Origins (1904–1905) and pre-Ross course. A group of Winnipeg businessmen founded St. Charles in 1904–1905 on riverfront land west of the city. Contemporary accounts and later club histories attribute the original 18-hole course to Tom Bendelow, whose work provided the framework for initial play while the clubhouse was completed along the Assiniboine.
Ross’s commission and reconstruction (1919).
In 1919, St. Charles retained Donald J. Ross to rebuild the existing course comprehensively and to establish two full nines. Club histories and independent summaries agree that Ross’s work produced the two nines then known as the South and West (today recognized as the Ross nine and, after later mid-century alterations, the Woods nine). This was a significant intervention—more than light remodeling—intended to elevate strategic interest on a relatively tight, river-bound property while improving turf performance and routing flow.
MacKenzie’s addition (1929–1931). As the club expanded its ambitions during the late 1920s, Dr. Alister MacKenzie was engaged to add a third nine. The North nine—now the MacKenzie nine—opened around 1930–1931, completing the club’s signature triad: Ross + MacKenzie, with a third nine to extend member access and configuration options.
Mid-century reworking of the West nine (1954). Post-war, the West nine (one half of Ross’s 1919 pair) was renovated/re-designed by Norman Woods (a Stanley Thompson protégé), aligning bunkering and hole forms with contemporary Canadian design practice. Later sources indicate Geoff Cornish assisted; subsequent renovation campaigns continued through the late 20th century as conditions and tastes evolved.
Recent restoration (2022–2025). Beginning 2022, St. Charles launched a multi-year restoration under Jim Urbina with shaper/architect Riley Johns. The MacKenzie nine reopened in 2023 with bunkers rebuilt in MacKenzie’s style, greens returned to original size/contours, new bentgrass throughout, and a modern irrigation/drainage backbone. The Ross nine reopened in 2024 after a similar program: bunkers restored to Ross forms and placements, greens expanded to original perimeters, bentgrass re-grassing, and, crucially, a re-routing of holes #5–#7 back to Ross’s original layout. A Sitwell-inspired riverfront short-game complex opened in 2024, and the Woods nine is undergoing a ground-up rebuild (2024–2026) to address drainage/safety while paying homage to Stanley Thompson-era aesthetics.
Unique Design Characteristics (Ross Nine)
Routing and land use. Ross’s nine works across a constrained, river-adjacent site by toggling direction and stance on modest relief rather than by seeking heroic carries. The mid-round sequence of holes 5–7 is now the clearest window into his intended geometry after the restoration returned their alignments to Ross’s drawn plan: a ground-contour approach on No. 5 that rewards precise lay-up placement; a long, uphill par-4 at No. 6 where a bold tee ball opens the preferred entry; and a down-slope par-3 at No. 7 where wind and trajectory management dominate. Re-establishing those corridors has re-connected the strategic dialogue among the three holes.
Green perimeters and short-grass defense. The restoration recovered original green pads—adding perimeter cupping areas and re-introducing tight short-grass runoffs. On the Ross nine these features shift the defense from rough to contour: marginal approaches bleed away from edges; confident ground-game entries can use fall and tilt to access protected hole locations.
Bunkering style and diagonal challenge. Returning Ross-style bunker shapes and positions re-creates diagonal tee-shot questions on compact landing zones. Several fairway hazards now again bite into preferred lines rather than sitting as catchers, and greenside bunkers re-establish the visual “tilt” that nudges play toward particular portions of the target.
Surface agronomy and pace. With bentgrass across greens, tees and fairways, the Ross nine now plays as a running test, accentuating angle control and spin rather than carry alone—an agronomic decision taken to sustain the strategic intent in Winnipeg’s climate.
Historical Significance
A rare Ross–MacKenzie pairing. St. Charles is exceptional within Ross’s portfolio because it is one of the few places worldwide where Ross and MacKenzie meet on the same property, each responsible for a full nine. For Canadian golf history, the club holds an even more singular place: the MacKenzie nine is Canada’s only MacKenzie design, while the Ross nine is among a small handful of Ross projects in the country. This pairing has made St. Charles a long-standing reference point for scholars comparing the two architects’ strategic vocabularies in similar soils and climate.
