What makes a course a 'Championship' course.  It seems to me that most bar the muni's claim to be championship courses so what is the criteria?

Good question, i think its length based, but don't quote me on it

It's to do with a number of factors.

Including, severity of the course, length of holes, degree of difficulty regarding hazzards and natural obsticals (trees, deep rough etc. etc.).

As Paul says, most, if not all, championship courses are over 7000 yards long 

Yeah not all the tough Championship Courses are long. Some are tough do to layout of the holes, lots of doglegs and of course plenty of hazards.

Think the toughest Championship Course I've played would be Victoria in Portugal at 7560 yards that was a tough slog. Definitely not a course for a average or short driving length hitter as you have some immense carries to some fairways off the tee. I'm not ashamed to admit having to play down an adjacent fairway or two because I couldn't carry a lake. Its either the 5th hole or the 17th (Played the course backwards so hard to remember) but at 629 yards it was a tough hole. Myself, 6 Handicap Golfer and our Professional never drove the ball to the fairway and our drives were still short of the ladies tee where our other playing partner was waiting.

I thought if it hosted some kind of Pga backed tournement, it was a championship course.

The course I like, Pedham is described as a championship course. I think it hosts some local Kent tournement.  

That has always been my impression as well, Danny. Just a course where a championship has been played.

There are many courses which are far superior to many so called championship courses.

John

I have read of courses described as Championship quality.

Does this mean they are just wannabe's?