2012 Golf Oklahoma June / July Issue

Golf Oklahoma www.golfoklahoma.org June - July 2012

In this issue . . .

Patriot Cup 2012 Hillcrest restored Branson in bloom Gibson’s 55 best ever Lakeside rejuvenated Walser, Faucett remembered

The Territory Resilience, commitment overcome adversity Official publication of the Oklahoma Golf Association

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www.golfoklahoma.org •••••• 3

MEMBERSHIP HAS ITS PERKS. LIKE MORE PERKS. C

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At Cherokee Hills Golf Course, even our perks have perks. That’s why there are just a few spots left for new members to join. So join today and get benefits good for golf rounds, equipment, apparel and even a bag storage service*. You even earn Rewards Play each time you play. And if you don’t have time to tee off for a full round, the Cherokee Hills Golf Club’s range membership fits any kind of schedule. So act fast. Memberships are going quickly. But at least they’re not stuck in a sand trap.

For details, call 918.384.7600 or toll free 800.760.6700.

I-44 EXIT 240 TULSA, OK | HARDROCKCASINOTULSA.COM Copyright © 2012 Cherokee Nation Entertainment, LLC. Rates subject to change at the discretion of management. * Additional fees apply to bag storage service.

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Contents

44 Branson beckons Features

14

Rhein Gibson Life altered by game’s greatest round

34

Departments

14

The Territory survives 2011 blast furnace, bounces back

36

Lakeside’s Michael Henderson is cutting city subsidy by bringing back the kids

34

8 Letter from the editor 10 OGA 14 Chip Shots 26 The goods 32 Equipment 34 Where we play 48 Pro Profile 49 Amateur Profile 50 Celebrity Profile 53 Fitness 54 WOGA 56 Instruction 58 Super’s Perspective 59 Architect’s Notebook 60 Schedules & Results

40 36

Renovations: Hillcrest in Bartlesville celebrates nine new greens, Shangri-La reopens nine, Stone Creek goes Bermuda On the cover: The Territory Golf Club in Duncan, photo by Mike Klemme.

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Support junior golf by contributing to the OGA Foundation Call 405-848-0042 for more information www.golfoklahoma.org •••••• 7

Letter from the publisher ken macleod

Golf Oklahoma Volume 2, Number 3 Golf Oklahoma Offices Southern Hills Plaza 6218 S. Lewis Ave., Ste. 200 Tulsa, OK 74136 918-280-0787 Oklahoma City Office 405-640-9996 Publisher Ken MacLeod ken@golfoklahoma.org COO/Marketing Director A.G. Meyers agm@golfoklahoma.org Art & Technology Director Derek Hillman derek@golfoklahoma.org

Leon Faucett, left, with long-time Titleist rep Dale Davison at a PGA section banquet.

Faucett: King of the road Legendary golf salesman Leon Faucett, who helped Karsten Solheim transform Ping from an unknown startup to a world-wide equipment leader, died May 25 at the age of 84 in his hometown of Mt. Vernon, Mo. Faucett’s long association with Ping began when he met Solheim at the 1966 PGA Golf Show in Las Vegas. Solheim had a booth to show off his new fledgling line of Ping putters. Faucett, then carrying several other lines including Difini clothing, worked out a handshake deal, mostly engineered by the wives Louise Solheim and Helen Faucett, to sell the Ping Answers, Aings, Pals and other putters on his next trip through the south.

Solheim made Faucett pay $72 in advance for the samples.

Faucett’s territory at that time stretched from “El Paso to Atlanta, two states deep,” as he often described it. He went on to sell Ping lines to hundreds of accounts, later focusing mostly on Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas from his then home in Garland, Texas.

It was estimated that Faucett put close to 2.8 million miles on his cars, usually a Cadillac, during his career. PGA professionals across the area welcomed visits from Faucett, a PGA pro himself.

“When he started he would take off for three weeks and head toward Georgia,” said Rick Bell, who succeeded Faucett as the Ping representative in Oklahoma and parts of Arkansas. “He had no air conditioning at that time. When he came back his left arm was really dark and his right arm white.”

Faucett had a booming deep voice and 8 •••••• www.golfoklahoma.org

was relentlessly upbeat.

“He liked his work and he liked taking care of his customers,” said Rick Reed, head professional at The Oaks Country Club in Tulsa and a native of Mt. Vernon as well.

“It didn’t matter if you worked at a small nine-hole course or the biggest club, all his customers were important to him and they were all friends to him.”

“He had a lot of lines but Ping ended up being his biggest. He enjoyed showing you what was new each year.”

Born Oct. 15, 1927 in Aurora, Mo., Faucett lived much of his working life in Garland, where he also ran Duck Creek Golf Course. Upon moving back to Missouri in 1972, he ran a working farm and also operated Sycamore Valley Driving Range, helping youngsters learn the game to which he was devoted.

Bell sat in meetings with Faucett at Ping headquarters in Arizona when young hotshot salesmen were debating ways to increase sales.

“They would talk, talk, talk and he would listen until he’d heard enough,” Bell said.

“Then he would say “excuse me” with that deep voice and everyone would stop. The respect and reverence for him was very high and he had a great grasp of why the company was successful. He was very tight with Karsten and Louise.”

Both the North Texas and South Central PGA sections have awards named after Faucett. He was a unique individual and will be missed by many in the industry.

Subscriptions to Golf Oklahoma are $15 for one year (five issues) or $25 for two years (10 issues). Call 918-280-0787 or go to www.golfoklahoma.org.

Contributing photographers Rip Stell, Mike Klemme Golf Oklahoma PGA Instructional Staff Jim Woodward Teaching Professional, Oak Tree National jwoodwardgolf@sbcglobal.net, 405-348-2004 E.J. Pfister Teaching Professional, Oak Tree National ejgolf@me.com Pat McTigue Owner, GolfTec Tulsa and Oklahoma City pmctigue@golftec.com Steve Ball Owner, Ball Golf Center, Oklahoma City www.ballgolf.com, 405-842-2626 Pat Bates Director of Instruction, Gaillardia Country Club pbates@gaillardia.com, 405-509-3611 Tracy Phillips Director of Instruction, Buddy Phillips Learning Center at Cedar Ridge vt4u@yahoo.com, 918-352-1089 Jerry Cozby PGA Professional jerrycozby@aol.com, 918-914-1784 Michael Boyd, PGA Professional Indian Springs Country Club 918-455-9515 Oklahoma Golf Association 2800 Coltrane Place, Suite 2 Edmond, OK 73034 405-848-0042 Executive Director Mark Felder mfelder@okgolf.org Director of Handicapping and Course Rating Jay Doudican jdoudican@okgolf.org Director of Junior Golf Morri Rose morose@okgolf.org Copyright 2012 by Golf Oklahoma Magazine. All rights reserved. Contents may not be reprinted or otherwise reproduced without written permission from Golf Oklahoma. Golf Oklahoma is published

by South Central Golf, Inc.

www.golfoklahoma.org •••••• 9

Oklahoma Golf Association

Amateur set for Southern Hills Long-hitting Cameron Meyers will be in the field, but the other 63 players are uncertain as the Oklahoma Golf Association prepares to take the State Amateur Championship to prestigious Southern Hills Country Club July 16-18.

Meyers, who won the 2011 championship with a 2-up victory over Nick Lees at Meadowbrook Country Club, receives the lone bye as defending champion. The rest of the 64-player field for match play will be determined at 18-hole qualifiers at Page Belcher in Tulsa on June 26 and Lincoln Park West in Oklahoma City on June 28.

The percentages to qualify from each site will depend on the total entrants at each site. Entry fee is $200 and entry information is available at www.okgolf.org. Sponsorship opportunities during the event, are still available by calling 405-848-0042.

Prior to the State Amateur the OGA will host the INTRUST Bank Junior Championship June 4-7 at Kickingbird Golf Course in Edmond and the OGA Senior State Amateur Championship June 18-21 at Quail Creek Golf & Country Club in Edmond. Mike

Hughett, the most decorated player in OGA history, will be defending his tile won in 2011 at Gaillardia Country Club.

The OGA Senior Stroke Play Championship was not held in 2011 but will return July 23-24 at Meadowbrook Country Club.

Hughett (who else) won the event in 2009 and 2010.

The OGA Spring Four-Ball was held at Twin Hills Golf & Country Club and it was in perfect condition. The team of Jeff Coffman and Brian Birchill of Lake Hefner Golf Course shot an incredible 13-under 131 (6665), including a clutch par save by Coffman on the final hole to edge Jeb Blacketer and Bill Bishop Jr. by one shot (67-65).

In the Senior Four-Ball, Rex Hughes and William J. Lavendar shot 63-68 for a 13-under 131 to hold off Eric Mueller and Hughett (67-66 - 133).

The OGA Foundation awarded Doug Tewell $3,000 to help him get started with the series of free clinics he will be doing around the state this summer. If you would like your child to attend a clinic, go to www. tewelltime.com

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Fairways and through the green Today we present snippets of information about several Rules. I Gene Mortensen OGA Rules hope you find it inforDirector mative.

If your golf group were to travel around the world and play 10 rounds of competitive golf on each continent, how many different versions of The Rules of Golf should you bring? The answer is, only one. All 34 Rules are the same everywhere.

The word “fairway” is used one time in the Rules of Golf and that is in reference to when you are entitled to relief for an embedded ball. A term of art, “through the green,” is used instead and there is no distinction between a fairway and the rough.

If you hit a shot that is likely to have come to rest out of bounds or may be lost, playing a “provisional ball” will save lots of time and energy. Be mindful to first tell your marker or the others in your group that you are “playing a provisional ball” and use that exact term so there is no doubt. (Rule 27) The wall or fence that defines the boundary of the course is not an “immovable obstruction” from which you get relief. If you need to take relief you must deem the ball to be unplayable and incur the appropriate penalty.

You may clean your ball while it is lifted to take relief from immovable obstructions, abnormal ground conditions, water hazards and when embedded. Do not clean your ball if you lifted it because it interferes with another player or to check to see if it is unfit for play. (Rule 21) In match play, you may concede your opponent’s 2-foot putt. In stroke-play there are no “gimmies.” Each ball must be holed. If a player fails to hole out he does not have a score to count and he will be disqualified.

Rule 10 pertains to the Order of Play and it provides that after the tee shots, the ball farther from the hole is first to play. So if your ball is on the green 30 paces from the hole and another ball is in a bunker 20 paces from the hole, you play first as the Rule draws no distinction as to where the balls lie.

Manufacturers have created lots of devices to provide distance and other information. Before you use any such device, be certain it is permitted in the Local Rules or Conditions. And then use only devices that measure distance. Use of a prohibited device will result in your disqualification.

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www.golfoklahoma.org •••••• 13

Chip shots

News from around the state

One special day in May Gibson’s 55 results in media blitz by ken macleod Talk about instant celebrity. A few days after Rhein Gibson shot 55, probably at least the equal of the lowest round of golf ever shot at a golf course of more than 6,500 yards, he was under siege.

Across the U.S. and particularly in his native Australia, reporters and radio hosts suddenly all knew his private cell number, as well as that of playing partner and unofficial agent Ryan Munson.

“My phone rang off the hook,” said Munson, who was trying to help his friend screen the opportunities while Gibson was back competing on the National Pro Golf Tour. “I got phone calls from people in every state. It was amazing. I don’t know how people found my cell phone number.”

Gibson estimates he did 15 radio shows and dozens of newspaper and magazine interviews. Golf Digest was planning a big story for its next issue.

Shortly after the round, Munson posted some information on the golf website Golf Pigeon. The first complete story was on www.golfoklahoma.org a day later and sent out in an email blast to this magazine’s readers a few days later, at which point the story was going viral.

