front page picA plaque at the entrance of Prairie Dunes reads...
 
"IN TRIBUTE TO THE FAMILY OF EMERSON CAREY IN RECOGNITION OF OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN THE ADVANCEMENT OF GOLF"

Prairie Dunes began as the vision of a prominent Hutchinson family who loved the game of golf. The clarity of this vision is somewhat remarkable in that it was born in the depths of the great depression. The vision progressed to reality with the retention of Perry Maxwell, one of the earliest American born architects to rise to the level of admiration and respect accorded to Scotsman Alister MacKenzie and Donald Ross.

Maxwell believed that the land makes the course and is quoted as saying "the golf course should be there, not brought there." He reportedly walked the original 480-acre site for weeks before deciding where and how to begin the construction. After his initial exploration he is said to have stated, "there are 118 golf holes here" and all I have to do is eliminate 100." Prairie Dunes opened on September 13, 1937 and is considered Maxwell's greatest masterpiece.




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