PGA Championship: Gil Hanse, Jim Wagner return Southern Hills to Perry Maxwell greatness

No. 17 maxes out at 371 yards on the scorecard, its two-level green loaded with devilish hole locations perched high above two branches of a creek. If that sounds like challenge enough for approach shots, consider that many players will likely ignore the safe route up the left side of the fairway and instead blast away at the green from the tee. Depending on wind direction and tee location, the green is definitely within reach of many touring professionals, especially if Haigh chooses to push the markers forward. A score of 2 will be in play, as will a score of 6.

Hanse and Wagner focused on revitalizing Maxwell’s original 17^th, reintroducing a water hazard short of the green that had been buried at some point over the decades. With the green lifted above fairway grade and runoffs sending balls rocketing off in all directions, the 17^th green is proof that length isn’t everything. There are so many tee shot options and ways to play the hole – safely up the left or more boldly toward the green – and players must make their choices under the gun.

“We realized it’s still incredibly relevant for today’s game with all kinds of options and different ways to play it,” Hanse said of No. 17, “and we were going to restore those options and that thought process. I think any course architect would love holes that make you think. If you get the opportunity to restore a chance for a golfer who is being very cerebral to gain an advantage, that has to excite any golf course architect.”

Next up is No. 18, which tees off past that 17^th green and drops to a creek that runs down the right side before crossing the fairway on a diagonal some 290-340 yards off the back tee. From there, the hole turns right up the hill toward the clubhouse. Players have to choose a safer tee shot to a plateau on the left side of the fairway that will leave an uphill long iron or even fairway wood into the green, or a bolder tee shot that will roll downhill toward the creek while shortening the challenging approach.

“I think 18 is just so hard, they’re going to want to get as close as they possibly can (to the creek) for that approach shot,” Hanse said. “It’s a hard, hard golf hole.”

Just as Maxwell intended. And just how Hanse and Wagner drew it up in the renovation, keeping true to Maxwell’s intent. It’s the kind of studious approach that has earned the modern architecture team the opportunities to work on so many classic courses that plan to host major championships well into the future.

“We don’t take this lightly,” Hanse said of the diligence required in classic restoration and renovation. “We understand the responsibility that has been entrusted to us, and we hope that we continue to follow through on these opportunities. It’s more important to us that Perry Maxwell gets the credit. If we do something where Perry Maxwell’s name is held in higher regard, or they’re like, “Wow, Perry Maxwell, what a great golf course,” that is honestly more meaningful to me than people just saying that Gil Hanse and Jim Wagner did this and did that.

“It’s more important that the general golfing public gets to know more about Perry Maxwell during this PGA Championship.”