Unfortunately, while the cascade of publicity has made Gibson known to golfers worldwide, it won’t have many tangible benefits to his goal of reaching the PGA Tour, unless it is some sponsor exemptions to Nationwide Tour events. It has also not resulted as yet in any sponsorship or en14 •••••• www.golfoklahoma.org

dorsement deals.

“My life has been turned upside down because of one round,” Gibson said. “It’s been a bit distracting for my golf, which is still how I have to make my living. I wouldn’t want this to be an every day thing, like it is for Tiger and those guys. It’s fine for now,

but it doesn’t help me get better, which is what I need to be concentrating on.”

Still, the 16-under-par round featuring 12 birdies and two eagles will go down in history as one of the most impressive single rounds in golf. And it nearly didn’t happen at all.

Gibson had attended a graduation party on Friday night, stayed up late, then woke up somewhat disinterested Saturday morning, texting Munson to see if the regular Saturday game between friends was still on.

Told it was, he reluctantly got dressed and headed to River Oaks, arriving at 7:45 a.m. for his 8:15 time.

With the driving range closed after heavy rains on Friday, the trio walked to the 10th tee (they started on the back nine) and hit away after a few practice swings. Gibson made par. He then went eagle-birdie-eagle

followed by five consecutive birdies to shoot 10-under 26 on the front nine.

“At that point, we were all jumping around and giving high-fives and hugs,” Munson said. “No one shoots 10 under on the front nine.”

“Yeah, there was quite a celebration after the first nine,” Gibson said. “Then we had to wait about 15 minutes to tee off on No. 1 because with split tees, there was still one group to tee off in the morning wave. It’s an intimidating tee shot and I was a little nervous waiting around. But I managed to get it in play.”

Gibson made par on holes 1 and 2, then the putter blazed again with birdies on holes 3, 4 and 5 to reach 13 under.

“I’m thinking ‘wow,’ this is pretty crazy. I can make all pars coming in and shoot 58,” Gibson said.

He did make a par on hole 15, a shortpar-5 in which his second shot had a clump of mud and took off straight right, causing him to hit a provisional because he was worried that it might be out of bounds. It wasn’t and he managed a par.

Then he birdied holes 7, 8 and 9 to close it out.

The previous Saturday, Gibson had played 36 holes at River Oaks, opening with a 65 in the morning, then coming back with a course-record 60 in the afternoon. He was 11-under-par after 11 holes in that round but couldn’t keep it going.

This time he plunged all the way in, shooting 29 on his back nine.

ONLINE: Get the latest news on Oklahoma golf at

golfoklahoma.org

“This was just ridiculous “When Rhein is confident, ball striking,” Munson said. he fears nothing and that is “He had a couple of kick-ins evident in his play of late. but a lot of them were in the Shooting 55 is unfathom10 to 15 feet range. His putter able. Anybody that would get was on fire.” around that magical 59 num “Every putt I made was dead ber might be content to just center, whether from 30 feet get the round done, but Rhein or five feet,” Gibson said. “The showed how strong he is greens were in perfect condimentally by birdieing the last tion and the speed was perfect, three holes. I am in complete about a 10. I just putted out of awe of his round.” my mind. I had the chip-in for “Pretty surreal,” said Gibeagle on our fifth hole and 19 son, a native of Linsmore on putts in the round.” the east coast of Australia, the Gibson only hit six fairways 2008 Oklahoma Golf Assoin regulation but by cutting ciation State Amateur Chamdoglegs was just off in many Gibson flanked by playing partners Eric Fox and Ryan Munson. pion and the 2010 Oklahoma cases and his approach shots Open champion. consistently put him in great position.

“Rhein has been an outstanding talent “I really wasn’t nervous on those last few “There are certain places on each green since the first day he arrived in the U.S. in holes. By then, I knew I was in the 50s so it where the putts are much easier and he hit 2004,” said David Lynn, coach of the Okla- was just a matter of how low it was going to those spots all day,” said Eric Fox, his other homa Christian team where Gibson was a be. I would be more nervous over a 3-foot playing partner four-time All-American from 2004-2008. putt to make a cut.”

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www.golfoklahoma.org •••••• 15

Chip shots

Rickie Fowler blasts off while David Feherty and a large crowd watch .

2012 Patriot Cup

Champions Tour event may be next by ken macleod

OWASSO, Okla. – Despite some severe terrain on the Robert Trent Jones II design, the Patriot Golf Club in Owasso could easily work as the site of a regular stop on the Champion Tour if a title sponsor is secured, say the men who play the tour on a weekly basis.

The course got a good test of its suitability to host an event Monday during the third annual Patriot Cup, a pro-am that raises funds for the Folds of Honor Foundation.

More than 3,000 fans were on the course to watch 20 PGA and Champions Tour players along with a host of celebrities. Rickie Fowler, resplendent in his Oklahoma State orange and riding the momentum of a recent victory at Quail Hollow and a second-place tie at The Players Championship, drew a crowd of more than 500 and it was able to successfully navigate the hills and dales.

“If you want to have an event here, there would not be a problem,” said Edmond’s Bob Tway. “You should see the place we played last week in Michigan (The Golf Club at Harbor Shores in Benton Harbor, site of the 2012 Senior PGA Championship).

We had to take three shuttle rides of about 16 •••••• www.golfoklahoma.org

½ mile each.”

Major Dan Rooney, founder of the Folds of Honor Foundation, announced at the Patriot Cup Media Day earlier that he was actively seeking a title sponsor to bring a Champions Tour event to The Patriot. Those who know how Rooney worked tirelessly to found and fund both the foundation and The Patriot Golf Club have no doubt he’ll be successful in this endeavor as well.

“Dan is the type of person who will get it done,” said Tulsa-based PGA Tour star Bo Van Pelt, playing in his third Patriot Cup. “Tulsa and Oklahoma have always done a nice job supporting golf events, so there’s a good track record there.”

Rooney said Tuesday that he could not be more pleased with how The Patriot performed during its first stress test and that the search for sponsors to bring a Champions Tour event to Owasso during Memorial Day week would continue.

“Monday was one of the better days of my life,” Rooney said. “Exponentially, this Patriot Cup was so much bigger than any of the others and I think we’re reached a tipping point in positive momentum. The guys like Corey

Bo Van Pelt having fun.

Paving, Peter Jacobsen, Tom Lehman, they all think this would be a wonderful opportunity to have the first professional event that supports the families of our servicemen.”

“I think it would be a great site,” Jacobsen said. “You always need a catalyst to get something like this started and Dan Rooney would be that catalyst. He’s an amazing guy.

What he’s done for this country is just outstanding. I think he could pull that off.”

Rooney’s Folds of Honor Foundation is set to award more than 1,000 new scholarships in June to families of military personnel killed or wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan. The scholarships are typically for the amount of $5,000 and targeted toward higher education for the dependents.

“Most of the crowds at Champions Tour events are usually on holes one, nine and 18, so the few areas where it’s tight could be worked around,” said Ron Streck, “It would be great to have an event back in the Tulsa area.”

“If they want to do it, they’ll figure out a way,” said Champions Tour veteran David Edwards. “We’ve played at a lot of courses that would be more of a challenge than this.”

“It’s a great course,” said Pavin, a huge supporter of the Folds of Honor Foundation and of Rooney. “It they had a title sponsor, the Tour would love to come here. I know any event here would be well supported.”

Among the logistical challenges at The Patriot are a narrow winding cart path that is the only way to get from hole 16 in a valley to 17 on a bluff. Negotiating that hill for the average spectator will probably be the biggest hurdle from a physical standpoint.

Holes one and 14 will also be a challenge.

Though Oklahoma as a state is known to be passionate about golf, there are currently no events on the PGA, LPGA or Champions Tour played regularly. The USGA uses the state frequently and will return with the 2014 U.S. Senior Open at Oak Tree Na-

tional in Edmond. Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa has hosted seven major championships, most recently the 2007 PGA Championship, and is hunting for its fourth U.S. Open. The LPGA had a successful event from 2001 to 2008 that folded when title sponsor SemGroup collapsed.

Fowler and Rooney have become good friends in recent

years, even hanging out and baking cookies at Rooney’s house during bad weather.

Fowler said he didn’t think the Patriot logistically would stand up to the crowds at a PGA Tour event but would be fine for the senior circuit and said he would love to see golf in Oklahoma on a regular basis.

“If Dan is behind it, it has a great chance,” Fowler said.

Dan Rooney lshares a augh with Ben Crane.

Center named for Adkisson by jim misunas

Long-time Oklahoma and Kansas golf instructor Dean Adkisson’s contribution as a golf pro at Hesston (Kan.) Golf Park is being honored.

Hesston Golf Park is dedicating the construction of an indoor teaching facility called the Dean Adkisson Learning Center as a lasting memorial to Adkisson, who worked at Hesston after serving as head pro at Tulsa’s Southern Hills Country Club.

Adkisson was Hesston’s first golf professional in 1976. He started Hesston’s junior program before his first official retirement in 1992. Atkisson has taught at Page Belcher in Tulsa since that time and continues to do so at age 85.

Adkisson said he was humbled by the honor and admitted he had tears in his eyes when asked to speak at a ceremony earlier this year.

“I was very honored,” he said. “They are good people in Hesston who appreciated what I’d done. I had a lot of compliments about what I’ve done for junior golf. There’s several players who have become golf professionals.”

The idea of the Dean Adkisson Learning Center came out of discussions within a Hesston Golf Park committee that had been assembled to raise funds for the golf course.

“The idea was brought up by Jim Brenneman, a former student of Dean,” said Floyd Sowers, Hesston golf committee chair.

“He felt the facility would be a fitting tribute to Dean since he loved to teach the game — especially to juniors. It is great that junior golfers from Jim Brenneman’s era wanted to honor Dean in this way.”

Once a teaching golf pro, always a teaching golf pro.

“I love people and love to teach golf,” Ad-

kisson said.

Adkisson has been teaching golf since 1945, dating to his first job at Sim Park under the director of Tex Consolver in Wichita, Kan. His golf instruction always starts with the basics.

“You must have a good grip and proper posture before you can learn to swing the golf club,” he said. “The next important as-

pect would be your swing plane. I start the beginners the same way.”

He was the host professional for the 1970 PGA Championship at Southern Hills. He qualified for the 1954 PGA Championship and was a three-time PGA Senior Championship qualifier.

The Adkisson Learning Center will be a 26-by-26-foot facility with hitting mats and a putting surface for practice. Video and swing analysis equipment will be included for teaching purposes. A new putting and chipping green will be part of the center.

www.golfoklahoma.org •••••• 17

Chip shots

Bryan to succeed Phillips Chris Jarrett moves up at The Patriot by ken macleod

David Bryan, 40, has been named to replace Buddy Phillips as director of golf at Cedar Ridge Country Club in Broken Arrow when the legendary Phillips retires this fall.

Chris Jarrett, 45, will assume Bryan’s golf related duties at The Patriot. Jarrett already carried the title of head golf professional and will pick up Bryan’s golf-related general manager duties as well.

Bryan had been at The Patriot since prior to opening in 2010. Previously he was an assistant to his father Dave Bryan for 12 years at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa and for one year to Jerry Cozby at Hillcrest Country Club in Bartlesville.

Phillips, 76, has been a constant at Cedar Ridge for 40 years, having been hired as only the second professional in the club’s history in 1972. His son Tracy Phillips runs the Buddy Phillips Learning Center at Cedar Ridge and Buddy will office there as pro emeritus..

“It will be an honor to follow Buddy,” Bry-

an said. “He’s legendary. When you think of good solid PGA pros that have stood the test of time, you think of him. It will be a challenge but an honor and I’m excited about the opportunity.”

Cleve Stubblefield, general manager at Cedar Ridge, said the club was extremely pleased to name Bryan as Phillips’ successor.

