Maryville Country Club Course Designed by James W. Watson Who Designed Mission Hills Course

Posted on January 25, 2026 by roger

Initial plans in 1921 for a golf course in Maryville called for a partnership with the college, with the course to be designed by James W. Watson, who designed the Mission Hills Golf Course.  The initial course plan called for it to extend nearly a mile from the old Methodist Seminary at First and Memory Street to the Chatauqua Park (between today’s Houston Performing Arts Center and the Hughes Field House) and come back to Maryville’s highest point, the 1,181-foot-high College Heights summit (today’s Garrett-Strong Science) to the north of the Administration Building.

When the initial deal fell through, the organizers set their sights on a more modest but another high-profile piece of land — the Prather Faustiana Farm, where 1904 Kentucky Derby winner Elwood was bred.  The Maryville Country Club initially leased 80 acres of the old Prather Faustiana Farm.  In August 1922, it purchased the land at $300/acre ($24,000 total). This was only a small portion of the old Prather land and is where the golf course is still located.

In December 2021:
The organization of the Maryville Golf Club was completed at a meeting last night with A. Nell Somerville as president, W. N. Deatherage, vice president; Fred R. Wolfers, secretary, and E. W. Keck, treasurer. F. C. Miller was chosen a director for a term of one year; H. T. Hooker for two years, and H. L Haines for three years. W. N. Deatherage and Fred R. Waiters, the committee appointed at the previous meeting to draft a constitution and bylaws, were not ready to report last night, and another meeting will be called soon to address this matter. The charter membership in the club will be limited to 100 persons. Until last night, charter members were charged $75, but from now on, membership will cost $100.

 The Watson name and Mission Hills immediately evoke thoughts ofTom Watson, but there is no obvious family connection. There are several Watsons involved with golf design in this era. What is known about his background is that he was a popular golf pro in Kalamazoo, Michigan, from 1910 to 1913, before moving to the Oakwood Country Club in Kansas City in 1913, and then to the job at Mission Hills. Wikipedia said Tom Bendelow designed the course, but Watson said he designed it and Bendelow reviewed it.

In the early 1920s, Watson designed several courses in the Kansas City area.

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