Perry Duke Maxwell (June 13, 1879 – November 15, 1952) was an American

golf course architect A golf course is the grounds on which the sport of golf is played. It consists of a series of holes, each consisting of a tee box, a fairway, the rough and other hazards, and a green with a cylindrical hole in the ground, known as a "cup". T ...

. He was a founding member of the

American Society of Golf Course Architects The American Society of Golf Course Architects (abbreviated as ASGCA) is a professional organization of golf course designers in America. Founded in 1946, its members are actively involved in the design of new courses and the renovation of existi ...

and was an inductee into the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame in 2012. He was known as the "father of Oklahoma golf".

Early life

Perry Duke Maxwell was born on June 13, 1879, in

Princeton, Kentucky Princeton is a list of Kentucky cities, home rule-class city in Caldwell County, Kentucky, in the United States. It is the county seat, seat of its county. The population was 6,329 during the 2010 U.S. Census. Princeton is home to several notabl ...

. He moved to

Ardmore, Oklahoma Ardmore is the county seat of Carter County, Oklahoma, Carter County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 24,725 at the time of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, a 1.8% increase over the 2010 census figure of 24,283. The Ardmo ...

, in 1897 after two forays at college where he studied

classical literature Classics, also classical studies or Ancient Greek and Roman studies, is the study of classical antiquity. In the Western world, ''classics'' traditionally refers to the study of Ancient Greek and Roman literature and their original languages, ...

. In 1902 he found the love of his life, Ray Sophronia Woods, and they married that same year. Poor health temporarily curtailed his collegiate studies but he finally graduated and settled into a banking job and eventually became vice president of the Ardmore National Bank where he would remain into his mid-30s. In 1913, on land he owned that was the site of a former

dairy farm Dairy farming is a class of agriculture for the long-term production of milk, which is processed (either on the farm or at a dairy plant, either of which may be called a dairy) for the eventual sale of a dairy product. Dairy farming has a h ...

, Maxwell built the first nine holes of

Dornick Hills Golf & Country Club Dornick Hills Golf & Country Club is located in Ardmore, Oklahoma. The golf course, designed and built by noted golf course architect Perry Maxwell, hosted the 1952–1954 Ardmore Open as well as the 1954 LPGA Ardmore Open. History of Dornick ...

in Ardmore. The remaining nine holes would not be completed until 1923. Maxwell—along with other fine golf course architects of this period such as Herbert Strong and Donald Ross—was not formally trained in golf course architecture. Most golf course architects who worked in the United States during the late 19th and early 20th century were immigrants from

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

and

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

whose only qualifications were their knowledge of golf and ability to play the game.

Dornick Hills Golf & Country Club

Maxwell is credited with many of the great layouts in

Oklahoma Oklahoma ( ; Choctaw language, Choctaw: , ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Texas to the south and west, Kansas to the north, Missouri to the northea ...

and throughout the United States and is commonly recognized as one of America's great golf course designers. One of Maxwell's first courses was Dornick Hills Golf & Country Club in Ardmore, Oklahoma, which hosted the 1952–1954 Ardmore Open as well as the 1954 LPGA Ardmore Open. Maxwell also built

Southern Hills Country Club Southern Hills Country Club is a private golf and country club in Tulsa, Oklahoma. History The club was established in 1935 from land donated by multimillionaire oilman Waite Phillips (Frank Phillips, Waite's brother, was the namesake and fou ...

Tulsa Tulsa ( ) is the second-most-populous city in the state of Oklahoma, after Oklahoma City, and the 48th-most-populous city in the United States. The population was 413,066 as of the 2020 census. It is the principal municipality of the Tul ...

(the site of several PGA Tour events and the U.S. Open in 1958, 1977 and 2001). The

Oklahoma City Golf & Country Club Oklahoma City Golf & Country Club is a private golf and country club located in Nichols Hills, Oklahoma. Course founding The course was founded in 1911 by 300 Oklahoma City residents. The course, designed by architect Perry Maxwell, measures 6, ...

and

Prairie Dunes Country Club Prairie Dunes Country Club is a golf course located just outside Hutchinson, Kansas. Frequently ranked among the best golf courses in the United States, it has hosted several United States Golf Association national championship tournaments. The ...

also appear on Maxwell's résumé. He made major contributions to such revered layouts as

Pine Valley Golf Club Pine Valley Golf Club is a golf course in Pine Hill, Camden County, in southern New Jersey. It was ranked the number one course in ''Golf Magazines 100 Top Courses in the U.S. and the World in 2012, 2015, 2019, 2020, and 2023. A private club ...