Bryan will come on board Sept. 5.

“David is a gentleman on and off the course,” Stubblefield said. “He is a genuinely nice guy, a hard worker and respected by all his peers. Even though he’s only been a head pro for three years, he’s proven he could take a new course and help it get off to a great start.

“Coming here, he’s got big shoes to fill and he knows it. You’ve got to have somebody with confidence to replace Buddy Phillips and David has that. Buddy has given so much to the club. He is Cedar Ridge.”

Buddy Phillips said he thinks the club has found the right man to take his place.

David Bryan.

“They are getting a very capable person in here,” Phillips said. “I think he’s a good choice. He’s got good experience at Southern Hills and The Patriot. I think he’ll get along with the membership and work out fine.”

Jarrett was the head pro at LaFortune Park for five years before going to The Patriot in 2011. Jarrett has also been an assistant professional at stops such as Doral Country Club, Pinnacle Country Club in Rogers, Ark., and Gaillardia Country Club in Oklahoma City.

He plans to expand The Patriot’s junior programs including some public availability.

Oklahoma City (405) 634-0571 Tulsa (918) 663-0571 Toll Free (800) 276-0571

justicegolf.com 18 •••••• www.golfoklahoma.org

THE STARS OF THE LPGA RETURN TO NW ARKANSAS

June 25 - July 1, 2012 Pinnacle Country Club | Rogers, Arkansas

NWAChampionship.com

Chip shots

Walser was industry giant

In 1971, Walser and Vossler formed Unique Golf Concepts. After adding their friend Johnny Pott, they began the development of Marsh Island Golf Club in Ocean Springs, Miss., along with The Cardinal by ken macleod Club in Greensboro, N.C., and Oak Tree The recent death of Joe Walser Jr., long- better because of their association with Joe.” Golf Club. In 1974 Landmark Land Co. purtime Oklahoma City golf pro, co-founder A tribute to Walser was held at Oak Tree chased Unique Golf Concepts and Walser of Oak Tree National and later a leading National on June 9 under the oak tree on the was named vice president in charge of golf developer of some of the nation’s top golf fifth fairway that was chosen as the logo for operations, golf-course design and construcresorts while a vice president of Landmark both Oak Tree and Landmark. tion while Gerald Barton joined as the develLand Co., prompted an outpouring of love

A longtime PGA professional who opment expert. Walser worked closely with and respect from the many whose lives he worked at Yukon Country Club, Lake He- Pete Dye on the construction of both Oak touched and careers he improved. fner Golf Course and for 15 years was head Tree Golf Club, which opened in 1976, and Walser died May 10 in Dallas at the age professional at Oklahoma City Golf & later Oak Tree Country Club, which opened of 79 after a long struggle with Alzheimer’s. Country Club, Walser built a reputation as in 1981.

Hugh Edgmon, who moved in with a friendly, trustworthy pro with a sharp eye The Oak Tree and Landmark logo would Walser at the start of his career and rose to for talent. later become one of the most recognizable become the manager of the Oak Tree golf When he teamed up with hard-driving symbols in golf. Walser and Vossler spurred club and country club developments for 14 Texas pro Ernie Vossler, it was one of those the development of PGA West and LaQuinta years, spoke of Walser’s commitments to his magical pairings which helped both their ca- Hotel Golf & Tennis Resort. Other famous extended family at his funeral at the Palm reers skyrocket. golf and real-estate ventures the duo worked Desert Community Presbyterion include Mission Hills, Carman Church in Palm Desert, Calif. el Valley Ranch Resort, Kiawah “Joe Walser was an industry Island Inn and Golf Resort, Palm giant and we were blessed to Beach Polo and Country Club have him as part of our lives,” and Moreno Valley Ranch. said Edgmon, who now works “Jack Nicklaus once told me for Troon Golf as general manthat he sold a lot of Golden ager of The Rocks in Scottsdale.

Bear golf shirts, but everywhere “Joe and Pat (his wife, who died he went he saw the Oak Tree in 2009) were family. He was a logo,” said Doug Tewell, longsecond dad to me.” time Oak Tree resident and reEdgmon moved in with the tired PGA Tour and Champions Walsers for sixth months when Tour golfer. “Jack had a lot of he was starting his career in admiration for what Joe and Er1969. nie accomplished.”

“We went to work with the Gil Morgan was one of the lights on and came home with first to accept Walser›s invitathe lights on,” Edgmon said. “It’s tion to join and live at the new a pretty good way to start the club. The course opened in 1976 business. He installed a great and the first houses were built work ethic.” in 1978. Morgan moved in in “Being in charge of all 54 holes 1979 and has been there since. at Oak Tree, you can only imag “When we started there was ine all the professional training one grocery store in Edmond opportunities that brought,” and a couple of farmhouses.

Edgmon said. “Those of us who There wasn›t anything from Edwere lucky enough to become mond Road to Waterloo Road,” associated with Joe learned Morgan said. “The vision those from the absolute best. He was guys had was extraordinary.” the epitome of hospitality, acWalser saw early the value commodation, just a gentleman of having pros like Morgan, who when you start in business Tewell, Danny and David Edwith that as your yardstick, it wards, Mark Hayes, Bob Tway, went a long way. He allowed a Scott Verplank and others live lot of us to get where we are toand golf at Oak Tree and wear day. I wish I knew the number Oak Tree co-founders Ernie Vossler, left, and Joe Walser Jr. the logo on Tour. He made it Photo courtesy The Oklahoman. easy, fun and convenient for of people who went on to be

Oak Tree co-founder benefitted many

20 •••••• www.golfoklahoma.org

them to be members.

Oak Tree, one of Dye›s masterpieces, hosted the 1988 PGA Championship and was awarded the 1994 PGA Championship.

But Landmark got in a fatal scrap with the Resolution Trust Corp. and later lost most of its assets. The epic battle with the government took a huge toll emotionally, physically and financially on both Walser and the ailing Vossler, for whom Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus combined on a fundraiser last winter to help him meet his expenses.

Ab Justice, owner of Justice Golf Car Co. in Oklahoma City, has been friends with Walser since the two were boys playing at the former Capitol Hill Golf Course in south Oklahoma City in about 1941.

“I gave Joe his first golf lesson,” Justice said. “It seems like forever ago. We›ve been friends for a long time.”

Alsie Hyden, director of golf at Lake Hefner Golf Course, came to Oklahoma City in 1968 when Walser moved to OKC Golf & CC. The two had been friends since their freshman year at Oklahoma State University.

“He was just a good guy,” Hyden said. “Joe

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Joe Walser Jr. with architect Pete Dye, left.

Photo courtesy The Oklahoman.

was non-confrontational and Ernie was the opposite, so they were a good blend when it came to doing business. At the same time, he was a dreamer. He dreamed big and what he got accomplished was big.”

“Joe was very involved with the club aspect of things,” said Morgan, who was Vossler›s student. “Joe was more personable and better able to deal with membership

issues. Ernie would sometimes get carried away with ideas.”

“They both had a great understanding of how to do things. Landmark was the best developer in the nation until the RTC thing.

They understood the relationship between Tour players and golfers. They didn›t charge for carts and range balls. The goal was to sell real estate and use golf as a vehicle for people to come and build houses. Early on, they didn›t try to make a lot of money out of the golf.”

Walser is a big reason so many members of the Oak Tree Gang have stayed in Edmond throughout their careers and helped turn Oak Tree, both what is now Oak Tree National and the nearby 36-hole Oak Tree Country Club, into one of the most successful golf developments in the Southwest.

“Joe was just an elegant man,” Tewell said. “He was the soft side of that pairing while Ernie was the tenacious guy. They came up with the idea of building a group of guys to represent them. It was an honor to be part of that and still is. They were great visionaries. This is like the end of an era. Joe will certainly be missed.”

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Chip shots

Father of the Year

Golfweek honors Jerry Cozby During Father’s Day weekend at Innisbrook Resort in Tarpon Springs, Fla., Jerry Cozby will become the 30th recipient of the Golfweek Father of the Year award at a banquet that coincides with the annual Golfweek Father-Son Championship. Karole, Cozby’s wife of 47 years, their three sons and five grandchildren plan to attend.

Cozby, who turns 71 on June 9, has been retired since late 2009 after serving 41 years as head professional at Hillcrest Country Club in Bartlesville, Okla.

The Cozby boys, all accomplished amateur and college players, followed their father into golf careers. Cary, 43, is a PGA professional and director of golf/CEO at Wichita (Kan.) Country Club; Craig, 40, is a sales representative for Ping in Kansas and western Missouri, and Chance, 36, is director of tournament player relations at Ping. All played college golf in the 1990s at Oklahoma.

Previous award honorees include Jack Nicklaus, Robert Trent Jones, Karsten Solheim, Billy Casper, Joe Jemsek and Earl Woods.

“This award means so much to both me and (wife) Karole,” Cozby told Golfweek at the recent men’s NCAA Southwest Regional.

“It’s about more than just hitting a golf ball, giving a lesson or running a pro shop. It’s about family, and that’s one of the most important things in anyone’s life.”

Jerry Cozby with wife Karole.

22 •••••• www.golfoklahoma.org

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Chip shots

Will it be Yani again?

Walmart event moves to summer date Nearly all of the world’s top-ranked players, including two-time defending champion and No. 1-ranked Yani Tseng, will be on hand for the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship presented by P&G June 29-July 1 at Pinnacle Country Club in Rogers.

The tournament moves from its traditional fall dates to mid-summer due to the Women’s British Open moving to later in the year to accommodate the summer Olympics in London. The move should not affect the quality of the field, according to David Shoemaker, tournament director.

“We’ve already got commitments from 14 of the top 15 in the world rankings,” Shoemaker said. “There is every indication that every major player will be here.”

The event, now in its sixth year and boasting a $2 million purse, has grown into one of the most popular stops on the LPGA Tour.

Pinnacle, a course designed by Oklahoman Don Sechrest and later renovated by Oklahoman Randy Heckenkemper, provides an

24 •••••• www.golfoklahoma.org

ideal venue in that it is challenging but not intimidating and is very spectator friendly. It also helps that former Arkansas Razorback Stacy Lewis has evolved into a major champion and one of the world’s top players, giving the hometown crowd a natural favorite.

Not that they haven’t been captivated by Tseng, the youngest player ever to win five major championships, male or female. Tseng began 2012 by winning three of her first four events and placed third in the season’s first major, the Kraft Nabisco Championship.

After losing sponsors left and right after the crash of 2008 – and some say due to the brashness of former LPGA commissioner Carolyn Bivens – the tour has bounced back. Events like the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship have strong corporate and community support.

“Obviously we’re aligned with the biggest company in the world and one that takes pride in supporting a premier event like this in Northwest Arkansas where it is based,”

Stacy Lewis is the hometown favorite.

Shoemaker said. “As long as they are interested in that, we should have a great event for years to come.

“The product is better than it’s ever been.

Some of the young international stars like Yani are amazing players. And some of the U.S. players coming up, like Lexi Thompson and Stacy Lewis, are great players as well.

We’ve kind of grown up with Stacy and it’s been a neat evolution to watch her go from elite college player to one of the best players in the world.”

Tickets are on sale at www.nwachampionship.com, or by calling (479) 715-6100.

www.golfoklahoma.org •••••• 25

The goods

Some things we like to do before and after the round

The original Big Three Snead, Nelson, Hogan sized up by tom bedell

Yes, Virginia, there was golf before Tiger Woods, even before Arnold Palmer. And in both Jim Dodson’s American Triumvirate (Knopf, 2012, $28.95) and David Barrett’s The Making of the Masters (Skyhorse Publishing, 2012, $24.95), readers lacking background in mid-20th century golf will find full and entertaining tutorials.

