Arthur Hills, ASGCA (Hills/Forrest/Smith Golf Course Architects), has spent a career designing golf courses in North America and Europe from his home base in Ohio, that are, “playable for all of those who might play it, from the best golfers to the higher-handicap golfers who might shoot 100 or 110.”
As he prepares to renovate one of his signature courses, Shaker Run Golf Club in Lebanon, Ohio, the 88-year-old Hills spoke with the Cincinnati Inquirer:
“I’ve been very lucky in getting into this career,” Hills said. “Every day is an interesting day in the golf course design business. Not only in designing the golf courses, but also with some guys that are very entrepreneurial.”
“There’s a tendency to make the courses longer,” Hills said. “You kind of need to make the golf courses 7,500 plus or minus yards from the way back (back tee). 50 years ago, 6,500 yards was a long golf course.”
For the record, Hills at his age can whack the pill about 180 yards. He looks forward to the Shaker Run improvements, which will also include some lengthening and different angles on a number of holes.
“It’s a privilege to go back and improve, upgrade, tweak or modify,” Hills said.
Hills still resides in Ohio, in Sylvania outside of Toledo. He’s immortalized with a signed bun at the renowned Tony Packo’s Hungarian Hot Dog restaurant. When you have your name attached to a couple hundred golf courses, you’re kind of a big deal.
The Shaker Run project will take three to five years with owner David Bowen doubling the maintenance budget to keep the course in tip-top shape. Numerous homes and condominiums have sprouted up around the course and a recent Fischer Homes project necessitates the redesigning of some of the original holes.
The complete Inquirer article can be read here.