Championship pedigree. The club’s tournament record is unusually broad for a private course outside the country’s largest markets. St. Charles hosted the 1952 Canadian Open (PGA Tour)—famously won by Johnny Palmer, who set a 72-hole scoring mark at the time—plus the 1992 du Maurier Classic (then an LPGA major, won by Sherri Steinhauer) and the 2010 Canadian Women’s Open (won by Michelle Wie), contested on the MacKenzie-front / Ross-back configuration. Those events reinforced that the course’s challenge relies on angles, visuals and putting targets, not sheer yardage.
Current Condition / Integrity
How much Ross remains. After the 2022–2024 work, the Ross nine’s routing logic and green sites present as high-integrity Ross, particularly where holes 5–7 were restored to original lines. The broader Ross “look”—lower-profile bunkering with strategic bite, modestly elevated target platforms, and short-grass fall-offs—has been re-asserted.
Major renovations/restorations and their impact.
• 1954 Woods renovation: The former Ross West nine was re-imagined by Norman Woods (with later interventions), reducing pure Ross integrity on that set but preserving the club’s 27-hole capacity.
• 2023 MacKenzie restoration (Urbina): Restored MacKenzie bunker camouflage, returned green sizes/contours, re-grassed to bent, and modernized irrigation/drainage.
• 2024 Ross restoration (Urbina): Restored Ross bunker forms, expanded greens to original pads, converted to bent, re-established fairway width, and returned holes #5–#7 to Ross’s intended routing.
• 2024 Sitwell Short Game Area: A purpose-built complex adds practice versatility without affecting historic holes.
• 2024–2026 Woods rebuild (Johns): Ongoing comprehensive re-work in Thompson style to resolve drainage/safety and create a par-35 nine; by design, this is not a Ross restoration.
Preserved vs. altered or lost (Ross nine).
Preserved: the core Ross corridors, strategic diagonals off the tee, green pad geometry and ground-game entrances.
Altered/modernized: bunker construction (drainage/liners) and irrigation to support sustained firmness; bentgrass everywhere to enhance running play.
Previously lost, now restored: green perimeters and mowing lines, Ross bunker placements, and the 5–7 sequence.
Lost/unverifiable without primary plans: precise 1919 bunker counts and mowing widths beyond what aerials and photographs document; some mid-century earthworks on the West/Woods nine irrevocably changed earlier Ross features there.
Citations
Club restoration overview (2022–2026): scope, sequencing, and outcomes; MacKenzie 2023 reopening; Ross 2024 reopening; Woods nine rebuild to 2026; holes #5–#7 restored to Ross’s routing; bentgrass conversion; new irrigation; Sitwell short-game facility. St. Charles CC — “Restoration” (club website).
Founding and early course authorship: 1904–1905 establishment; Bendelow as original architect. Manitoba Historical Society “Organization” and “Historic Sites” entries; Travel Manitoba / Planet Golf synopses.
Ross’s 1919 reconstruction; creation of South/West nines (today Ross/Woods). Top100GolfCourses profile; Wikipedia summary (with references to club history and MacKenzie literature).
MacKenzie’s addition and timing (North/MacKenzie nine, c. 1930–31). MacKenzie Society club entry; Top100GolfCourses profile; Wikipedia summary.
Mid-century work (1954) on West nine (now Woods); Norman Woods (and secondary notes on Geoff Cornish assistance). Wikipedia; Where2Golf course dossier.
Tournament record: 1952 Canadian Open (PGA Tour, won by Johnny Palmer) with scoring mark noted; 1992 du Maurier Classic (LPGA major, won by Sherri Steinhauer); 2010 Canadian Women’s Open (won by Michelle Wie; MacKenzie-front/Ross-back). RBC Canadian Open Past Champions; Wikipedia tournament/course pages; Los Angeles Times/AP and ESPN contemporary reports.
Recent restoration reporting and design intent (with hole-specific notes on Ross #5–#7 and MacKenzie camouflage bunkers). SCOREGolf feature (Rick Young), July 11, 2025.
Current yardages by 18-hole combinations; private-club status; amenities. Golf Canada facility listing (yardages per pairing; 27 holes; private); Club site (home/golf pages).