Dodson takes the broad view, as the subtitle indicates: “Sam Snead, Byron Nelson, Ben Hogan, and the Modern Age of Golf.”

Barrett takes a sharper focus on the early years of Augusta National and the Masters (“Bobby Jones and the Birth of America’s Greatest Golf Tournament”).

Dodson must have faced a daunting task in researching and writing what is basically three biographies, although he luckily already had Ben Hogan: An American Life

under his literary belt.

Why, with a teeming cast of characters, places and tournaments mentioned the book has no index is a bit of a shameful mystery.

But Dodson knows his way around a keyboard, and the intertwining lives of these three friends and rivals rarely flags, despite some background padding early on.

It seems more than a little amazing than we are in the centenary year of each man, Nelson born February 4, Snead on May 27, Hogan on August 13, all in 1912. (And on a Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, respectively.)

More amazing are their records – Hogan’s 60 official wins and nine majors, his fellow Texan Nelson’s 52 wins and five majors, and Snead’s record 82 wins plus seven majors.

Proof Read _______________ Initialhe _______ Date _______ Add to Nelson’s chart that retired early Edit & Send after his record-setting yearInternal of 11 straight

victories, eighteen total (out of 30 he entered).

Neither of those records has yet to be broReviewers Initialwill Datebe,APPROVED OK w/CHANGES NEED NEW PROOF ken, if they ever although in second Stephanie Shipley ________ _____ ______ (#_____) and third place_____ for most in a season? _____________________ ______ victories (#_____) _____________________ _____ ______ Hogan (13 in 1946) and Snead (11(#_____) in 1950).

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Yes, there was The Great Triumvirate of Harry Vardon, James Braid and John Henry Taylor, and The Big Three of Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player. But of their time, no one bestrode the golf world like Lord Byron, the Wee Ice Man, or Slammin’ Sammy.

Dodson weaves the narrative of his threethreaded tale well. Amidst a welter of tournament descriptions, the lives and characters of each man comes vibrantly alive, even to their closing days. So too, does life on the early tour, which bore little resemblance to today’s money parade.

Barrett also makes clear that the early days of Augusta National were anything but plush, as the Alister MacKenzie course came to life in the Depression years. Even with the touted involvement of Bobby Jones, the reigning icon of golf despite his retirement from tournament play, signing up members was like extracting blood from a rock.

Indeed, even after the second Masters the club went through a foreclosure, leading to its purchase by five members and the creation of a new corporation.

The course was not built for the Masters, but it was the Masters--and Bobby Jones’s return to competition--that cemented the course’s reputation. From the first tournament in 1934 the professionals who played knew something special was afoot--something major, although the Major concept wasn’t quite formed back then.

Gene Sarazen’s victory in 1935, thanks to his Shot Heard Round the World (a final round double eagle on the fifteenth hole that put him a playoff with Craig Wood), really put the Masters on the map.

Barrett frequently cites David Owen’s 1999 The Making of the Masters, which remains a more definitive history of Augusta National. But having covered more than a score of Masters tournaments himself, Barrett makes the reports of the first two tilts read as fresh as this morning’s sports pages.

Classic Golf Stories, edited by Jeff Silverman (Skyhorse, 2012, $16.95) is also a fond look back in 26 short stories and articles written between 1887 and 1922 by the likes of A.A. Milne, Bernard Darwin, A.W. Tillinghast, Francis Ouimet, F. Scott Fitzgerald.

Silverman has contributed a serviceable introduction, but otherwise there’s no editing in sight. None of the pieces or authors are placed in any context of time, place or profession beyond spare source notes in a back page. I could have done better editing

in a couple of afternoons.

Additionally, the book is inexplicably printed on glossy pages with random color photos of golf holes plopped in, lacking any identifying information.

Despite these irritants there are some wonderful pieces in here for anyone who enjoys a well-turned phrase in the service of golf. For laughs, Ring Lardner’s “A Caddy’s Diary” is almost worth the price of admission alone.

Putting it over the top is one from the master, P.G. Wodehouse, “A Mixed Threesome,” in which love triumphs over golf, or golf over love, it’s hard to tell. Actually, both seem to win, and certainly the reader does.

To win out on the course, Michael Breed’s The 3-Degree Putting Solution (Gotham Books, 2012, $26), written with John Steinbreder, may well help.

The host of “The Golf Fix” on the Golf Channel, Breed aptly reminds us that in an average 18-hole round putts account for 43 percent of all strokes. So why aren’t we practicing our putting more?

Breed said he discovered the key to good

putting when he was a youngster warming up on a wet green before a round with his father. The lines on the damp putting surface told him all he needed to know: “Ben Hogan famously said he uncovered his secrets of the game in the dirt of the practice tee. I had found mine in the morning dew, although it would be more than twenty years before I could truly verify those discoveries.”

Breed took up a nearly obsessive study of the putting stroke in that time, but the end result is pretty straightforward – putting with more topspin than backspin for a better roll with consistent speed and direction.

There is no lack of manuals for how to use the flat stick effectively; indeed, I just ballyhooed Dave Stockton’s Unconscious Putting last time out. Like Stockton’s book, Breed’s is concise and direct, free of mumbo jumbo, and complete with some fun and useful drills. Which means there’s no excuse anymore – off to the practice green.

Tom Bedell reads by candlelight in Vermont.

www.golfoklahoma.org •••••• 27

The goods Casa Magna Diadema by j.l. fletcher

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asa Magna translates from Spanish to great house. The 2008 release of the Colorado robusto won Cigar of the Year, living up to the name.

The Diadema is a larger version measuring 6 3/4 inches by 54 ring gauge with a tight pigtail cap and a curve narrowing at the foot, like a baseball bat. The pre-light nose is of well tanned leather and the wrapper is remarkably even. This cigar is a product of two cigar industry legends, Manuel Quesada and Nestor Plascencia. It is a Nicaraguan puro with a Colorado Ligero wrapper which accounts for the reddish color of the cigar. It is cured in a type of barn called a Calfrisas, which differs from traditional curing barns in that the temperature and air flow are controlled. This causes the wrapper to be exceptionally consistant and preserves more of the natural oils.

After being clipped and lit the cigar delivers flavors of cocoa beans, cedar, and spicy notes that develop into a very smooth leather flavor. One of the attributes of this cigar is that it has full-flavor and full-body without being harsh. It also burns extremely even.

With a retail price of around nine dollars it is definitely worth it. The Diadema had some big shoes to fill but did so nicely coming in at number ten on the Top 25 list of Cigar Aficianado for 2011.

Jean Marc XO Vodka by greg horton

Premium liquors have been one of the surprise growth industries in the past 10 years. Formerly inexpensive styles like tequila, vodka and bourbon, long purchased simply for mixing or “shooting,” are now sharing shelf-space with high-end examples of the style.

Vodka developed a justifiable reputation as a liquor that mixed so well with citrus juices that the medicinal flavor could be effectively buried beneath orange or grapefruit juice. In the 1970s, an ABC After School Special about teen alcoholism referred to vodka as the drink of choice for teen alcoholics because it lacked the fragrance to be detected on the breath. Not true, of course, but such was the reputation.

In the past decade, two producers in particular have released sipping vodkas of such quality that they are unashamed to put price tags over $50 on a .750 ml bottle: Jean Marc and Stoli elit.

Jean-Marc Daucourt produces Jean Marc XO Vodka in the Cognac region of France. Most vodka is made by fermenting grain or potatoes, and Jean Marc certainly follows the traditional methods.

However, the distiller chooses four distinct French grains, each selected for specific flavor components, so Jean Marc is already more complex at the beginning of the process.

Another interesting component is the filtered spring water added to the grain. The water is filtered through limestone, guaranteeing distinct minerality in the finished product. The vodka is then distilled nine times using another traditional method: small batches in copper alambic stills. The final touch is the filtering process that uses Limousin oak charcoal.

The finished product is smooth and clean. Served best at room temperature so that the amazing fruit and spice (especially vanilla) flavors can emerge, this is one that really is a crime to mix. It makes 28 •••••• www.golfoklahoma.org

a delicious martini – up with a twist.

Stolichnaya is one of the oldest vodka distilleries in the world.

The first release came out sometime in the 1940s, and the distillery has subsequently moved from Moscow to Latvia. The recipes have remained the same, but technology has made it easier for Stoli to make a premium vodka.

The elit is distilled multiple times, making it noticeably smoother than the lower tier Stolichnaya vodkas, but elit goes through another process called freeze filtration. The distilled liquor is frozen to almost zero degrees Farenheit (-18 Celsius), causing the density of the liquid to increase, revealing even more starkly the imperfections and impurities.

Once those are removed, the finished product is dry and clean, with noticeable grain flavors and slight sweetness.

The principal differences between the two are price--Jean Marc is less expensive--and taste. Traditional vodka lovers are likely to prefer the elit, as it tastes like extremely smooth vodka. Some of the vodka distinctives are lost in Jean Marc’s laborious process, but the result is delicious.

Ethos Reserve Cabernet by greg horton

Red Mountain is rapidly developing a reputation as one of the premiere wine-growing regions in the United States. Located on the eastern edge of Washington’s Yakima Valley, the region was designated an American Viticultural Area (AVA) in 2001.

The AVA is home to more than a dozen wineries, including Hedges Family Estate, the only Red Mountain winery available in Oklahoma. However, dozens more source grapes from Red Mountain, among them Quilceda Creek Vintners. The Quilceda Creek Cabernet is sourced from three Red Mountain Vineyards, and scored 100 points from Robert Parker in 2002, 2003 and 2005.

It was the first Washington wine to earn a perfect score.

The region is rightly well known for outstanding Bordeaux-style wines, especially Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, and Syrah also grows well in the area. In addition to the Hedges wines, Oklahomans also have access to Red Mountain fruit in the form of Ethos Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon.

Ethos is one of the top tier lines from Washington’s Chateau Ste. Michelle winery, located in Woodinville, Wash. The winery is the state’s oldest, and with seven different lines of wine, they are also one of the largest. Of the eight wines in the Ethos line, two are readily available in Oklahoma: Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay.

The 2008 release of Ethos Cabernet sources grapes from two regions.

Cold Creek Vineyard is owned by Chateau Ste. Michelle; many of the wineries best wines are sourced from this vineyard, which was planted in 1973.

For the first time since Ethos was

rolled out, the winery sourced grapes from Red Mountain for the 2008 release, adding a dimension of bright, red fruit to the black fruit of Cold Creek Vineyard.

One of the reasons Washington has done so well with its burgeoning wine industry is the distinct minerality that runs through most of their best wines. The region is home to rich deposits of minerals, including basalt, that were brought in millennia ago during glaciation.

Ethos is very much a product of the region. Layers of red and black fruit show up after decanting. Plum, fig, mocha, earth, chocolate, black raspberry, and violet combine to form a complex wine that needs a few hours to really open up. The wine is dense enough upon opening to leave on the counter overnight. Red fruit really emerges after a few hours of decanting.

Depending on which reviewer you prefer, the wine has scored between 90 and 92 points. It’s only about $40 retail.

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www.ztcigars.com 2726 W Britton Rd (800) 340-3007 Oklahoma City, OK 73120 www.golfoklahoma.org •••••• 29

30 •••••• www.golfoklahoma.org

2012 Range Rover Sport

Dramatic styling, powerful acceleration by greg horton

This can be a little confusing, but Range Rover is a brand within the Land Rover family. The company needed to separate the brands when they began developing different models of the Range Rover. Imagine putting Land Rover Range Rover Sport on your marketing materials.

Whatever the marketing issues, the new line of Range Rovers are the best thing the company has ever rolled out. The 2012 Range Rover Sport is crafted as if the company took seriously all the previous complaints about sluggishness, slack steering, and spartan interior and fixed them in one generation.

