Maketewah’s present course occupies land the club (then Hamilton County Golf Club) assembled in 1910–11 after leaving its earlier Avondale grounds. The club hired Tom Bendelow to lay out an 18-hole course of roughly 6,000 yards on adjoining dairy farms; the move and course build occurred in 1911. Early years saw winter alterations by staff professionals to cope with flooding and drought typical of the period.
In 1919 the club engaged Donald Ross “to design and construct the first true professional golf course” on the property, coinciding with Ross’s Ohio work while preparing Inverness for the 1921 U.S. Open. The club reports the Ross course was in full operation by 1921 and that only two Bendelow holes—present-day Nos. 6 and 12—were reused. A 1921 Cincinnati Enquirer item marking the change of name to “Maketewah” also identified Ross as the club’s architect, confirming contemporary recognition of his role.
In 1929 Maketewah purchased an additional parcel that became the sites of present Nos. 2 and 3; Ross—working with associate Walter Hatch—“finalized a Maketewah course redesign” to integrate the new land. The club states the Ross routing has remained mostly unchanged since 1929, with some Bendelow fairway bunkers intentionally retained and others reshaped by Ross.
maketewah.com
Recent work has been restorative rather than revisionist. Beginning in 2012 and concluding in 2023, architect Brian Silva led a three-phase project that regrassed tees and fairways (T1/Alpha bent), added back-tee distance (~300 yards), removed and repositioned bunkers, expanded fairways from ~23 to ~25 acres, and installed a Toro Lynx irrigation system to better manage water in Cincinnati’s climate. Silva also relocated the 6th green to strengthen its relationship with the adjacent ravine and introduced cross bunkers at the 11th to re-assert the hole’s strategic question.
Unique Design Characteristics (as implemented at Maketewah)
Two site elements define Maketewah’s Ross work. First, ravines slice the property on diagonal lines; Ross’s routing uses them repeatedly, most conspicuously across the 6th–8th corridor where the ravine influences both tee shots and approaches. Second, both nines finish on par-3 holes, an unusual Ross-era outcome here that amplifies match-play drama. The 18th plays over a deep ravine to an elevated target commonly protected by a forward fall-off and bunkering—an emphatic one-shot finisher within city limits. Contemporary descriptions and course photography consistently note these traits.
Silva’s restoration sought to reveal more of the underlying landform that the Ross plans had exploited. Tree management reopened long views across the course (“this course was designed to see everything”), and wider fairways now provide multiple approach angles into Ross’s green sites. On specific holes, the relocated 6th green re-centers play around the ravine edge, while cross bunkers at the 11th have reintroduced a diagonal carry reminiscent of inter-war Ross hazards. The 17th, a downhill two-shotter into a green benched beneath a steep hillside, illustrates how the now-visible slopes shape approach trajectories before players face the short-iron test at the 18th.
As for surviving Ross examples, the routing itself—largely intact since 1929—is the clearest artifact of his work here; the club explicitly identifies Nos. 2 and 3 as added to that plan in 1929 and Nos. 6 and 12 as the only Bendelow holdovers. Within that framework, the par-3 18th and the 6–8 ravine sequence are the best on-the-ground demonstrations of Ross’s use of Maketewah’s tightly-folded terrain.
Historical Significance
Historically, Maketewah sits at the junction of Cincinnati’s early club network and Ross’s 1920s Ohio work. Before Ross’s arrival, the Hamilton County Golf Club hosted prominent state events—the 1917 Ohio Amateur among them (site listed as “Hamilton County GC,” the club’s name at the time). After the Ross course opened, Maketewah quickly became one of the region’s competitive hubs; in the modern era it has been a perennial U.S. Open Local Qualifying site, listed by the USGA as hosting 47 of the last 50 years as of 2025.
In the architectural literature, Maketewah is regularly described as an urban Ross course defined by ravines and an unusual par-3 closing hole. This distinctive finishing pattern—par-3 at 9 and 18—has been singled out in both course profiles and trade reporting, which also document the 2012–23 restoration as a case study in returning an inner-city layout to its inter-war scale.
Current Condition / Integrity
Routing integrity is high: the club reports the Ross routing from 1929 remains “mostly unchanged.” The 2022–23 Silva work aimed to restore rather than re-invent: fairway expansions, repositioned and rebuilt bunkers, and tee re-sequencing have been used to re-emphasize angles and recover ground game options lost as trees encroached in the post-war period. Greens were not wholesale recontoured, but select green-site adjustments—notably at No. 6—were made to reconnect targets to natural edges.
From a playing-standard perspective, the course today is typically listed at par 71 and roughly 6,800 yards from the back markers, with course rating 72.5 / slope 132 in common usage. Practice facilities include the 2½-acre short-game area (2012) and an indoor practice space shared with Xavier University, aligning with the club’s self-identification as a frequent host of elite qualifiers.
Sources & Notes
Maketewah Country Club – “The Maketewah Story.” Club history page with detailed timeline (Avondale → Hamilton County GC → Maketewah), Bendelow origins, Ross design in 1919 and operation by 1921, 1929 land purchase, Walter Hatch involvement, and statements on routing integrity and retained Bendelow bunkers.
Cipriano, Guy. “Reflecting on progress.” Golf Course Industry, May 1, 2023. Trade feature on the 2012–23 restoration at Maketewah: ravines on 6–8; both nines ending with par-3s; short-game area (2012); irrigation; fairway expansion to 25 acres; back-tee increase by ~300 yards; superintendent commentary on design intent and sightlines.
“Major renovation completed at Maketewah CC by Brian Silva.” Golf Course Architecture news article, Oct. 3, 2023. Scope and philosophy of Silva’s work; specific references to regrassing tees/fairways, bunker program (including cross bunkers at 11), relocation of the 6th green, fairway expansion, and practice/indoor facilities. Also notes Ross “creating two new holes (the third and fourth)” in his redesign—see uncertainty note.
Top100GolfCourses – “Maketewah.” Condensed profile emphasizing ravine-defined property and par-3 18th; corroborates the unconventional par-3 finisher.
USGA – “Qualifying Sites Announced for the 125th U.S. Open.” Feb. 10, 2025; notes Maketewah has been a local qualifying venue “in 47 of the last 50 years.” (For longitudinal context see 2017 USGA release noting “40 of the last 41 years.”)
GRAA – “Top 50 Private Facility: Maketewah Country Club.” May 3, 2024. Notes club’s 1919 Ross redesign and 1921 opening of the Ross course; references modern practice emphasis and partnership with Xavier.
Ohio Golf Association – “Past Champions for Ohio Amateur.” Lists 1917 Ohio Amateur site as Hamilton County GC (the club’s pre-1921 name), supporting Maketewah’s pre-Ross competitive role.
Cincinnati Enquirer (newspapers.com) – “Hamilton County Golf Club changes name to Maketewah; Ross named as architect.” Sept. 1, 1921. Contemporary notice aligning the 1921 operational timeline with Ross’s role.
Uncertainties & items requiring primary-source verification:
Which specific holes Ross newly created in 1919 versus 1929. The club history states present-day Nos. 2 & 3 were added after the 1929 land purchase and that only Nos. 6 & 12 trace to Bendelow; the GCA report states Ross created Nos. 3 & 4 in his redesign.