Can anyone tell me about Ellis Maples?

[Bart Bradley]

Hello...new to the group and thrilled to join.  Great discussions.  I have just been appointed to the architectural review committee at one of my clubs and I am looking to better understand the course architect, Ellis Maples.   I have only played this one Ellis Maples course and wish to know more about his theories, training, architectural signatures..etc.  Any help you can give would be greatly appreciated.  

[Brent Hutto]

My home course was designed by Ellis Maples. It is Columbia Country Club in Columbia, SC. His father was Frank Maples, a close associate of Donald Ross during Ross's years in Pinehurst. I believe Frank Maples was the construction supervisor for Pinehurst #2, among other courses. Sort of a Maxwell to Ross's MacKenzie. Ellis's son Dan is an architect working today in the Southeastern US.

As far as I can determine, the philosophy of Ellis Maples was to design member-friendly layouts that could be constructed on a small-town Country Club budget. Our club (built in 1961) seems fairly typical of Maples work with medium to large greens having more modest tilts and lower profiles than would we would think of as typical for Ross courses built a few decades earlier. Good use of rolling land, something along the lines of the GCA-approved "strategic" school of bunkering providing a certain degree of favored angles into the somewhat subtle green complexes. Certainly nothing MacKenzie-esque but more interesting than totally flat, open greens.

Our course was renovated and to a certain degree updated, including some greens recontoured, about a decade ago. But it is still recognizable as a fairly typical Ellis Maples routing and design of its period. Mostly the fairway bunkers were moved out to accomodate modern distances and some green contours were slightly elaborated. I will be glad to host you or set you up with our long-time members (I've only been a member at Columbia for 2 years although I had played the course pre-renovation as well) any time if you like.

[Bart Bradley]

Thanks for the info...very interesting.  The greens at Grandfather Golf and Country Club are a bit mixed.  Some have severe contours and others are relatively more flat.  On some holes he utilized sloping fairway countours to allow the golfer to enlarge the target area and keep the ball in the fairway. The offer to come play is generous and I will certainly keep it in mind for the future.  I would be pleased to offer the same.

[Jay Flemma]

He also designed Pinehurst No. 5.  His son Dan a large number of courses in the Carolinas and has had a wonderful career living in Pinehurst.

[Bill_McBride]

If you are ever in the area just west of Charlottesville, Virginia, go up to Wintergreen and play his "Devils Knob" course.  It's a great example of building a decent course on some pretty wild mountain terrain.  There are some big greens that just sort of spill over the land, and a couple of ski jump holes mandated by the contours.  Some of those mountain courses are over the top but this one is interesting, challenging and playable.  Not too walkable but certainly playable.

[Jeff_Brauer]

I always wondered if he called his wife "Sugar."

[Joe Hancock]

I always wondered if he called his wife "Sugar."

Now that was sappy!

Rim shot please!

[Michael Whitaker]

From Dan Maples' website:

Ellis was born in Pinehurst, North Carolina in 1909. As a young teen-ager, Ellis worked for his father in his capacity as construction superintendent to Donald Ross at Pinehurst Country Club. After attending Lenoir Rhyne College Ellis worked in the Pinehurst Pro Shop and as assistant greenskeeper to his father at Mid Pines and Pine Needles Resorts in Pinehurst.

After serving in the Armed Forces during WWII, Ellis supervised the construction of the last design done by Donald Ross, Raleigh Country Club. In 1953, he decided against a career as a professional golfer and opened up his own practice as a golf course architect.

Before his death in 1984, Ellis and his design team had created over 70 golf courses in the Southeast, including Pinehurst #5. He was a lifetime member of the PGA.

[wsmorrison]

Ellis Maples assisted in the construction of the William Flynn design of Plymouth Country Club, in Plymouth, North Carolina.  Maples worked under construction foreman, Dick Wilson, staying on as the club’s golf professional and greenkeeper until 1942, when he entered war service.

Plymouth CC is a private nine-hole golf course that was built for the Kiechefer Pulp Company, once a major paper manufacturer with a plant near the golf course to process trees from the local pine forests. Weyerhauser has since acquired the company.  The soil is similar to the sand hills found in Pinehurst and other areas of the Carolinas.  The golf course has been used for employees and visiting customers for nearly seventy years.  The upper floor of the modest clubhouse contains guestroom accommodations for visitors.

How did William Flynn end up in North Carolina to design a golf course?  Between Virginia and Florida this is the only golf course by Flynn.  Well, the man responsible for building the golf course was Frederick Kiechefer.  He had a brother Herbert Kiechefer that was a member of Pine Valley Golf Club.  Perhaps it was Herbert that recommended Flynn to his brother Frederick.  Herbert Kiechefer donated the club championship trophy that can be seen in the clubhouse trophy case.

[Bryan_Pennington]

The Dogwood Course at CCNC would be an example of Ellis Maple's best work.  Hart Huffines could probably give you the low-down on that course.

[Lynn_Shackelford]

Does anyone know if Dan Maples has kept any of the paper work of his Dad's work?  Or is there an Ellis Maples collection of work anywhere?  Maybe the Donald Ross Society has something?

[Jay Flemma]

Doak wrote that he thought The Pit was interesting.  I agree as well.

[BCrosby]

Does anyone know if Dan Maples has kept any of the paper work of his Dad's work?  Or is there an Ellis Maples collection of work anywhere?  Maybe the Donald Ross Society has something?

Lynn -

Good question. I hope someone knows and will post.

I have a brief story about Maples. The man who financed and built Athens CC (Ross, '25) contacted Ross sometime after WWII to ask if his son (Jimmie Dudley) could come to Pinehurst to learn about course maintenance. Ross said to send him up. Ellis Maples met Jimmie at the train station, gave him a bedroom in his house for about three months and taught him how he maintained the Pinehurst courses.

Sixty years later Jimmie still speaks fondly of Ellis Maples. By all accounts he was a kind, bright and generous man.

Bob

[hhuffines]

Since BP mentioned me I thought I would say that Raleigh Country Club has been and is being improved in an impressive
fashion.  Richard Mandell has brought some great changes
from tee to green that resemble the best of Pinehurst #2.
The playing conditions are immaculate considering the drought
we've endured.

Richard's new book on Pinehurst has some details on Mr. Maples.  He seemed to carry on the Ross tradition of a fair
but tough test of golf for even the best.  I'm just happy he's
getting some air time.

Hal Sutton won the Amateur on CCNC Dogwood.