The interior has been redesigned, and the Sport model is a gewnuine luxury sport truck. Starting at just under $61,000, the base Sport HSE model is spacious, modern, and comfortable. Ambient lighting along the door panels and locator lights on door release make the interior welcoming and

user friendly. The steering wheel and shift column are all leather, and both front seats are fully electric with memory capabilities.

Push button starting and an electric sunroof simply make the entire driving experience feel modern and “touch of a finger” convenient.

On the exterior, the Sport is a dramatic change in styling; a slanted tailgate and smaller proportions help the traditionally boxy vehicle look sleek and a little sexy.

Land Rover offers twelve color choices for the exterior, white being the only solid color. The other eleven are all metallic finishes.

Selecting the interior color is a little easier, as there are only three options: ebony, ocean, and almond.

The sluggishness complaints have been eradicated partly with the help of a V8, 5.0 liter, 375 hp engine, which means you get 25 percent more power than the previous models. No, that doesn’t translate to fuel efficien-

cy, but who buys a Range Rover for fuel efficiency? The transmission on the base model is a six-speed manual with permanent four wheel drive. The acceleration is breathtaking for a vehicle this size and weight.

In keeping with its modern theme, the Sport comes with Bluetooth connectivity, audio hook-ups for portable devices, remote audio controls, touch screen navigation, and a remarkably good Harman Kardon sound system. An upgrade to a satellite radio receiver is an option.

The Sport is excellent for regular, onroad driving, but it really shines at off-road in mud or streams, if you can stand the thought of getting it dirty. The ride can get pretty bumpy off-road, so Land Rover offers an optional adaptive suspension to offset some of the worst bumps.

The 2012 models, including the Sport, are available now. The 2013 models will be available in the fall. www.golfoklahoma.org •••••• 31

EQUIPMENT

Drive for show!

Player friendly drivers are the rage by ed travis

For the majority of golfers drivers are all about distance – from manufacturers’ advertisements to the golf-shop sales pitch to the 19th hole – distance, distance, distance.

However the truth is, as far as posting a low score, distance is a big factor but not the only factor.

Accuracy, that is keeping the ball in the short grass, and consistency, staying in play most of the time, just do not generate excitement like believing you can pound that new number one wood an additional 25 yards.

For recreational players, though, accuracy and consistency are vital.

“The woods are full of long hitters” and “It’s a lot easier to make a birdie from the fairway,” certainly aren’t original but do point out an essential concept. For average players choosing a driver is about matching the grip, the shaft and the clubhead to their swing. This gives them the best opportunity to get the most yardage, accurate yardage,

from their driver every time they tee it up.

Golf Oklahoma takes a look at some of the drivers designed for recreational players looking for help off the tee. Each makes use of current technology and innovative design to help golfers hit drives that will maximize results for their ability, i.e., drivers that will produce good distance with control.

First is the TaylorMade Golf R11S ($399) this year’s version of 2011’s market dominating driver the R11. The R11S keeps the distinctive white clubhead and adds more adjustment options, (there are now 80 combinations of club settings or 140-yards side to side adjustment) enough to fit any golfer.

There are now five face angle settings, up from three last year and the head has grown 20cc to a full 460cc. TMaG engineers say there is now more off-center-hit forgiveness and they have redesigned the clubhead for better aerodynamics to produce more clubhead speed to give additional distance.

The Titleist 910 D2 and D3 lines introduced a few years back, also adjustible, have been extremely popular in Oklahoma among both the average and better players.

Adams Golf was among the first to design drivers to minimize aerodynamic drag as one of the design factors and it’s become their trademark. The new Speedline Fast 12 ($299) has three “speed slots” at the rear of the silver matte finish crown which company data says improved clubhead speed three mph with 14 percent less drag than the previous Speedline F11. The clubhead is larger by 9 percent, producing a larger sweet spot. There’s a low spin variation, the Fast 12 LS ($399), with a hosel that adds ½ inch to the shaft length. Making the shaft longer makes the swing weight increase so the weight plug in the rear of the clubhead can be changed to compensate.

Cobra is getting a lot of television time due to staff player Rickie Fowler who tees it up with a Cobra AMP driver.

The company’s other entry into the rec-

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reational driver market is the AMP Offset ($249). It uses Cobra’s E9 face Technology with a dual roll face and is designed to correct the dreaded slice, the most common swing fault. As Cobra says, “The only good slice has pepperoni on it.”

There’s a decidedly retro look to the Cleveland Classic driver ($299) with the titanium clubhead finished to look like persimmon wood and the sole as though it’s made from brass. Cleveland subscribes to the theory the lighter the club the faster it

can swing, so as with their popular Ultralite drivers the Classic comes in the two models, the 270 and 290. Both use very lightweight shafts and grips and a 460cc clubhead.

Tour Edge Golf makes clubs with the latest design and materials but sells them for “very competitive prices.” They’re bargains and the Bazooka HT Max D at $149 is no exception. Titanium clubhead, 460cc, Aldila 50 NV shaft and new aerodynamics make a great package really worth consideration.

Callaway Golf is locked in a battle with

TaylorMade to regain the lion’s share of the metalwood market TMaG took away and Callaway’s RAZR Fit ($399) is proving to be a worthy challenger. Callaway is just now getting on the adjustability bandwagon with this model but it offers nice features including their OptiFit hosel for adjusting face angle from 1.5° closed to square to 2.5° open.

Matched with a forged composite crown and titanium body the clubhead also has weight screws to promote either a draw or neutral ball flight.

Speedline Fast 12 ($299) TaylorMade R11S ($399)

Speedline Fast 12 LS ($399)

Cobra AMP ($249)

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Where we play

Rock solid Commitment unwavering at The Territory by ken macleod

Territory head pro Tim Johnson, superintendent Brad Babek and owner Rick Braught are commited to seeing The Territory succeed.

Of all things celebrated in golf, mowing the fairways is not usually high on the list.

But when the Bermuda fairways at The Territory grew long enough on April 17 to bring out the big beasts, there was cause for joy.

Why? It was the first time they had been mowed since June 10, 2011, thanks to a combination of a devastating drought and lack of access to sufficient water to prevent the Bermuda from going into full hibernation.

The 2011 drought, in which the course received less than six inches of rain from Jan. 1 to Oct. 1, was just the latest challenge for owners Rick and Barbara Braught. In addition to the 2007-08 financial meltdown, the course has battled through well-below-normal rainfall totals since it opened in 2003, with the exception being 2007 when three 50-year floods hit in quick succession.

Despite everything Mother Nature and the U.S. economy have tossed their way, the Braughts have stood firm in their commitment to bring a world-class golf community to southwest Oklahoma. The Territory is near Duncan, where most of the Braughts’ business ventures are based, but can also serve golfers from Lawton, Chickasha and a range of other communities.

A 12-inch waterline is in the approval process with a rural water district and will offer long-term relief once construction is complete, hopefully this year. It will allow the course to put down up to 500,000 gallons of water per night as opposed to the 20,000 or so it could manage last year once its irrigation ponds and stream ran dry. That 34 •••••• www.golfoklahoma.org

was barely enough to keep the greens alive through hand-watering as the course broiled through 95 days of more than 100 degrees in a 98-day stretch.

Superintendent Brad Babek and his staff remarkably have the course back to nearly normal conditions this spring. Fairways are green and growing and only a few of the slopes in the rough show lasting effects from the drought. The greens are pristine.

“Brad has done a fantastic job,” said Tim Johnson, director of golf. “I earned a great deal of respect for him watching how he handled that situation last year. He was so positive and dignified with the membership, answering the same questions. I thought he would be ready to take a long walk off a short pier, but he handled himself admirably.

“It was a tough year. For me, it was the most difficult year of my life both personally and professionally. It was so hard it affected my attitude with my family and all aspects of my life. That’s why I have so much respect for the job he did. I wasn’t out there dealing with it every day, and just taking a beating from Mother Nature.”

If possible, Johnson has even more respect for the Braughts and their steadfast commitment to making The Territory the equal of any private club in the Southwest.

“It would have been easy to face the problems and issues we’ve had and shut the

doors,” Johnson said. “But they’ve held true to their word in everything they’ve ever told us. They realize it’s a challenge but they are two people that have no quit or give-up in them at all.”

For Rick Braught, the dream he had when he hired Randy Heckenkemper to design a bold and beautiful course among the rolling grasslands is undimmed. It’s been harder than he imagined, he’ll admit, but with the impending water line the future looks bright. And the way the membership has remained firm, enjoying the pool, restaurant, pro shop and other amenities even when the course was being blistered has been more than encouraging.

“Our members have been incredible,” Braught said. “We did not lose any members last year and may have gained a few. We are like a family. We have a commitment to maintain this place at a level that we’ve worked hard to achieve. We have speed bumps in the road but we work through them.”

Some beautiful houses are built or under

construction at The Territory, including the Braughts’ own home. There remains ample room for more real estate as that part of the economy picks up steam again. If the membership levels can rise, the pro shop and Prairie House restaurant will also be connected with more expansive locker and meeting facilities.

Outside of raising one fairway after the flood year of 2007, Heckenkemper’s highly rated golf course has Fine homes are being built at The Territory. needed little tweaking. The Oklahoma Golf Association and other groups that numerous smaller ponds. A stream runs have had major amateur and professional through the property and there is a 3-inch tournaments there love the place. Babek waterline. Everything except the waterline would like to get back to spending less time was dry by early last summer. battling drought and more making small “We’ve been kicked in the teeth but we’re improvements to the course or preparing to coming back now and we can start doing host more events. some little things to improve,” Babek said.

“Brad has been more like a water man- “But as good as this spring has been, our ager than a superintendent for the last five tanks are not near full. We have a lot of availyears,” Johnson said. “Most superintendents able storage and need a lot of rain. We’re still know where their water is coming from. We looking at one more very challenging year.” haven’t had that luxury.”

“Had we not had to fight back from The average rainfall in the area was 34 Mother Nature, we would have done more, inches prior to the course being built. A 17- but it’s all about allocation of resources,” acre lake was built for irrigation to go with Braught said. “Unfortunately we’ve had to

go out and put out fires, sometimes literally, that Mother Nature has created for us.

“But we’re both committed. We have never approached anything that we wanted to go halfway with.”

Braught is also grateful to Johnson for the level of service he’s maintained throughout the trying period.

“We wouldn’t have gotten through any of this without his leadership,” Braught said. “He is the identity of the facility. Because of his background and abilities, I don’t have to spend a lot of time on day-to-day operations.”

As Braught notes, the Territory’s goal is to be comparable to the other benchmarks for top-quality golf in the state, whether Southern Hills, Oak Tree, The Patriot or Karsten Creek or others, while doing it with far fewer staff in both maintenance and elsewhere. The dedicated membership appreciates the efforts.

“Every member here is part of The Territory family,” Braught said. “If we can ever get ourselves satisfied, then we think everyone else will be satisfied. I don’t think anyone else out there has any higher expectations than we do.”

www.golfoklahoma.org •••••• 35

Back to the future

Youth movement has Lakeside thriving by ken macleod

I

f the ghost of Labron Harris were to look out the clubhouse window today at his beloved Lakeside Memorial Golf Course and see the hordes of youngsters wearing Rickie Fowler-style flat-brim hats, wild clothes and listening to music, he might have something to say to current PGA professional Michael Henderson.

“Great job,” would be fitting.

By catering to young golfers, cutting out loopholes from its now bygone days as a semi-private course and maximizing turf conditions while reducing staff, Henderson has engineered a remarkable turnaround in the financial fortunes at Lakeside, a course that city officials recently contemplated closing.

Upon Henderson’s arrival two years ago from the head golf professional position at Stevens Park Golf Course in Dallas, Lakeside was being heavily subsidized by the city of Stillwater. It lost $271,284 in the 2010 fiscal 36 •••••• www.golfoklahoma.org

year just on operating expenses without any real capital improvement projects.

