Of Perry Maxwell, Chris Clouser said:
Maxwell is one of the more unsung golf architects and designers of his generation. (Clouser, C. (n.d.) Perry Maxwell: The Master of the Plains. USGA/US Amateur. Retrieved from http://www.usamateur.org/news/maxwell.html)This screenshot of Google Maps shows the original nine-hole layout of Maxwell's design for Mount Pleasant. Yesterday, I mentioned that Rand had commented on use of the WPA to build golf courses and country clubs. One might think this was an elitist use of the program and funding, but there were good reasons for building golf courses, just as there were good reasons for employing artists to put art within the community of ordinary people--a legacy we still enjoy today in our post offices across the nation--well, still enjoy until the completion of the destruction of the US Postal Service and the buildings that belong to the Post Office.
Looking toward hole # 1 at Mount Pleasant, I wonder what Perry Maxwell was thinking about use of the natural terrain. If you are like me, you have never heard of Perry Maxwell, or, given much thought to golf and golf courses. Maxwell, whose parents were Scottish though he was born in Kentucky, was a banker devastated by the Great Depression (Shackelford). He traveled to Scotland to study the golf courses where the game originated, and learned how to "incorporate the naturalistic elements" (Shackelford). Golf was originally played in the pastures and rural areas of Scotland, by common folks, and the links made use of the natural terrain which was part of the challenge (http://www.pasturegolf.com/archive/wpa_courses.htm). The game focused on the challenge of the course and the pleasure of the game. Pasture golf courses and games are in existence, and I could not help but think of Tundra Golf in Unalaska, and have a renewed appreciation and respect for the sport.
(You can see all six of the posts about Tundra Golf Classic in Unalaska here.)
How about it, ya'll? Any pasture golf courses near you?