Southern Hills

Since 1935, we've been dedicated to excellence. The Roaring Twenties had finally come to an end. Following the 1929 stock market crash, there were bank closures, business failures, and severe unemployment. By 1934, things were looking up, and a number of Tulsa businesspeople were optimistic about the future. Many people in the Tulsa business sector were members of two organizations. The Tulsa Club served them dinner, while Tulsa Country Club provided golf. However, considerably more space was required to accommodate more activities for members and their families. A concept to unite the two clubs and extend the country club amenities was devised in late 1934. Waite Phillips, a Tulsa businessman and philanthropist, owned around 700 acres south of Tulsa. He envisioned turning this undulating farmland into a country club with a golf course and a variety of other activities… In 1935, the swimming pool, polo field, skeet range, tennis courts, stables, and bridle paths opened while the golf course was being built. The golf course officially opened on May 23, 1936, with 29 members teeing off. The course developed over time and is known as one of the greatest in the country. Don Bothwell, fondly known as the "Old Rooster," was the most involved with Perry Maxwell during the creation of the golf course. Bothwell was in continuous contact with Maxwell during those early days as he laid out the locations that would become fairways and greens. He even proposed where the iconic 12th green should be built. The stables were destroyed in a tragic fire in 1976 and use of the polo field and skeet range declined over time. The property where these activities were located looked perfect for an additional nine holes of golf. Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw were engaged to make that happen and the "West Nine" was opened in 1992. In 2018, Hanse Golf Course Construction began a comprehensive repair of the Championship Course, which was an even more ambitious endeavor. This team restored teeing locations, fairway lines, bunkers, streams, and green complexes under the watchful supervision of Gil Hanse, Jim Wagner, and the Caveman Construction crew to rebuild the golf course to represent Perry Maxwell's vision and inventiveness. The project's outcomes speak for themselves.