By reorganizing the staff, instituting sound pricing structures and devising numerous creative programs to get youth active at the course, Henderson did what Harris was doing 70 years ago.

Harris built Lakeside and was the OSU golf coach from 1947 to 1974 as well as the head pro from 1945 to 1973. He mentored 27 All-Americans, won 24 Missouri Valley or Big Eight Conference championships and the national championship in 1963.

“Coach Harris was always about the junior golfer,” said Roy Bays, who played for OSU, graduated in 1967 and was Harris’ assistant until 1971 when he left for the PGA Tour and later was the head pro at Dodge City Country Club from 1976 until retiring in 2005 and moving back to Stillwater.

“He loved the young people playing golf and seldom charged them. We were the only

course in town then and doing 60,000 rounds a year, so times were different. But he really encouraged junior play and Stillwater was a hotbed for some really good players.”

Retired PGA Tour golfer Doug Tewell was one of those. He basically grew up at Lakeside.

“I would go out and shag balls for Labron and he would pay $2, which helped lower my soda pop bill which was on a tab in the clubhouse,” Tewell said. “We had a great time there. We played the Sodey Pop Open, where we would chip out from behind bushes, trees, whatever.

“Labron looked like he was about 7-foot5. His favorite saying for us kids was “Son, get off of your ass, on to your feet, out of the shade and into the heat.”

Tewell did everything from fill ball washers to help spread manure on the fairways.

“We used to beg him to just buy fertilizer,” Tewell said.

Above, Lakeside builder and pro Labron Harris. At left, current head pro Michael Henderson is restoring Harris’ traditions.

Henderson has brought the youth culture back to Lakeside. He worked out an arrangement with Stillwater High School for its teams to begin using Lakeside again and has special offers for Oklahoma State students.

He has involved the famous OSU turf grass program and its students with assisting with agronomy questions. He started a new junior program for ages 5 and up as well as a junior academy and has formed partnerships with sponsors such as Cleveland Golf and Oakley.

The clubhouse has been remodeled to give it an edgier feel. If you like former Cowboy Rickie Fowler, you’ll feel right at home, as his picture is everywhere.

In addition to wiping out the subsidy in just two years, Henderson is proud that the current OSU golf team enjoys coming to play Lakeside on Mondays when they do not have practice at Karsten Creek.

“We are so happy to see what has happened out at Lakeside,” said Stillwater City Manager Dan Gallaway. “It’s nice to see it in the black, but that is almost secondary to what Michael has accomplished. He has reinvigorated the relationship with OSU, with the high school teams, with a lot of groups within the community. He’s just made it a very well-run public golf course.”

Henderson attended Stephen F. Austin State University and pursued a career as a pro golfer until earning his PGA of America membership in 2001. He was an assistant at Dallas National Golf Club from 2001-03 and served as the head golf professional at

Steven’s Park from 2004-10.

He was named the 2012 Junior Golf Leader for the South Central PGA Section for his work at Lakeside and was recently elected Secretary of the South Central PGA. “I’m a firm believer that junior golf programs are the key to the future,” Henderson said. “I’m proud that we are no longer a drain on the financial resources of the city. The numbers are proving that the emphasis on the juniors is working.”

Harris, who died in 1995, Having fun at a recent Lakeside junior camp. would also probably like what he sees of the golf course, even though much The winning score in the 18-hole event was of the credit is due to a 1997 renovation by 1-under by Patrick Sullivan of the Alotian former University of Oklahoma (gasp!) All- Club.

American Tripp Davis.

“The greens that Tripp did have a lot of “I remember Mike Holder saying ‘you do movement,” Henderson said. “If we get the know where he’s from?’ at a city council green speeds up and there’s any wind, it’s as meeting when we were talking about the tough as you want it. But I’m most proud renovation,” Davis said. “But he was one of of the conditions we’ve been able to offer.” the first ones to tell me he thought we did a “Lakeside has always been a good course good job.” since Labron first built it and it still is today,” Lakeside can still be stern test. Only one said Bays, who walks the course daily for golfer broke par in the recent PGA South exercise. “I’m happy to see the young playCentral Section Assistants Cup Matches. ers back out there, it has to help.”

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Tales from Lakeside Great trivia question. Why did former PGA Tour golfer Doug Tewell attend Oklahoma State on a four-year full-ride basketball scholarship, even though he was no basketball player and never even attended a practice?

Tewell had a scholarship offer to play golf at Arkansas after his senior season at Stillwater High School in 1967, offered by Frank Broyles. OSU golf coach Labron Harris was not prepared to offer a scholarship, Tewell said, but somehow word got back to legendary basketball coach Hank Iba that Tewell was heading out of state. Rather than see that happen, Iba gave him a basketball scholarship.

“It even included laundry money, which I used to help pay for my lodging,” Tewell said. “So it was great. I did try to go to the training table with the basketball team one time and he told me to get out of there.”

Tewell spent most of his time with his teammates playing and practicing at Lakeside and at Stillwater Country Club, which had just been designed by former Lakeside assistant pro Don Sechrest, who went on to a great career as a golf-course architect.

Grier Jones, who played 14 seasons on the

38 •••••• www.golfoklahoma.org

PGA Tour and is now the golf coach at Wichita State, was one teammate who Tewell said made his living playing gin in the east room of the old clubhouse.

Other teammates included PGA Tour golfers Mark Hayes Doug Tewell at OSU. and Danny Edwards, later OSU coach Mike Holder, longtime top amateur Jim Young and his brother Denny Tewell. Even before he was on the team, Tewell hung out with the Cowboys while in high school, measuring his game against the likes of Roger Brown, George Hixon and Dave Eichelberger.

“We had some great times at Lakeside,” Tewell said. “Hugh Edgmon, who was a couple of years older than me, was hilarious.

There was a wonderful man who worked there named Miles Ferrar. One time the flag was caught up on the eagle that was outside the clubhouse. Hugh called Miles and said he

was from American Legion Post 145 and that Miles was responsible for getting that flag fixed immediately or he was in big trouble.”

On hot summer nights, Harris would hire Tewell and his friends to stay up all night and water the course. They were supposed to move the sprinklers every 45 minutes, but wound up leaving them in the same spot for hours while they slept under the stars.

Every year at OSU, Tewell got to hear Harris’ stock preseason speech to the team, which usually had a multitude of walk-ons who would quickly thin out.

“It was the same speech every year,” Tewell said. “Boys, we’ve got 20 new freshmen. Five of you will join fraternities, five of you will flunk out, five of you will get married and five will make the varsity.

“In my case, I did get married, but managed to stay on the team.”

Between coaching the OSU students and working with younger kids, Harris still found time to keep his own game sharp.

“Coach Harris had a fantastic short game with a lot of imagination,” said former player Roy Bays of Stillwater. “Lakeside then had small greens and you had to figure out how to get the ball up and in. There were no lob shots and everybody who came through learned how to become a good putter.”

www.golfoklahoma.org •••••• 39

Views of the 11th green today looking very similar to Maxwell’s orginal work in the 1940s.

A classic is reborn

Davis restores back nine at Hillcrest by ken macleod

Tripp Davis is no stranger to restoring golf courses designed by Perry Maxwell, having previously worked on Lawton Country Club, Muskogee Country Club and Cherokee Hills Golf Course.

At Hillcrest Country Club in Bartlesville, Davis had access to complete original designs and photos by Maxwell and was able to recreate closely the original greens and bunker sizes and shapes while adding some contouring touches of his own.

The back nine holes reopened May 22 after being closed since last August. Wadsworth Construction built the new greens complexes and superintendent Matt Wilson has the new greens in near perfect condition.

“Matt has done a phenomenal job,” Davis said. “I don’t recall playing greens that were that young that were that smooth and had decent speed to them.”

Davis told Hillcrest members and donors not to expect green speeds in excess of 11 (on the stimpmeter) or average golfers would not enjoy the experience.

“They are not overly severe, but they have plenty of movement that you want to keep them between nine and 10.5. The average golfer will enjoy them at those speeds.”

Members told Davis after a soft opening that they were excited about having to relearn the breaks.

Members raised On opening day, head pro Bryan Heim, club president John Kane, just under $1.5 milTripp Davis, superintendent Matt Wilson and builder Kyle Downs. lion to finance the

40 •••••• www.golfoklahoma.org

back-nine renovations as well as extensive renovations by Tom Hoch to the clubhouse.

They are hopeful of raising an additional $800,000 to finance renovation of the front nine.

Club president John B. Kane said he was proud of the membership for making the renovations happen without any assessments.

“It was very optimistic to do what we’ve done, not just to the golf course but to the clubhouse area. Our members are very generous. We take a lot of pride in being a quality Perry Maxwell course and the membership is very proud of the Maxwell heritage.

“That’s why Tripp was the perfect architect for this. He seemed to embrace that heritage even more than the members.”

Head professional Bryan Heim said he has heard nothing but positive reviews from members about the new greens.

“Everybody is really excited,” Heim said.

“It’s a great time for us. I have heard a few comments about how it took them 20 years to learn the old greens and now they are starting over. But it will be a challenge they enjoy.”

Stone Creek to reopen

Champion Bermuda greens have been sprigged at Stone Creek Golf Course at Page Belcher, giving the city of Tulsa 72 holes of ultradwarf Bermuda greens in a city in which it is thus far the only convert.

The greens at Stone Creek were sprigged May 1 and Tom Wolff, the general manager for the city courses, is optimistic they will be ready to open by Father’s Day June 17.

“If we continue to get the hot weather that Bermuda loves we should be right around there,” Wolff said. “We’re right on schedule.”

Growing in the greens is new superintendent Graham Kornmeyer, who came to Tulsa from The National Golf Club of Loui-

siana in Lake Charles. Former superinten“The Legends is a little dent Keith Kraus moved to another position longer than the Chamwithin Billy Casper Golf, which manages pions Nine with some the two 36-hole city complexes. unique challenges of its own, but it complements Shangri-La opens nine the Champions well and The renaissance of Shangri-La Golf Club, I’m confident our playResort & Marina on Grand Lake’s Monkey ers will find it to be an Island took another giant leap forward Me- incredibly fun course morial Weekend with the opening of the sec- to play,” said Shangriond all-new nine-hole course within a six- La general manager Jamonth period. The Legends Nine opened for son Sheffield. “We’ve play May 25. It plays as Shangri-La’s back already had wonderful nine; the Champions Nine, another all-new feedback on the design course which opened for play in November and construction of the 2011, remains as the front nine. new course, especially Combining the classic outlines of the orig- the water features on the inal Shangri-La Blue Course with the nuanc- signature Mickey Manes of today’s game was the goal for noted tle Hole. If you haven’t golf-course architect Tom Clark when he be- played lately I suggest gan working on the redesign of the course. It you dust off your clubs was not an unfamiliar challenge. Clark had and join us.” already met similarly difficult circumstances With the opening redesigning facilities at Hamilton Golf and of the Legends Nine, Shangri-La Legends nine with clubhouse.

Country Club in Hamilton, Ontario, site of Shangri-La members and this year’s Canadian Open. guests said goodbye to the south end of the nine holes of the original Shangri-La Blue “This is going to put Shangri-La back on legendary Old Blue. On June 1, the club’s Course, its facelift. The renovation will take the map,” Clark said. “This whole complex golf-course renovation entered its final stage about a year with a grand opening date for is going to be one of the top destinations in when the big earthmovers returned to give the Heritage Nine targeted for Memorial the entire region. The image here is second the Heritage Nine, which includes the final Day weekend 2013. to none. (Shangri-La owner) Eddy Gibbs likes glitz – waterfalls, recirculation, lighting – he wants the course to be inspiring, and it is. There is something here that players haven’t had in decades.”

