompson's layout was changed so dramatically that today we find both moments of quirkiness and moments of brilliance in the design.

For the most part the layout is simple following the flow of the land and that's one of its strengths. There's nothing easy about No. 7, rated the toughest hole on the scorecard. This 441-yard par-4 – there's an even longer par-4 out there, No. 10 – demands a striped tee shot down the middle of the fairway. The elevated second shot must cross the Chedoke Creek as the landing area drops off in a run-up to the green that is setback into a wooded area.

One of the challenges walkers remember most about their round on the Beddoe Course is the walk up the 15th fairway (nicknamed Cardiac Hill) to the green. It's a short dogleg par-4 at 274 that's impossible to go for in one, so wise men usually hit an iron off the tee and another up the hill while climbing close to 200 feet of elevation of the escarpment – the view from the green and a birdie or par make it worth the extra effort. From there the course finishes with a fine trio of closing holes that play along the bottom edge of the forested escarpment.

Click on a hole number to see an overview of the hole in our course tour.

Chedoke Golf Club - The Martin Course

More than a century of comfortable but challenging golf has attracted many players to the Martin Course for a game of golf. The Martin Course has always been that "small town" public course that people love to play time and again with family and friends. It remains the oldest course in the city.

The holes are straight forward for the most part, but demand accuracy to avoid trouble. The Martin Course has two sets of tees - playing 5,505 and 5,745 yards, par-70. There are five par 3s and three par-5's (all on the front nine) and back to back par-3s on Nos. 3-4 and Nos. 16-17 and another thrown in on No. 10 for good measure. There are lots of big trees to be avoided on the fairways, while the putting surfaces are small by most standards and challenging to read with the escarpment in the background.

In 1928, noted Canadian golf course architect Stanley Thompson and brother Nicol, the head pro for Hamilton G&CC who lived a couple of blocks from Chedoke, drew up plans for four holes on newly acquired property, a new hole at the base of the Niagara Escarpment, the widening of several holes and 18 new clay tees. As time and funds allowed, both Thompsons continued to upgrade and make changes to the course. What we know today as 1, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 16, 17 and 18 would be Thompson holes and there may be a couple of others. It may be fair to say there's more Thompson in today's Martin Course than in the Beddoe layout.

Click on a hole number to see an overview of the hole in our course tour.

Champions Gallery

The City of Hamilton has a strong tradition for hosting GAO, Golf Canada and CJGA championship events as a way of giving back to the community and supporting the growth of the game. Here are some championship highlights:

1986 - The Beddoe Course at Chedoke Civic GC hosts the GAO Ontario Junior Championship won by David Morland IV

1988 - The Beddoe Course at Chedoke Civic GC hosts the GAO Ontario Junior Championship won by Mike Weir with a hole-in-one on No. 8.

1994 - The Beddoe Course at Chedoke Civic GC hosts the Golf Canada Canadian Junior Boys Championship won for the third consecutive year by Rob McMillan of Winnipeg over Jeffery Ollinger of Hamilton.

1994 - The Beddoe Course at Chedoke Civic GC hosts the Optimist Junior World Central Ontario Division Golf Championship won by Jon Mills.