Augusta National Golf Club Augusta National Golf Club, sometimes referred to as Augusta National, Augusta, or the National, is a golf club in Augusta, Georgia, United States. It is known for hosting the annual Masters Tournament. Founded by Bobby Jones and Clifford Rob ...

(home of the Masters), Colonial Country Club, Crystal Downs Country Club, and

Merion Golf Club Merion Golf Club is a private golf club which is located in Haverford Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, a township bordering Philadelphia to the northwest along the historic Main Line. The club has two courses: the East Course, and the ...

. In total, Maxwell is estimated to have designed 70 courses and remodeled about 50 others.

Scottish influence in his designs

The spark for a career in golf came when his wife showed him an article in ''

Scribner's Magazine ''Scribner's Magazine'' was an American periodical published by the publishing house of Charles Scribner's Sons from January 1887 to May 1939. ''Scribner's Magazine'' was the second magazine out of the Scribner's firm, after the publication of ...

'' about the

National Golf Links of America National Golf Links of America is a prestigious links-style golf course in Southampton, New York, located on Long Island between Shinnecock Hills Golf Club and Peconic Bay. Though the course is noted for hosting the initial Walker Cup in 192 ...

Southampton, New York Southampton, officially the Town of Southampton, is a town in southeastern Suffolk County, New York, partly on the South Fork of Long Island. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the town had a population of 69,036. Southampton is included in the stre ...

. After consulting with

Charles B. Macdonald Charles Blair Macdonald (November 14, 1855 – April 21, 1939) was a major figure in early American golf. He built the first 18-hole course in the United States, was a driving force in the founding of the United States Golf Association, won the ...

, the founder and architect of the club on

Long Island Long Island is a densely populated continental island in southeastern New York (state), New York state, extending into the Atlantic Ocean. It constitutes a significant share of the New York metropolitan area in both population and land are ...

, Maxwell proceeded to lay out four holes on a dairy farm he owned just north of Ardmore, a property that would eventually evolve into Dornick Hills Golf & Country Club where he was the first designer to implement grass greens in Oklahoma. In the early days of golf, it was common to see greens constructed of oiled and compacted sand. In 1923, Maxwell took a trip to Scotland to learn as much as he could about the methods the Scots employed to utilize the landscape and other natural features on their courses. From that point forward, Maxwell's design philosophy was set in place. Some of his earliest works included the superb layouts at Twin Hills Golf & Country Club in

Oklahoma City Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Oklahoma, most populous city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat ...

(host of the 1935 PGA Championship won by

Johnny Revolta John F. Revolta (April 5, 1911 – March 3, 1991) was an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour in the 1930s, 1940s, and early 1950s. He won a major title, the 1935 PGA Championship, and had 18 career wins on tour. Born in St. ...

), the Muskogee Country Club, and Hillcrest Country Club in

Bartlesville Bartlesville is a city mostly in Washington County and Osage County, Oklahoma. The population was 37,290 at the 2020 census. Bartlesville is north of Tulsa and south of the Kansas border. It is the county seat of Washington County. The Caney ...

. But his masterpiece was the extension of Dornick Hills to 18 holes, a layout that was considered the best course in the state of Oklahoma for many years.

Augusta National Golf Club renovations

Maxwell made a number of important changes to Augusta National in 1937. When Augusta National originally opened for play in January 1933, the opening hole (now the 10th) was a relatively benign par 4 that played just more than 400 yards. From an elevated tee, the hole required little more than a short iron or wedge for the approach. Maxwell had grand plans to improve the hole, and he implemented them by moving the green in 1937 to its present location—on top of the hill, about 50 yards back from the old site—and transformed it into the toughest hole in Masters Tournament history.

Ben Crenshaw Ben Daniel Crenshaw (born January 11, 1952) is a retired American professional golfer who has won 19 events on the PGA Tour, including two major championships: the Masters Tournament in 1984 and 1995. He is nicknamed '' Gentle Ben''. Early lif ...

referred to Maxwell's work on the 10th hole as "one of the great strokes in golf architecture". It's important to note that Maxwell is not credited as the designer for the updated 10th hole. The 10th hole at Augusta has been voted on by members of the PGA of America as one of the ten most difficult holes in the country.