“The changes to the Legends Nine have been varied and exciting,” said Rob Yanovitch, PGA Director of Golf and assistant general manager of the club. “From the modifications to the greens complexes to the dual greens on the signature Mickey Mantle Hole, the north end of the Old Blue Course has been transformed into a modern classic. Course superintendent Justin May and his crew, along with the team from United Golf, have spent countless hours providing an environment for premier conditions on what will prove to be one of the best tests of golf in the four-state region.”

Although the historic layout of the original Blue Course is still intact, the addition of fluid movement to the fairways, additional distinctive white sand bunkers, water features and the improved bentgrass putting surfaces will give the course a modern look, according to Yanovitch. The layout of the Legends Nine was designed to provide a complement to the magnificent lake views visible from all points on the golf course.

With five sets of tees, the golf course is set up daily to offer all levels of golfers the challenge that suits their game. www.golfoklahoma.org •••••• 41

NUMBER 18

When it comes to championship public golf, there’s no better destination than Alabama, where we’re proud to claim three of America’s 50 Toughest Courses as selected by Golf Digest. For starters, there are the 468 holes along the world-renowned Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail. Stretching from the mountains in the north to the Gulf Coast in the south, these 26 courses will test your golfing skills as well as your intestinal fortitude. Then there are the many other impressive courses scattered across the state, designed by the likes of Arnold Palmer and Jerry Pate. Each with its own set of challenges, each with its own set of rewards. And each along an epic road trip to the state of Alabama.

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42 •••••• www.golfoklahoma.org

Okmulgee CC bought

The Muscogee Creek Nation purchased the Okmulgee Country Club for $3.6 million in late May. Muscogee Creek Nation Chief George Tiger said plans for the club were unsure but potentially part of the 160acre property would be used for housing for veterans.

The Creeks purchased Fountainhead Golf Course on Lake Eufaula in 2006 along with the remains of what was once Fountainhead Resort. Announced plans for a full-scale renovation of the golf course along with a casino and hotel have yet to develop.

Tiger told KJRH in Tulsa that the addition of Okmulgee CC shows the tribe’s commitment to expanding the job base for its citizens.

“No. 1 it can provide jobs,” Tiger said.

“When we asked for support from the National Council for funding this purchase, we were talking about diversifying our economic development -- doing more than what we do in gaming and smoke shops.”

The club was built in 1920. It remained private until Mark Dobbs and his partner bought it in 2005. While not committing to keep the golf course open, Tiger said the Creeks would protect the historic two-story clubhouse perched on a rise overlooking the course.

Among other fine golfers, Okmulgee

Ronnie Dow has plans for a new clubhouse at Pheasamt Run Golf Course.

Country Club is the home course of Joe Nick, riculture will stand him in good stead in his who won 14 OGA events from 1989-2002 in- venture into golf-course ownership. cluding six consecutive from 1992-93.

“We’ve already doubled the membership,” he said. “We aerated the fairways, Pheasant Run purchased which had never been done before, and it Ronnie Dow, 32, has purchased Pheas- makes a world of difference. We fertilized ant Run Golf Course in Enid and announced for the first time in two years. We’ve got plans for a 3,700-square foot clubhouse and some new mowers and sprayers in and the other improvements. conditions are a lot better.”

Pheasant Run is a unique prairie-links-style The new clubhouse will have a meeting course. It is one of three courses in Enid, along room, banquet room, lounge area with telewith historic Oakwood Country Club and visions, a patio and full-size kitchen. Dow the city-owned Meadowlake Golf Course. hopes to have it open this fall.

Dow owns a sprayer company and sells Course fees will remain $34 on weekends show cattle. He said his background in ag- and $29 on weekdays with a cart.

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Special point of views

Branson hits stride as golf destination by ken macleod

The par-3 17th hole at Murder Rock Golf Course offers sweeping vistas.

T

he best course in Branson these days is no longer a foregone conclusion, but largely a matter of personal preference.

Branson boasts three of the top four courses in Missouri open to the public as ranked

by Golfweek. One that’s missing may be as good as any.

That’s great news for both the folks charged with promoting Branson as a golf destination and the golfers who visit. The debate over which is best is good fodder while enjoying a post-round beverage. No matter which you choose, you can be sure it offers incredible scenery, first-rate course conditions and outstanding service.

We’re not telling Golf Oklahoma readers anything new by saying that Branson now is a full-fledged legitimate golf destination which also happens to have outstanding fishing, hiking, ziplining and other outdoor activities, the incredible Branson Landing for dining and shopping, as well as an outstanding amusement park in Silver Dollar City.

“There’s been a paradigm shift in Branson,” said Ryan Lanzen, general manager and director of golf at Payne Stewart, which this year bumped Branson Creek from its 11-year run atop the Golfweek rankings in Missouri. “We’re really focusing on making Branson a golf destination, just like a Phoenix or Myrtle Beach. We also have the outdoor element, with the boating, fishing, 44 •••••• www.golfoklahoma.org

hiking, ziplines. There’s a lot to do besides just go to shows.”

Oh yeah, the shows. Those musicians, comics and entertainers are still the main reason more than eight million visitors squeeze into this town of 12,000 full-time residents every year.

A group of golf writers met and played golf with some of those guys on a recent visit. Country crooner Buck Trent, who used to live in Tulsa and travel the world with his buddy Roy Clark in his wilder days before settling into a more wholesome lifestyle,

The 18th hole at beautiful Branson Creek.

can spin yarn after yarn. Violinist Shoji Tabuchi has a mean short game and a smile to match the brilliance of his “fiddling.”

So what’s happened since the Tom Faziodesigned Branson Creek opened in 2000, joining the 1994 Ledgestone Golf Club in putting Branson on the golf map and beginning a run of 11 consecutive years of being ranked the No. 1 course in Missouri by Golfweek?

Well, Payne Stewart came along and bumped Branson Creek from its throne in 2012. And Murder Rock, after a rocky start

Payne Stewart now No. 1 in the state.

both literally and figuratively, has blossomed into a spectacular venue that proved the highlight of the trip for several of the visiting scribes.

Payne Stewart Golf Club is an exceedingly beautiful but demanding layout by Chuck Smith along with Bobby Clampett. The conditions and beauty are such that Lanzen says golfers don’t mind getting thrashed a bit by the course.

“It’s funny, I have so many guys tell me that it was a tough course, but beautiful and they had a great time and they’ll be back,” said Lanzen, who estimates more than a fourth of his play comes from Oklahomans.

“We are doing some things to make it more playable. We don’t want to compromise the design integrity, but we’re moving back some of the native areas. We’re also encouraging everyone to play from the proper set of tees.”

Payne Stewart plays up to 7,324 yards and could host any level of event. Average golfers need to play the silver or blue tees from 6,300 to 6,700 yards.

Becoming the top-rated course in Missouri was exciting for Payne Stewart’s ownership group and employees.

“Not that we don’t think we have a great golf course, but we weren’t expecting that,” Lanzen said. “It was super exciting. It reflects what we’re trying to do here, which is present the best golf experience you will find anywhere in the state. It really reinvigorated our employees and gave them a sense that our mission is succeeding.”

Branson Creek may have been bumped

off in the rankings for 2012, but it’s not going anywhere. One of the top destination courses in the Midwest, Branson Creek remains a wonder and testament to what can be created by a master designer with a big

vision, big budget and lots of dynamite.

Both those courses will have to keep an eye out in the rankings for Murder Rock.

Here’s a quick story about how far Murder Rock has come in four years.

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Ledgestone Golf Club offers scenic mountain golf and a full-service country club.

A golf trip to Branson with some friends was part of this writer’s 50th birthday celebration in the spring of 2007. We happened to be playing Murder Rock the same April day John Daly, who was then under contract to promote the course, showed up with his trailer and allowed himself to be filmed by a local television reporter shirtless and shoeless hitting balls on a course that was not only immature but just coming out of winter dormancy.

It looked like hillbilly heaven. In five minutes

46 •••••• www.golfoklahoma.org

and a subsequent 600,000-plus views on You Tube, Daly set the marketing of the course back as far as one of his titanic drives.

The energy at Murder Rock these days is entirely positive. As spacious and airy and dramatic as Branson Creek is, remember Murder Rock is perched above it. You look down on the buzzards circling from the patio of the clubhouse. Many of the holes take advantage of the panoramic scenery. On a clear day, you can see about to Springfield

50 miles north.

The course has matured beautifully and was in flawless condition on our recent visit.

The Communities at Branson Creek offers condos and other lodging options for a great base to play both Branson Creek and Murder Rock.

The par-3 holes at Murder Rock are dramatic and strong, as they are at all three courses mentioned thus far. But on none can you watch your ball fly as long as you can on No. 15 at Ledgestone Golf Course. The tee box towers more than 100 feet above the green, serving as a launch pad for a terrific final four-hole stretch.

Ledgestone, designed in 1994 by Tom Clark of Hot Springs Village fame, is one of those friendly mountain courses that kicks your ball back into play more often than not. If you’re striking the ball reasonably well that day, you have a great chance to score, as the course is not long or punishing, but fun.

For individual golf groups or large touring groups, Ledgestone is a true country club away from home, with full dining, pro shop, grill, condos and lodges. It should definitely be part of your Branson trip.

Another good option for stay and play is Thousand Hills Resort. This may be one

Only 999 to go at Thousand Hills.

of the most challenging “short’ courses you will ever play. The course has one par-5, eight par-4s and nine par-3s. Many of those par-3s from the tips play more than 180 yards to elevated greens.

It’s a great family course, very eye-catching and well manicured, but have your family play from the front tees on the carry holes or it could be a long day.

The course has a wonderful clubhouse and restaurant and the condo packages there are the best values in town. While opinions differed on every other course we played,

the golf writers in our group gave Thousand Hills a unanimous thumbs up as uniquely suited to challenge better players while offering a great family environment as well.

Pointe Royale and Holiday Hills offer more affordable options for golfers.

The convenient way to plan your Branson golf trip and find special rates is at the new website www.explorebransongolf.com.

The site conveniently provides useful details to golfers, including descriptions of all the courses, stayand-play booking options, news, promotions, an e-newsletter club and information about Branson’s after-golf family and entertainment options.

Golf Course Construction

Recent Projects Recent Projects

Riverchase Golf Club

Cedar Ridge Country Club • Broken Arrow, OK • Cart Path Improvements

Coppell, TX • Green Repairs

The Patriot Golf Club • Owasso, OK • Cart Path Improvements

Golf Club of Oklahoma

Silverhorn Golf Club • Edmond, OK • Creek Crossing Repairs and Gabion Wall

Broken Arrow • Cart Path Improvements

Cedar Creek Golf Course • Broken Bow, OK • 18 Hole Irrigation Installation

Sapulpa Golf Course

Forest Ridge Golf Club • Broken Arrow, OK • 18 Hole Bunker and Green Renovation

Sapulpa • Green Repairs

Bailey Ranch Golf Club • Owasso, OK • Resurfacing of 3 Greens

Indian Springs Country Club

The Golf Club at Frisco Lakes • Frisco, TX • Cart Path Improvements Eastern Hills Country Club • Garland, TX • Cart Path Improvements

Broken Arrow • Hole No. 17 Improvements

Cedar Ridge Country Club

Broken Arrow • Cart Path Improvements Contact Us

The Patriot Golf Club JONESPLAN

Owasso • Cart Path Improvements 2328 E. 13th Street Tulsa, OK 74104 t 918.832.5544 info@jonesplan.com

Silverhorn Golf Club

Builder Member

Edmond • Creek Crossing Repairs and Gabion Wall

To help golfers choose a golf trip in Missouri, whether Branson, Lake of the Ozarks or other destinations, golfers can now access the Missouri Golf Trail online at www.mogolftrail.com.

