MacKenzie + Maxwell

[Matt_Cohn]

"The Life and Work of Dr. Alister MacKenzie" seems to state that the Oklahoma City Golf and Country Club, at least in its original form, was technically a joint Maxwell/MacKenzie contract. I hadn't come across this before.

Can anyone - Tom Doak and Chris Clouser might be experts here - confirm that the contract was joint? Was MacKenzie involved at all...maybe he looked over a routing plan if nothing else?

And were there 36 holes at OCGCC at some point?

[Chris_Clouser]

Matt,

Yes, the course was originally to be a 36 hole complex, but the plan was eventually scaled back to an 18 hole course which is what exists there today with only two modifications since Maxwell's work.  

In working with the club and going through their information it says that it was solely a Maxwell design and that Mackenzie had no involvement with the course.  Whether Maxwell communicated with Mackenzie on it or not I was not able to find out.  It may have been contracted under the Mackenzie-Maxwell umbrella, but Mackenzie never saw the course and had no involvement with the design.  I don't know what Tom has or someone else may have that mentions Mac's involvement.  

The work was contracted approximately around the time that Mackenzie and Maxwell met in Oklahoma City in the mid-1920s.  That may be where Mackenzie tie in would have happened as he toured Twin Hills with Maxwell and perhaps Dornick Hills in Ardmore.  It could be possible that Maxwell showed him the site where Nichols Hills (the original name of the OKCGCC) was to be located.

The person who formed the club originally was an acquaintance with Maxwell from his banking days and hired Perry to do the work after his involvement with Twin Hills.  

[Matt_Cohn]

I never knew MacKenzie was in Oklahoma! How cool...I'd be interested in finding out more about this!

[Chris_Clouser]

Matt,

I'll e-mail you later today.

Chris

[Tom_Doak]

Chris,

Ron Whitten sent me clippings from The Daily Oklahoman in 1926 confirming that MacKenzie was in town, saying that he and Maxwell were forming a partnership, and that MacKenzie would be involved in the courses.

In truth, Maxwell had already been contracted and probably had something laid out, and then when they formed their "partnership" Maxwell thought it couldn't hurt to have MacKenzie's involvement.  But as far as I know, this was his only visit to Oklahoma and the courses weren't under construction yet, so the Doctor could only have contributed his thoughts on the routing plan.

I have no idea what of the current course is "original."

[Chris_Clouser]

Tom,

Thanks.  I've got some clippings from the Daily Oklahoman as well that confirm his visit to OKC and a trip he made around Twin Hills while there.  Would you like a copy of that article?

My guess is that Mackenzie saw the 36 hole routing, but from talking with the club that option was scrapped for some unknown reason and Maxwell created a new 18 hole routing prior to construction.  They didn't seem to know if these were just 18 holes from the original 36 or a completely new routing.  It was probably a combination of the two.  The narrowness of the plot would make you think that some of the land was either sold by Nichols or taken over by the city for some reason which necessitated the changes.
  
I'm going to contact Ron sometime next week anyway so I'll see if he can forward me that same article.  

Thanks