Biography

Ellis Maples, a renowned golf course architect, has been lauded as the worthy successor to another prominent figure, Donald Ross. Maples was not just Ross’s student in the art of golf course design, but he was also taught by Ross on how to lead his life. Ross advised Maples to have consideration for others, do good however small each day, and to act as a gentleman. Maples absorbed these lessons and incorporated them into his designs. His golf courses are not overly lavish, but rather subtly sophisticated and simple, which mirrored Ross’s counsel and Maples’s own belief that the customer is always right.

Maples developed a distinctive style for constructing his golf courses. He would build from high point to high point, a method that respected the natural terrain, while also optimizing construction and day-to-day maintenance costs. Perhaps the most defining feature of his work is his approach to bunkers. Instead of using them only as strategic obstacles in the game, Maples preferred to use them as visual components that boosted the overall aesthetics of his courses. His bunkers were flash-face, having dramatically rising sand walls.

In constructing his golf courses, Maples deeply contemplated various aspects, such as how a person must manoeuvre the course, the attraction of the location, and the need to avoid designing blind par-3 holes. He also focused on making the greens hold shots and the fairways tight with the addition of bunkers. During his career, he designed over 60 golf courses. Most of these courses are located in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, and the Mid-Atlantic region. Some of his celebrated works include designs for the Raleigh Country Club, the Country Club of North Carolina, Pinehurst No. 5, and the Whispering Pines Golf Course in Myrtle Beach, S.C.