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Craig Van Egmond

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Perry Maxwell's Hillcrest getting facelift
« on: December 22, 2007, 12:57:16 PM »

Looks like one of Perry's hidden gems is getting new tee boxes, some extra yards, less trees and maybe rebuilt greens. I've heard nothing but good things about this course.

"    Hillcrest Country Club in Bartlesville, one
of Perry Maxwell’s less publicized but most
appreciated works, is getting a facelift.

    Under the direction of architect Randy
Heckenkemper and builder Justin Jones, the
course is getting nine new tee boxes this fall,
the beginning of a restoration plan that will
eventually rebuild all the tee boxes as well
as hopefully all 18 greens.

   The new tees are much larger and more
level than their predecessors and will particularly
improve conditions for the women.

   The process will also add a few yards to
Hillcrest, which at 6,516 yards from the tops
could use the extra distance. Though distance
has never been a major concern at
Hillcrest, where Maxwell’s design has withstood
the ravages of time and technology
and the course record is still 64.

    Superintendent Ed Brookshire is also
leading a tree trimming campaign which will
combine with the new tees to offer better
sightlines and healthier turf grass conditions.

    Both Heckenkemper and Jones said it’s
been an honor and a privilege to work on
restoring one of Maxwell’s courses, while
long-time head professional Jerry Cozby
said both have done an excellent job
respecting the Maxwell tradition yet not
being afraid to make improvements.
The new tees on the front nine will reopen
later this fall."

Source: http://www.southcentralgolf.com/documents/oct_dec_2007web2.pdf


Lou_Duran

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Perry Maxwell's Hillcrest getting facelift
« Reply #1 on: December 22, 2007, 02:34:41 PM »
Craig,

I missed Hillcrest during my OK tours in 2004 - 2005.  If I recall, they were doing some work on the course then too.

I did get to sample Randy Heckenkemper's work at Chickasaw and Forest Ridge and came away favorably impressed.  He seems to place a gentle touch upon the land and the two courses are challenging while being very playable.  He'll probably do a good job at Hillcrest.

Is there still quite a bit of Perry Maxwell at Hillcrest?  Southern Hills didn't seem to have much in common with Dornick Hills, which I may be incorrectly attributing to considerable changes post Maxwell.  Any thoughts?  




Chris_Clouser

Re:Perry Maxwell's Hillcrest getting facelift
« Reply #2 on: December 22, 2007, 05:42:48 PM »
Craig,

I'll have to call Jerry and see what they are doing.  He just placed an order for some books.  I wonder if they are going to restore the actual Maxwell course or not.  Hillcrest had a slight renovation by Ed Seay, in the early 70s I think, where they eliminated a couple of holes and moved another because they moved the clubhouse and added a range.  If they don't do that then it really is not even close to a restoration.  Just adding on additional layers of someone else's ideas.  

Hillcrest is a good to very good course (probably a Doak 5 to 6) and I would hate to see Heckenkamper do what he did at Lake Hefner.  He basically destroyed an entire course and then rerouted it backwards over the original routing.  I have only seen his work there so I can't speak to his other jobs, but if it looks like that then Hillcrest won't be the same in my opinion.

Taking out trees may not be a bad thing.  Holes like the 4th, 8th and 17th could use some good tree clearing.  I just hope they don't do anything with holes like the 5th and 11th.  They are perfect examples of Maxwell's style from that early era.  And they better not move the tees back on 11 as it plays today the same way it was intended back in the original era.  

I hope nothing much changes because so much of Maxwell's early work has disappeared.  Aside from Twin Hills, Muskogee and Hillcrest there is not much left.  And they are not 100% Maxwell anymore by themselves, each having others touch them over the years.

Craig Van Egmond

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Perry Maxwell's Hillcrest getting facelift
« Reply #3 on: December 22, 2007, 05:57:19 PM »
I was hoping Chris would chime in.

Hillcrest has an interesting start according to your book, with Tom Bendelow doing the original survey and then Maxwell underbid both A.W. Tillinghast and Walter Travis. It opened in 1927.

According to Cornish/Whitten, Floyd Fairly and Don Sechrest (who both passed away last year) did some work on it.

« Last Edit: December 22, 2007, 05:59:46 PM by Craig Edgmand »

Craig Van Egmond

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Perry Maxwell's Hillcrest getting facelift
« Reply #4 on: December 22, 2007, 06:05:16 PM »

Chris,

       Although Randy's original work is some of the best in Oklahoma, I must admit I was surprised that he got the job. I figure this would be more of Tripp Davis's bailiwick. Maybe Tripp got underbid. :)

Chris_Clouser

Re:Perry Maxwell's Hillcrest getting facelift
« Reply #5 on: December 26, 2007, 09:22:36 AM »
Craig,

The Fairly and Sechrest thing I don't think ever happened.  The club has only had work done by Seay.  My source was Jerry Cozby, and he's been there forever.  So if anyone would be a better source I would doubt it.  Granted he hasn't been there since the 1920s, but I doubt anyone knows more about the place than him.  I also talked with a member who has been there since the 40s in various capacities and he didn't know of anyone else doing work there.  

My guess is Tripp is busy with something else and didn't have the time to get involved there.  Or perhaps they didn't want to do what he envisioned for the course.  Who knows?


Jay Flemma

Re:Perry Maxwell's Hillcrest getting facelift
« Reply #6 on: December 26, 2007, 03:14:09 PM »
Good find Craig.  Great article.  I cant wait to get back to NYC and crossreference with "The Midwest Associate" and my "Confidential Guide."

Does anyone have some pictures?

How do people compare and contrast this with say OKGCC or Dornick?
« Last Edit: December 26, 2007, 03:14:44 PM by Jay Flemma »

Chris_Clouser

Re:Perry Maxwell's Hillcrest getting facelift
« Reply #7 on: December 27, 2007, 10:12:09 AM »
Jay,

First off, I wonder how many on here have seen all three courses.    

OKGCC is superior to Hillcrest by quite a bit in every category (a high 6 or 7 on the Doak scale IMHO).  I think the only hole at Hillcrest that is superior to anything at OKGCC is the 11th.  The 5th is also quite good.  Evidently at some point in time Hogan called the 18th one of the best par 5s he had ever played.  ::) The par threes at Hillcrest are pretty good as a set with only the 6th being somewhat bland.  But it is the only one of the bunch not from the original layout, so maybe that is why that is.

Hillcrest is one of those sites where Maxwell used the natural terrain exceptionally well, but the terrain doesn't allow for a lot of great holes.  But there are no bad ones either.  

I would say that Hillcrest as it is and Dornick as it is today are pretty equal in total with Dornick getting the edge due to the terrain.  But Hillcrest is about as good as it could be, Dornick could be so much more if restored.  
« Last Edit: December 27, 2007, 10:14:04 AM by Chris_Clouser »

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