By Len Ziehm
I wish I could say that I knew Arthur Hills better than I did. Our only in-depth meeting came in 1993, when – as a Chicago golf columnist – I was invited to the Grand Opening of The Thoroughbred in Rothbury, Michigan. Over the years as we have visited more of his creations, I have come to know his work quite well.
Last year, at the request of friend and colleague Fred Altvater, I had the honor of introducing the Arthur Hills Golf Trail to not only the readers of the Ohio Golf Journal but golfers nationwide through pieces that ran in other publications and websites.
In addition to Hills’ three Illinois designs I’ve also played his courses in Michigan and South Carolina. My favorite is the Arthur Hills Course at Michigan’s Boyne Highlands Resort, but he designed so many good ones. Hills eventually designed over 200 courses and renovated over 150 in a career that began in 1967. He worked as a course designer into his eighties, before passing away on May 18 at the age of 91.
While Pete Dye may have received more notoriety for his golf architectural efforts, Hills’ work should never be taken lightly. Residential courses were his staple and, in my native Illinois, he created three good ones in Stonewall Orchard, a long-time site of the Illinois PGA Championship; Bolingbrook, the centerpiece of the community of the same name; and Chicago Highlands, a private club that hosted 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 of Toledo, his designs are as far away as Portugal, Croatia, Sweden, Mexico and Norway.
Just two days after Hills’ death, we had the opportunity to play one of his designs, Heritage Harbour, in Bradenton, Florida. 
The staff at the course was unaware of Hills’ passing and we reminisced about his memorable courses. One member of the pro shop crew stunned me by bringing out a beautiful book, “The Works of Art,’’ a terrific collection of Hills, designs.
“You need to have this,’’ the staffer told me – and he was right. I was unaware such a book existed. It’s a real keeper.
Arthur Hills was an Ohio Native, as well as, a Toledo Treasure. His designs brought beauty and pleasure to millions of golfers worldwide.
The Golf World will sorely miss him.
