TIMELINE
(1950-1962)
1950
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March 24 Maxwell arrives in Monroe, Louisiana to design a new 18-hole course at Bayou DeSiard Country Club. “The present nine-hole course will be extended by the addition of another nine holes.” Maxwell signs a contract with the club and “work will begin on the course as soon as the design is approved.” [Monroe Morning World, March 26, 1950] Editorial Note: This is first mention of Maxwell’s involvement at Bayou DeSiard. It is not clear whether Maxwell designed the original 9 holes. However, it seems likely that, even if he didn’t design the original course, Maxwell tweaked it as part of the expansion to 18 holes.
March 26 Maxwell has already started work on the new 18-hole course at Bayou DeSiard Country Club in Monroe, Louisiana. [Monroe Morning World, March 26, 1950]
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June 8 An 175-acre tract is purchased near Shreveport, Louisiana for the Palmetto Country Club course. [Shreveport Times, June 9, 1950]
June 10-11 Maxwell is in Shreveport, Louisiana laying out Palmetto Country Club course. Although his design includes 18 holes, only 9 will be built at first, with construction to start in about 30 days. [Shreveport Times, June 13, 1950]
June 16 Dean Woods dies of a heart attack while visiting his daughter in Ardmore. [The Oklahoman, June 16, 1950]
June 17 Funeral for Dean Woods is held in Ardmore, Oklahoma. [The Oklahoman, June 16, 1950]
June 18 Oklahoma state amateur golf championship tournament commences at Oakwood Country Club in Enid. The course has “the largest greens in the state” and “mammoth” traps. “There are less than a dozen traps on the course, but each of them has been placed by the careful hand of Perry Maxwell, who designed the course, to play havoc with misplaced shots. The bunkers are almost as large as the huge greens in many instances and several of them are eight to 10 feet deep. Sides next to the bunkers green are steep and only a well-played explosion shot is of any use if the ball happens to dig into the sand.” [The Oklahoman, June 16, 1950]
August 6 Maxwell to commence work on the new 18-hole public course at Union Bower in Irving, Texas (later named River Hills) “within a few days”. Maxwell is backing the venture and “hopes to have the greens ready by next spring.” [Dallas Morning News, August 6, 1950]
August 13 Press Maxwell is on his way to Shreveport, Louisiana where he is working on the Palmetto Country Club course. [Daily Ardmoreite, August 15, 1950]
August 18 Press Maxwell has been commuting on weekends from Norman to Shreveport by private plane to work on the Palmetto Country Club course for his father. [Shreveport Times, August 18, 1950]
August 19 Duncan Country Club announces plans to add 3 new holes adjacent to the existing 9-hole course. Maxwell “is in Duncan laying out the extra holes”. [The Oklahoman, August 20, 1950]
August 20 Palmetto Country Club course is “now well under way”. [Shreveport Times, August 20, 1950]
August 20 “Next year, Maxwell plans to reconstruct 14 of 18 holes at the Saucon Valley Golf course at Bethlehem, Penn., where the National Amateur Championship tournament is to be played.” [Shreveport Times, August 20, 1950]
August 20 Maxwell is reported to have over time “eventually remodeled over half” of the Augusta National golf course. [Shreveport Times, August 20, 1950]
September 27 Plans announced for a golf course at Kentucky Dam Village near Paducah, Kentucky to be completed by “next summer”. [Danville Advocate-Messenger, September 27, 1950] Editorial Note: Maxwell is sometimes credited with an 18-hole course at Kentucky Dam. However, it appears that only nine holes were initially constructed.
November 11 First 9 holes at Palmetto Country Club in Benton, Louisiana are completed and open for play. Editorial Note: This information was taken from the club’s website. Unfortunately, the club permanently closed in 2015 and the website is no longer operational. We are nevertheless including this information in the absence of any evidence to the contrary.
1951
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Unknown Maxwell is diagnosed with cancer. [“The Midwest Associate”, by Christopher Clouser (2006), Pg. 120] Editorial Note: Clouser’s information is based in part on interviews he conducted with now deceased descendants of Maxwell. We accept their recollection of events in the absence of any information to the contrary.
