Prairie Dunes Country Club

Perry Maxwell's links-style course in the sand hills of central Kansas, with plum thickets, rolling greens and a long record of USGA championships.

Emerson Carey and his four sons, a Hutchinson business family, hired Perry Maxwell in the 1930s to build on a stretch of sand dunes outside town. His nine holes opened in 1937, shaped largely with horses, mules and hand labor. His son Press Maxwell added the second nine in 1957, matching the original closely enough that few visitors can tell where one ends.

Prairie Dunes plays like a links far from any sea. Fairways twist through dunes covered in native grass, yucca and plum thickets, and the Kansas wind changes the course daily. Maxwell's greens, full of rolls and scalloped edges rather than tiers, are the main defense on a course of modest length. The club has hosted eight USGA events, including the 2002 U.S. Women's Open, the 2006 U.S. Senior Open, three U.S. Women's Amateurs and the 1986 Curtis Cup. Construction of the first nine drew on Works Progress Administration funding.

Holes to know

8

Par 4 · 468 yd

A long par 4 through the dunes with a blind approach, and a frequent choice as the best hole on the course.

10

Par 3 · 190 yd

Usually downwind, to a classic scalloped Maxwell green.

1

Par 4 · 452 yd

A strong opener that introduces the Maxwell rolls in the greens straight away.

Championships

• U.S. Women's Open 2002
• U.S. Senior Open 2006
• Curtis Cup 1986
• U.S. Women's Amateur 1964, 1980, 1991
• U.S. Mid-Amateur 1988
• U.S. Senior Amateur 1995

Design history

• 1957: Press Maxwell completes the second nine, bringing the course to 18 holes
• Recent: Dave Axland-led work to re-naturalize the bunkers