Maxwell's design philosophy

Maxwell's primary course trademarks were his undulating greens and ability to use the existing natural

topography Topography is the study of the forms and features of land surfaces. The topography of an area may refer to the landforms and features themselves, or a description or depiction in maps. Topography is a field of geoscience and planetary sci ...

to design challenging holes. Maxwell-designed greens are typically large and contoured with swells—often known as "Maxwell's rolls". It is frequently necessary to be below the hole in order to have a decent opportunity to make a putt on Maxwell-designed greens. Many golf course designers would follow his lead in creating demanding, undulating greens. Maxwell was also a master at using the natural landscape to sculpt holes. Mac Bentley, ''

Daily Oklahoman ''The Oklahoman'' is the largest daily newspaper in Oklahoma, United States, and is the only regional daily that covers the Greater Oklahoma City area. The Alliance for Audited Media (formerly Audit Bureau Circulation) lists it as the 59th larg ...

'' sports writer, wrote in 1933, "His genius came from recognizing Mother Nature's design, his courses only slightly carved out of the existing landscape". Perhaps his favorite design feature was to include naturally occurring geological cliffs. He built a green atop a 50-foot cliff on the par 5 16th hole at Dornick Hills. The green is reachable in two shots by long hitters. Most players, however, opt for a lay up shot to set up a short iron approach to the elevated green. On the next hole golfers tee off from the cliff summit and play sharply downward to a par 3 green below. The par 3 fourth hole at Twin Hills Golf & Country Club also features Maxwell's cliff attribute. In the 1930s Maxwell became a national force in the golf industry. In 1931 Dr.

Alister MacKenzie Alister MacKenzie (30 August 1870 – 6 January 1934) was an English golf course architect whose course designs span four continents. Originally trained as a surgeon, MacKenzie served as a civilian physician with the British Army during the ...

, who with Bobby Jones was involved in the development of Augusta National in Georgia, invited Maxwell to become a partner. Maxwell had met MacKenzie during his visit to Scotland in 1919. This dynamic duo would become one of the more celebrated golf course design teams in America, creating such successful joint ventures as Crystal Downs Country Club in Michigan, Melrose Country Club in Philadelphia and what is now the Oklahoma City Golf & Country Club. MacKenzie was involved in the design process to varying degrees of each course project.

Later years

With MacKenzie's death in 1934 and the dissolution of the partnership, Maxwell began the most fruitful phase of his career. This was a monumental accomplishment considering the nation was still in the grip of the devastating

Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...

and accompanying

Dust Bowl The Dust Bowl was a period of severe dust storms that greatly damaged the ecology and agriculture of the American and Canadian prairies during the 1930s. The phenomenon was caused by a combination of natural factors (severe drought) and hum ...

that plagued the American midwest. During this financially difficult time he was still able to get contracts to work on such innovative designs as Southern Hills, Prairie Dunes in Kansas and the Old Town Club in

Winston-Salem, North Carolina Winston-Salem is a city in Forsyth County, North Carolina, United States, and its county seat. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 249,545, making it the List of municipalities in North Carolina, fifth-most populous ...

. But perhaps the best known aspect of Maxwell's work during this stage of his career was his prolific renovation work. He is credited with major contributions to several of the top courses around the country, including

, Gulph Mills, Philadelphia Country Club, Brook Hollow,

Colonial Country Club (Fort Worth) Colonial Country Club is a private golf club in the southern United States, located in Fort Worth, Texas. The club has hosted an annual PGA Tour event, the Colonial National Invitation, since 1946; it is the longest running non-major tour event ...

Saucon Valley Country Club Saucon Valley Country Club is a country club in Upper Saucon Township, Pennsylvania, Upper Saucon Township in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania near both Allentown, Pennsylvania, Allentown and Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, Bethlehem. It ...

in Upper Saucon Township, the National Golf Links and, perhaps his best-known redesign, Augusta National, where he did renovations on 11 of the 18 holes. After

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

Maxwell continued working, even after losing a leg from below the knee due to

cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving Cell growth#Disorders, abnormal cell growth with the potential to Invasion (cancer), invade or Metastasis, spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Po ...

. But by this time Maxwell's focus was once again on Oklahoma. His son, J. Press Maxwell, had joined the business after returning from his tour of duty in Europe. The Maxwells had several notable efforts in Oklahoma in the late 1940s, including Oakwood Country Club in Enid and the University of Oklahoma course in

Norman Norman or Normans may refer to: Ethnic and cultural identity * The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 9th and 10th centuries ** People or things connected with the Norma ...

. They also did the first golf course at the Grand Hotel in

Mobile, Alabama Mobile ( , ) is a city and the county seat of Mobile County, Alabama, United States. The population was 187,041 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. After a successful vote to annex areas west of the city limits in July 2023, Mobil ...

