Arthur Hills

One of the most prolific modern architects, Arthur Hills (1930-2021) left his mark on some 300 golf courses over a career that spans more than 50 years. Ever since his first design, at nearby Brandywine Country Club in 1967, his firm has been based in his hometown of Toledo, Ohio.

Armed with an undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan and a landscape architecture degree from Michigan State, Hills would establish himself as one of the Midwest's prominent architects in the later 20th century.

Arthur Hills courses evolved to feature significant earth-moving, with his more recent designs marked by bold fairway contouring, flat-bottomed bunkers of varying sizes and undulating greens. At times, his style could be described as a pastiche of that of fellow Midwestern architect Pete Dye.

Hills' home state, naturally, has provided many opportunities for him to ply his trade. In 1999, he opened Longaberger Golf Club, now known as Virtues Golf Club, in the town of Nashport. The course, which hosted an episode of Shell's Wonderful World of Golf, has been regarded as one of hte best public courses in the Midwest since opening. Other notable Hills courses in the Buckeye State include the public Maumee Bay State Park course and the private Catawba Island Club.

Hills left his mark throughout the Midwest, including several high-profile courses in Michigan, the most famous being the 27-hole Bay Harbor Golf Club in Harbor Springs, one of Northern Michigan's top public and resort layouts. Another, the Hills Course at Boyne Highlands Resort, is not far behind.

In Illinois, Hills' Stonewall Orchard is one of the Chicago area's top public courses. And his Chaska Town Course in the Twin Cities served as the secondary host course for the 2006 U.S. Amateur, as well as the 2020 U.S. Junior Amateur, both held at Hazeltine National Golf Club.

Hills influence on golf extends to both American coasts and overseas, as well. The Links at Lighthouse Sound is a popular stop among golfers in Ocean City, Maryland; and his Ocean Course at Half Moon Bay south of San Francisco features stunning views of the Pacific.

Hills and associate Steve Forrest, who was elevated to a partner in the firm in 1999, contributed significantly to the golf boom in Florida in the last 30 years, especially in and around Naples. Collier's Reserve Country Club, Quail Creek Country Club and three of the five courses at Bonita Bay Club comprise a sampling of their work. Over on the east coast of the state, Jacksonville's Palencia Club, the Hills Course at LPGA International in Daytona Beach and Willoughby Golf Club in Stuart are among their commissions. Hills and Forrest also renovated Miami Beach Golf Club and Normandy Shores in South Florida in 2003 and 2008, respectively.

Hills' international list of work includes Oitavos Dunes, regarded as one of Portugal's greatest courses; and Sand Golf Club in Sweden.

In addition to Forrest, Hills current and former associates include architects Mike Dasher, Brian Huntley, Keith Foster, Drew Rogers and Chris Wilczynski, all of whom have designed notable courses in their own right.