January 11 University of Oklahoma golf course in Norman is complete and has been opened to the public. [Daily Ardmoreite, January 11, 1951]
May 30 Front 9 holes open at Lake Hefner Golf Course in Oklahoma City. [The Daily Oklahoman, May 30, 1951]
June 2 Back 9 holes at Lake Hefner Golf Course in Oklahoma City to open “a few days” after May 30. [The Daily Oklahoman, May 30, 1951]
August 19 The “new 18-hole course” at Bayou DeSiard Country Club in Monroe, Louisiana informally opens for member play. Maxwell added a second 9-holes to the existing course. [Monroe News Star, August 19, 1951]
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September 1 The expanded 18-hole course at Bayou DeSiard Country Club designed by Maxwell officially opens. [Monroe News Star, August 19, 1951]
September 4 Maxwell is in Omaha, Nebraska. [Omaha Evening News, September 5, 1951]
September 16 Maxwell is rebuilding the 5th, 6th and 7th holes at Omaha Country Club. [Omaha Evening News, September 16, 1951]
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November 27 Maxwell visits Arkansas City Country Club in Arkansas City, Kansas, where he earned his first design fee in 1925. [Arkansas City Traveler, November 28, 1951]
December 20 Maxwell oversees “a face-lifting job” at Oklahoma City Golf & Country Club in preparation for the 1953 U.S. Amateur. Work includes new greens on holes 8, 9, 14 and 15, new tees on holes 1, 7, 9 and 18, and the addition or redesign of many traps, including a new greenside bunker on #8. The work is expected to be completed over the winter with greens open for play by early summer of 1952. [The Daily Oklahoman, December 20, 1951; “The Oklahoma City Golf & Country Club - The First Century”, by Bob Burke (2012), Pg. 147]
1952
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Unknown Maxwell routs 18-hole course for Oak Cliff Country Club in Dallas. [http://www.golfclubdallas.com/Architecture]
April 2 Maxwell completes new greens on holes 8, 9, 14 and 15 and new tees on holes 2, 7, 8, 9 and 18 at Oklahoma City Golf & Country Club in advance of 1953 U.S. Amateur. Work on a new tee on the 5th hole is progressing. [The Daily Oklahoman, April 2, 1952]
April 13 Maxwell is in “preliminary stage” of work with Riverdale Country Club in Little Rock, Arkansas on plans for remodeling the course with possible relocation of greens and rebuilding of tees. Maxwell “has been on the scene and studied the layout.” [Arkansas Democrat, April 13, 1952] Editorial Note: It is not known whether any changes proposed or recommended by Maxwell were actually made.
April 13 Maxwell “has the contract for revamping the Dallas course where the 1952 National Open is to be played.” [Arkansas Democrat, April 13, 1952] Editorial Note: We assume the course referenced in this article is Northwood Club in Dallas, which hosted the 1952 US Open. It is not known what if anything Maxwell actually did at Northwood,
June 1 9-hole golf Pine Hills Golf Course designed by Maxwell at Kentucky Dam Village near Paducah, Kentucky scheduled to open. [Paducah Sun, May 4, 1952] Editorial Note: Maxwell is sometimes credited with an 18-hole course at Kentucky Dam. However, it appears that only nine holes were initially constructed.
June 4 Maxwell is bedridden at his home in Tulsa. [Daily Ardmoreite, June 4, 1952]
June 7 River Hills in Irving, Texas officially opens as 18-hole public facility. [Dallas Morning News, June 7, 1952]
June 13 Pine Hills Golf Course at Kentucky Dam Village near Paducah, Kentucky opens to the public. The course had been open to Kentucky lake State Park and Kentucky Dam Village guests only since June 1. [Paducah Sun, June 13, 1952] Editorial Note: Maxwell is sometimes credited with an 18-hole course at Kentucky Dam. However, it appears that only nine holes were initially constructed.