. Among other projects completed just prior to his death in 1952 were Lake Hefner Golf Club in Oklahoma City, the Oak Cliff Country Club in Dallas, Texas, and a major renovation of the Omaha Country Club in

Omaha, Nebraska Omaha ( ) is the List of cities in Nebraska, most populous city in the U.S. state of Nebraska. It is located in the Midwestern United States along the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's List of United S ...

Death

Maxwell died in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on November 15, 1952. He was buried in a family cemetery on a ridge north of the 7th fairway at Dornick Hills Golf & Country Club.

Courses designed and renovated by Maxwell

(Source):Flemma, Jay.

Solo designs by Perry Maxwell

, Ardmore, Oklahoma, 1913–23 * Norman Country Club (NLE), Norman, Oklahoma, 1921 * Duncan Golf & Country Club, Duncan, Oklahoma, 1922 * Rowanis Country Club (NLE), Gainesville, Texas, 1922 * Hill Crest Country Club (NLE), Pauls Valley, OK, 1922 * Enid Country Club (9 holes) (NLE), Enid, OK, 1922 * Henryetta Golf and Country Club, Henryetta, Oklahoma, 1923 * Elks Golf and Country Club, Shawnee, Oklahoma, 1923 * Cherokee Hills Golf Club, Catoosa, Oklahoma, 1924 * Sand Springs Country Club (NLE) Sand Springs, Oklahoma, 1924 * Glenwood Golf Course (NLE), Ardmore, Oklahoma, 1924 * Muskogee Country Club (redesign), Muskogee, Oklahoma, 1924 * Neosho Golf and Country Club, Neosho, Missouri, 1924 * Pennsylvania Golf Club (NLE), Llarnech, Pennsylvania, 1924 * Arkansas City Country Club, Arkansas City, Kansas, 1925 * Kennedy Golf Course (NLE), Tulsa, Oklahoma, 1925 * Hickory Hills Country Club, Springfield, Missouri, 1925 * Twin Hills Golf & Country Club, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, 1925 * Highland Park Golf Course (NLE), Tulsa, Oklahoma, 1925 * Riverside Country Club, Tishomingo, Oklahoma, 1925 * Perry Golf and Country Club, Perry, Oklahoma, 1925 * Oak Hills Golf & Country Club, Ada, Oklahoma, 1926 * Rolling Hills Country Club, Paducah, Kentucky, 1926 * Hardscrabble Country Club, Fort Smith, Arkansas, 1927 * Mohawk Park Golf Course, Tulsa, Oklahoma, 1927 * Lakeside Golf & Beach Club (NLE), Tulsa, Oklahoma, 1927 * Hillcrest Country Club, Bartlesville, Oklahoma, 1927 * Hill Crest Golf Course (NLE), Wilson, Oklahoma, 1927 * Ponca City Country Club (redesign), Ponca City, Oklahoma, 1927 * Buffalo Rock Golf and Venue, Cushing, Oklahoma, 1927 * Hillsdale Golf Club (NLE), Ardmore, Oklahoma, 1928 * Jeffersonville Country Club (NLE), Prather, Indiana, 1927 * Fayetteville Country Club, Fayetteville, Arkansas, 1928 * Noble Park Golf Course (NLE), Paducah, Kentucky, 1928 * Altus Country Club (NLE), Altus, OK, 1928 * Shawnee Country Club, Shawnee, Oklahoma, 1929 * Rancho Beach and Country Club (NLE), Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, 1929 * Rochelle Country Club, Rochelle, Illinois, 1930 * Princeton Country Club, Princeton, Kentucky, 1931 * Walnut Hill Country Club (NLE), Dallas, Texas, 1932 * Hillcrest Golf Course, Coffeyville, Kansas, 1933 * Avery Golf Club (NLE), Tulsa, OK, 1933 *

Iowa State University Iowa State University of Science and Technology (Iowa State University, Iowa State, or ISU) is a Public university, public land-grant university, land-grant research university in Ames, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1858 as the Iowa Agricult ...

Golf Course, Ames, Iowa, 1938 *

, Tulsa, Oklahoma, 1935–36 * Lawrence Country Club (9 holes), Lawrence, Kansas 1936 * McPherson Country Club, McPherson, Kansas, 1936 * Topeka Country Club (redesign), Topeka, Kansas, 1938 * Blackwell Municipal Golf Course, Blackwell, Oklahoma, 1939 * Mount Pleasant Country Club, Mount Pleasant, Texas, 1939 * Old Town Club, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, 1939 * Reynolds Park Golf Course, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, 1940 * Hillandale Golf Club (9 holes), Durham, North Carolina, c. 1940 * Gillespie Golf Club, Greensboro, North Carolina, 1941 * Odessa Country Club (9 holes), Odessa, Texas, 1941

