June 2021 Ohio Golf Journal

the Evans Scholars Invitational on the PGA’s Korn Ferry Tour last year. Hills, of course, did much more work in Ohio and Michigan than elsewhere. He was always based in Toledo and with partners Steve Forrest and Shawn Smith, they built one of the country’s most prominent golf architecture firms. Forrest worked with Hills for 42 years with Smith joining the group in 2010. In 1967 Brandywine was the first of nine of Hill’s designs in Ohio. Michigan boasts 17 Hills courses, including the highly acclaimed 27-hole Bay Harbor Club in Petoskey. ``I had the great privilege of learning all aspects of golf course architecture from a distinguished professional practitioner and humble gentleman,’’ Forrest told the Toledo Blade after learning of Hills’ passing. ``Arthur became a father-like figure to me – a mentor, instructor, exhorter and admonisher always trying to improve his own skills.’’ Dave Hackenberg, long-time columnist and golf writer for the Blade, knows the impact Hills has left on a town long noted for its golf enthusiasm. ``Art was one of a handful of Toledoans, who spread the city’s golf brand far and wide over the past century,’’ said Hackenberg. ``He made his mark with masterful, dramatic course designs around the nation and around the world.’’ Altvater announced the formation of the Arthur Hills Golf Trail at the 2019 Toledo Golf Show. The Trail, which includes three courses in Michigan – The Legacy in Ottawa Hills, plus Stonebridge and Leslie Park in Ann Arbor, along with two in Ohio, Stone Ridge and Maumee Bay. ``There’s probably 10-12 good Arthur Hills designs in the Toledo area,’’ said Altvater. ``Down the road we hope to have them involved as well.’’ I generally found Hills’ courses marked by one hole that was either controversial, goofy, unusually tricky, or otherwise memorable. That one memorable hole concept seemed to me a Hills’ trademark, though I’m not sure he would agree. What we should remember is that all his courses brought joy to golfers of all abilities, just because they were fun and enriched the lives of so many people in so many parts of the world. While Hills was a solid Toledo product with degrees from Michigan, Michigan State and the University