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People & the land Architect
Architect
Press Maxwell
J. Press Maxwell was born in Ardmore, Oklahoma, in 1916 and learned course construction while working with his father, Perry Maxwell. As a young man he helped build Southern Hills in Tulsa during the Depression. After serving in the Second World War, he began designing courses in his own right.2
In the archive 2 Courses at 2 Clubs
Course work
Published course connections in the archive.
- Original designOriginal San Antonio course design
- Original designDesign of the second nine
From his father’s construction sites to his own designs
At Prairie Dunes, his work completed a course begun by his father. Perry’s first nine opened on September 13, 1937; Press designed the additional nine, opened in 1957. The Club’s eighteen-hole layout grew from those two family commissions, separated by twenty years.1
Sources and record notes4 references
Sources for this history
- History: Prairie Dunes Country Club
Prairie Dunes Country Club
Carey commission in 1935, manual/animal-powered construction, first nine September 13, 1937 and Press Maxwell’s second nine in 1957; tournament-results list excluded.
Consulted 2026-11-07 - J. Press Maxwell
American Society of Golf Course Architects
Biography: Ardmore childhood, apprenticeship and construction at Southern Hills, wartime service and independent design work.
Consulted 2026-11-07
Architect record sources
- USGA Golf Journal: Through the Green, September 1998 (opens in a new tab)Architect identity · Course design
- Prairie Dunes Country Club history (opens in a new tab)Course design