Thompson's best known work includes, but is not limited to:

CANADA:
Banff Springs, Alb (1929) / Bigwin Island, Ont (1920) / Cape Breton Highlands, NS (1939; formerly called Highlands Links) / Capilano, BC (1939) / Cataraqui G&CC, Ont. (1931, redesign) / Chateau Montebello, Que (1929) / Digby Pines, NS (1929) / Green Gables, PEI (1939) / Highlands Links, NS (1939 / Jasper Park, Alb (1926) / Lingan, NS (1922, modifications) / Mississaugua, Ont (1927, modifications) / Moncton, NB (1949) / Mount Bruno, Que (1923, modifications) / Muskoka Lakes, Ont (1920) / Royal Mayfair, Alb (1922 / St George's G&CC, Ont (1929) / St Thomas, Ont (1922) / Sunningdale G&CC, Ont. (1933, East/Old course) / Waskesiu, Sask (1935) / Westmount, Ont (1929) / Whirlpool, Ont (1948).

UNITED STATES:
Avalon G&CC, OH (1922, Squaw Creek course) / Beechmont CC, OH (1923) / North Oaks GC, MN (1950)/ Sleepy Hollow, Ohio (1922).

CARIBBEAN & SOUTH AMERICA:
Constant Spring, Jamaica (1920) / Itanhanga, Brazil (1935) / São Paulo GC, Brazil (1935, renovation) / San Andrés, Colombia (1945, with Robert Trent Jones & R.H. Russell).

A fine amateur golfer in his day, Stanley Thompson (also known as the "Toronto Terror") became the most renowned Canadian golf course architect. With over 120 golf courses to his credit, many of Thompson's designs are firmly established among the top rated golf courses in Canada.

Thompson served as a gunner with the Canadian 4th Brigade in Europe during World War I, during which time he was mentioned in despatches for gallantry. The record of his mention was signed by the then Secretary of State for War, Winston Churchill. At the end of the war Thompson toured many of the top golf courses of the British Isles, gathering information that he would later use in his design career. Upon return to Canada he became a full-time golf course architect, setting up his own business in 1923. In the 1920s there was a rapid expansion of golf and many new courses were needed to accommodate the millions of new players. Thompson and his peers were kept very busy meeting this burgeoning demand.

Thompson designed courses from 1912-52, and was known for incorporating the natural lie of the land into his designs. Excellent examples of this are to be found at St George's in Toronto, Vancouver's Capilano, Highlands Links in Nova Scotia, and Alberta's stunning duo, Banff Springs and Jasper Park Lodge. Thompson not only left his mark on the Canadian landscape, but also further afield in the Caribbean, USA and South America.

Thompson can rightly be regarded as the "Father of Canadian golf course design." He mentored and trained many prominent golf architects from both Canada and the United States, including Geoff Cornish, Robert Trent Jones Sr, Ken Melton, Bob Moote, Robbie Robinson, Howard Watson and Norman Woods. These designers went on to mentor and train others, such as Doug Carrick, Ted Baker, Graham Cooke, David Moote, Tom McBroom and Les Furber. Together with other notable designers like Donald Ross and Robert Trent Jones Sr, Thompson was a co-founder of the American Society of Golf Course Architects (ASGCA).