Co-designed with Art Jackson

* Lincoln Park Golf Course (East course), Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, 1926

Co-designed with John Bredemus and Marvin Leonard

, Fort Worth, Texas, 1934

Co-designed with Alister MacKenzie

* Melrose Country Club, Cheltenham, Pennsylvania, 1924–26 *

,^† Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, 1927 * Crystal Downs Country Club, Frankfort, Michigan, 1928–1931 * University of Michigan Golf Course, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 1929 * Ohio State University Golf Course,^‡ Columbus, Ohio, 1935 ^† co-design in contract only
^‡ construction by Maxwell, design by MacKenzie

Co-designed with J. Press Maxwell

, Hutchinson, Kansas, 1937, 1957 * Lakewood Country Club, Point Clear, Alabama, 1944–47 * Lake View Golf Club (NLE), Woodville, Oklahoma, 1946 * Austin Country Club, Austin, Texas, 1946–48 * Excelsior Springs Par 3 Golf Course (NLE), Excelsior Springs, Missouri, 1947 * Grandview Municipal Golf Course, Springfield, Missouri, 1947 * Oakwood Country Club, Enid, Oklahoma, 1947–48 * Lawton Country Club, Lawton, Oklahoma, 1948 * Kentucky Dam Village, Kentucky Dam Village, Kentucky, 1948 * Camp Hood Golf Course (NLE), Camp Hood, Texas, 1948 * Randolph Oaks Golf Course, Randolph AFB, Texas, 1948 * F. E. Warren AFB Golf Course, Cheyenne, Wyoming, 1948 * Bayou DeSiard Country Club, Monroe, Louisiana, 1949 * Palmetto Country Club (NLE), Benton, Louisiana, 1950 *

University of Oklahoma The University of Oklahoma (OU) is a Public university, public research university in Norman, Oklahoma, United States. Founded in 1890, it had existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two territories became the ...

Golf Course, Norman, Oklahoma, 1950 * Oak Cliff Country Club, Dallas, Texas, 1951 * River Hills Golf Club (NLE), Irving, Texas, 1951 * Lake Hefner Golf Course, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, 1951

Renovations by Perry Maxwell

* Lincoln Park Golf Course (green renovation), Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, 1926 * Philadelphia Country Club (one hole and greens), Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1933 *

(three holes), Clementon, New Jersey, 1933 * Sunnybrook Golf Club (greens), Flourtown, Pennsylvania, 1934 * Gulph Mills Country Club (five holes), King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, 1934–38 * The National Golf Links of America (unknown), Southampton, New York, 1935 *

(three holes), Ardmore, Oklahoma, 1936 * Links Golf Club (greens), Long Island, New York, 1936 * Oaks Country Club (six holes), Tulsa, Oklahoma, 1936 *

(11 holes), Augusta, Georgia, 1937–38 * North Fulton Golf Course (up to four holes), Atlanta, Georgia 1937 *

(greens), Ardmore, Pennsylvania, 1938 * Hillandale Country Club (green renovation), Hillandale, North Carolina, 1938 * Huntington Crescent Club (unknown), Long Island, New York, 1939 *

Rockaway Hunting Club The Rockaway Hunting Club is a country club and sporting venue established in 1878 in Cedarhurst, New York (now Lawrence). The Rockaway Hunting Club is one of the oldest country clubs in the United States, with a rich history and a reputation for ...

(unknown), Long Island, New York, 1939 * Maidstone Golf Club (renovation plan), Long Island, New York, 1939 *

Westchester Country Club Westchester Country Club is a private country club located in Harrison, New York. Founded in 1922 as a destination for sportsmen, it was known to professional golfers and spectators for more than four decades as the home of the Westchester Cla ...

(multiple holes), Westchester, New York, 1939 * Twin Hills Golf & Country Club (greens), Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, 1939 * Colonial Country Club, Fort Worth, Texas, 1940 * Brook Hollow Country Club (greens), Dallas, Texas, 1940 * Hope Valley Country Club (all greens), Durham, North Carolina, 1940 * Clearwater Country Club (all greens, four holes), Clearwater, Florida, 1940–45 *

(two holes), Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, 1944 * Salina Country Club (four holes), Salina, Kansas, 1945 * Lincoln Homestead Park Golf Course (greens), Springfield, Kentucky, 1948 * Omaha Country Club (several holes), Omaha, Nebraska, 1951

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Maxwell, Perry American golf course architects People from Princeton, Kentucky Sportspeople from Ardmore, Oklahoma 1879 births 1952 deaths Architects from Kentucky Architects from Oklahoma