August Maxwell fractures vertebra. [New York Times, November 18, 1952]
November 17 Maxwell dies in Tulsa, Oklahoma. [Daily Ardmoreite, November 17, 1952] Editorial Note: Most reports describe the cause of death as cancer. However, the Daily Ardmoreite’s obituary states that Maxwell died of pneumonia.
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November 19 Maxwell’s funeral held at the First Presbyterian Church in Ardmore, Oklahoma and he is buried in family plot overlooking Dornick Hills. [Daily Ardmoreite, November 18, 1952]
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1953
March 22 Oak Cliff Country Club approves master plan for an 18-hole golf course submitted by Press Maxwell. [Dallas Morning News, March 22, 1953] Editorial Note: Press’ design was based on Perry’s 1952 routing.
April 22 Plans announced for remodeling an existing 9-hole course at Lincoln Homestead Park in Paducah, Kentucky. “Suggestions made by Perry Maxwell, one of the country’s leading golf course architects, in the building of a golf course at Kentucky Dam Village, were applied in the redesigning of the Lincoln Homestead course.” [Stanford (KY) Interior Journal, April 24, 1952] Editorial Note: Perry and Press Maxwell are sometimes credited with an 18-hole course at Lincoln Homestead. However, it is not clear whether either Perry or Press had any direct involvement with the redesign other than “suggestions” made on the Kentucky Dam project that were applied to Lincoln Homestead.
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September 14-19 U.S. Amateur held at Oklahoma City Golf & Country Club. [53rd U.S. Amateur Championship Program]
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December 13 Maxwell’s estate is valued at approximately $750,000. [Daily Ardmoreite, December 13, 1953]
1954
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Unknown Press Maxwell brings Perry’s 1936 plans for the original eighteen holes at Prairie Dunes to a meeting to discuss expansion of the course in Hutchinson, Kansas. [“Prairie Dunes The First Fifty Years 1937-1987”, by Prairie Dunes Country Club (1987), Pg. 35]
January 25 Press Maxwell is given the contract to design and build Oak Cliff Country Club course in Dallas, Texas. [Daily Ardmoreite, January 25, 1954] Editorial Note: Press’ design was based on Perry’s 1952 routing.
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1955
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April 21 Prairie Dunes membership meets to consider plans to expand course to 18 holes. [Hutchinson News, April 17, 1955]
May 1 Press Maxwell commences work on “second nine” at Prairie Dunes. Press may have followed Perry’s plans for second nine with alterations for drainage issues. [Hutchinson News, April 17, 1955]
June 11 Work taking shape on “second nine” at Prairie Dunes under the direction of Press Maxwell with work progressing on new holes 11-16. Work on new holes 3-5 has not commenced. [Hutchinson News, June 12, 1955]
1957
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Unknown 18-hole course at Lincoln Homestead Park in Paducah, Kentucky opens. [https://parks.ky.gov/golf/courses/lincoln-homestead/; http://parks.ky.gov/parks/recreationparks/lincoln-homestead/history.aspx] Editorial Note: Perry and Press Maxwell are sometimes credited with an 18-hole course at Lincoln Homestead. However, it is not clear whether either Perry or Press had any direct involvement with the redesign other than “suggestions” made on the Kentucky Dam project that were applied to Lincoln Homestead.
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June 2 Second nine holes by Press Maxwell at Prairie Dunes open for play. [“Prairie Dunes The First Fifty Years 1937-1987”, by Prairie Dunes Country Club (1987), Pg. 97]
1960
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August 6 The Oklahoma City council sells two tracts of Lake Hefner reservation land with the goal of paying of the unpaid balance of the operating lease on the Lake Hefner golf course and take over the course from Maxwell’s estate. [The Daily Oklahoman, March 23, 1960]
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1962
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Unknown The Oklahoma City council completes the buyout of the operating lease on the Lake Hefner golf course and assume operation of the course from Maxwell’s estate. [The Daily Oklahoman, July 12, 1992]