The site features online tee times, stay and play packages and The Trail Golf Pass.

Cedar Creek Golf Course

Broken Bow • 18 Hole Irrigation Installation

Forest Ridge Golf Club

Broken Arrow • 18 Hole Bunker and Green Renovation

Coffeeville Country Club

Coffeeville, KS • Tee box improvements

Contact Us 2328 E. 13th St. Tulsa, OK 74104 t 918.832.5544; (918)-832-7721 fax info@jonesplan.com Builder Member

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www.golfoklahoma.org •••••• 47

MAHOGANY’S PRO PROFILE

Robert Streb On the Nationwide Tour’s official website, Robert Streb lists playing at Augusta National on his bucket list along with attending an OklahomaTexas football game.

That invitation to The Masters may not be too far off if he continues to improve at the rate he’s shown lately.

The Edmond North product, who enjoyed a tremendous collegiate career at Kansas State after both OU and Oklahoma State took a pass on recruiting him, is now on the verge of earning his PGA Tour card for 2013. A third-place tie at BMW Charity Pro-Am had pushed him to 14th on the Nationwide Tour money list going into June. The top 25 players on the Nationwide Tour will earn full exempt status on the PGA Tour for 2013.

Golf Oklahoma caught up with Streb after he shot a 1-under 70 at Oak Tree National during U.S. Open qualifying, but lost in a playoff for the final spot and is first alternate.

got to stick to what you do well and take advantage of the situation.”

Your friend Rhein Gibson did that when he shot that 55 at River Oaks!

“That was crazy. I don’t know how he did that. I’ve seen him get hot once or twice, but nothing like that. That is just pretty wild.”

You are the Oklahoma Open champion of 2009 and 2011.

Any chance your schedule will allow you to come back and defend your title?

“I’m not sure yet but I’m cerYou’ve obviously proven to tainly going to make every effort yourself that you can compete to be there.” successfully out here?

“It’s going better than I ex- How did you end up playing pected. My conditional number your college golf at K-State? was not spectacular, but I’ve had “I talked to coach (Mike) some solid finishes and it has Holder at OSU and he wanted improved. You always need to me to walk on. OU didn’t have keep improving, but it’s nice to any room that year, so I picked know I can play with the guys a place I thought I could play.” out here and be comfortable.”

Were you a golfer from the And a lot of these guys you’re start? being successful against have “I’ve been playing at the counPGA Tour experience. try club since I was 6 or 7. I used “Yes, we have a pretty fair to follow my dad to the range amount of guys that go back and when I was 2 or 3 and tried to forth.” hit the balls. But I also always played a lot of hockey. Finally I What needs to improve? figured out that I was too small “You can always improve and too slow.” your short game, that never ONLINE: hurts. But mainly you’ve got to Get the latest news on manage what you do well and Oklahoma golf at stick to that. You can’t be trying golfoklahoma.org too hard all the time. You’ve just 48 •••••• www.golfoklahoma.org

CHARLESTON’S AMATEUR PROFILE banquet with the Sportsmanship Award.

“That was actually the award from 2010. We were playing in the WOGA State Junior at Willow Creek and I was hitting my third shot into a green and I double-hit it. Nobody saw it but I definitely double-hit it so I called it on myself.”

Nadia Majidi

Tell us about playing in the First Tee Open at Pebble Beach.

“It was amazing. You had to write three essays and fill out a survey listing all my extracurricular activities. Then you had to have a handicap under eight. There were 250 kids who met the qualifications and they chose 70.

In the tournament, I played a best ball with Tom Pernice.

We finished 4-under. I made one birdie but he didn’t make the cut. They have a six-hole alternate-shot skins game that I played with Gary Hallberg.

Nothing was falling for us and we got to 18. I hit our approach over the green and he has a 20foot chip. He walks up to me and says ‘watch me make this.’

Then he did it. He won $16,000 which we split between the First Tee of Tulsa and the First Tee of Monterey.”

Nadia Majidi has been learning golf and life lessons at the First Tee of Tulsa since 2004. She is now a member of the two-time state defending champion Union girls golf team and won four tournaments and finished tied for first two other times in her junior season.

Majidi has been an inspiring student for First Tee of Tulsa director Janice Gibson. She earned the right to compete in both the 2011 Walmart First Tee Open at Pebble Beach, where she teamed with Gary Hallberg to win $16,000 for the First Tee. She also was selected to play in the 2010 Walmart LPGA Northwest Arkansas Championship along with 11 other First Tee students.

Fantastic. What about the LPGA event?

You’ve been a First Tee student “I played better there than at for nine years. How has Janice Pebble Beach, so I really enjoyed Gibson affected your life? that. I played with Azahara “Janice is amazing. Everything Munoz of Spain (winner of the she does, she just works at it 2012 Sybase Match Play Chamso hard. She’s been one of the pionship) and Anna Nordqvist greatest role models of my life.” of Sweden. They were so good.

But I played with them for two What has the First Tee taught days and found I could keep up you besides golf? with them fairly well.”

“The First Tee is about life skills. You learn what you need Fifth is not bad in the highto know to get through life. You school state tournament. But learn about goals, how to set after winning so many events them and how to achieve them. this year, you had to be the faYou learn about integrity.” vorite coming in.

“I think the pressure got to Speaking of integrity, you were me. Even my dad said somehonored at the recent Women’s thing like, ‘You know you’re the Oklahoma Golf Hall of Fame favorite.’ Thanks Dad!”

www.golfoklahoma.org •••••• 49

QUAIL CREEK BANK’S CELEBRITY PROFILE

Toby Keith

own a golf course. But this is very close to my house and it would take an hour or more to go play Oak Tree or Gaillardia. I just kind of saved it. They were really heading toward becoming a strictly $30 daily-fee course and it wasn’t in the best of shape. It was heading to a bad situation. The previous owners had swallowed the dog and choked on the tail.

We’ve made a lot of improvements.

Busting it for kids

Country music star Toby Keith performs about 65 shows a year and plays nearly three times that many rounds of golf.

Among the many non-music ventures for the adventurous Keith is majority ownership of Belmar Country Club in Norman.

At Belmar, Keith can combine two of his passions, competing on the golf course and raising money for children with cancer.

His foundation has long supported Ally’s House, formed after the loss to cancer of Ally Webb, daughter of Keith’s friend and former bandmate Scott Webb. In May the foundation broke ground on the OK Kids Korral, a 28,000-square foot facility to provide day and overnight lodging and services for pediatric cancer patients and their families seeking care at The Children’s Hospital at OU Medical Center.

A former high school and semi-pro football player, Keith picked up golf later in life as a good daytime activity during long hours waiting for the next nightly concert.

50 •••••• www.golfoklahoma.org

Tell us about your golf game?

I play to a 13.5 from the tips here at Belmar. We have a good group of guys who play two or three times a week. We have a lot of native areas that are very tough to avoid. We play them as lateral hazards or you would never finish out there.

The handicap travels well. I notice that guys who are a 10 at other courses often play to a 14 or 15 before the round is over.

With all you have going on, why take on all the duties of golf-course ownership?

The last thing I really wanted to do was

Such as?

We put in a huge training facility and expanded the driving range. We added a real nice banquet facility. The course is in tremendous shape. The greens are as good as you’ll find anywhere.

We’ve put in about four times what we paid for it, but the membership has grown four-fold.

You’ve broken ground on the OK Kids Korral, a project near to your heart and one you’ve said you will finish by yourself if you must. Obviously helping these young people with cancer is very important to you.

I’ve heard it said and I say it all the time, if you live long enough, you’re going to have to deal with cancer. But to see these kids I’ve

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seen in the last 10 years. They don’t understand. They’re so young and haven’t lived yet. It’s very hard to watch the kids and the parents go through that.

We raise $600,000 to $700,000 at my tournament here each year. For a small community to raise that much is pretty impressive.

But we’re going to have to kick it up a notch (to meet the $8 million plus it’s going to take to build the OK Kids Korral). We’re going to have a tournament out in Las Vegas in the fall that’s going to be a lot bigger and raise more money.”

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We hear you play a lot of golf with Roger Clemons?

I do play a lot with Roger but our wives play together more than we do. We get together with a couple of other couples four or five times a year and meet in Mexico, Montana, Houston, wherever we decide.

Are you hands-on at the golf course?

I’ve moved my office here and my wife also offices here and kind of runs the place.

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Edmond North celebrates fourth consecutive title, from left Hayden Wood, Sam Humphreys, coach Jeff Doherty, Michael Hampton and Nick Heinen.

Golf Oklahoma offers live tournament coverage at www.golfoklahoma.org It’s been quite an exciting month for golf at the high school and college level in Oklahoma. The Union girls team and Edmond North boys defended their titles in Class 6A. Altus senior Megan Blonien made it a

52 •••••• www.golfoklahoma.org

Sam McGreevy wins Class 6A title.

versity stormed from behind to knock off rival Oklahoma Christian in the final round sweep with her fourth consecutive Class 5A of the NAIA Nachampionship. Sam McGreevy knocked off tional Championship.

Taylor Moore, Hayden Wood and other top The two Oklahoma competitors to win the boys 6A crown. schools dominate the At the college level, Oklahoma City Uni- game at this level, having won 10 of the past 11 championships.

University of Oklahoma sophomore Chirapat Jao-Javanil (her full name is pronounced CHEER-uh- NCAA Champ Chipat Jow JAV-uh-nil) rapat Jao-Javanil. stunned the field with her victory at the NCAA Women’s Championhs, the first individual women’s tlte for shot a final-round 2-under-par 70 at the Vanderbilt Legends Club to finish atop the 126-player leaderboard and defeat second-place Brooke Pancake of Alabama by four shots.

The win for Jao-Javanil – her third in 11 tournaments this year – lifted 28th-ranked OU to a tie for sixth place out of 24 teams, matching the program›s best-ever national finish (also came in sixth in 2002).

The way to keep up with these events, and to read complete stories about all the high school and college teams, is to check our website daily at www.golfoklahoma. org. Better yet, sign up there for our weekly enewsetter and we’ll send all the latest news directly to your inbox, as well as the chance to win lots of free tickets and free rounds.

We sent about 50 readers to The Colonial last month and we’ll be giving away tickets for the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship on the LPGA Tour in June.

GOLF FITNESS

Get back to it

Sean Riley SwingFit

Ryan Smith SwingFit

How many times have we heard it? Setup, posture, and grip are the three key fundamentals to a good golf swing. In particular, a proper posture at address allows the body to move in a efficient pattern producing both distance and accuracy while limiting the risk for injury. Unfortunately, this is much easier said than done. To achieve this proper golf posture, we need to have the right physical tools especially at the spine.

There are three common types of spines that we see in our practice. The first is a “normal” spine, which appears straight from the base of the neck to the bottom of the tailbone.

Next, and most common, is the “C” spine, which resembles a letter C from the base of the neck to the tailbone and is typically seen in those individuals with poor or slumped

posture. This commonly can be related to tight pectoral muscles (chest) and weak scapular muscles (between the shoulder blades). This posture is typically seen in those individuals who sit at a desk or drive for extended periods.

Lastly, is the dreaded “S” spine, which appears having an increased curve in the mid back (kyphosis) as well as an increased curve in the low back (lordosis). This posture has elements of tight low back muscles, hip flexors and weak abdominals potentially putting excess stress on the low back segments resulting in low back pain.

It is important to focus on both stretching and strengthening drills to reproduce a neutral posture.

The following exercises will allow you to get in a better setup position and help prevent spine problems in the golf swing.

Cats and Dogs

This is a great drill to improve range of motion of the spine while improving flexibility and coordination of the hips, mid, and upper back. Start in a quadraped position (all fours) with your thighs and arms perpendicular to the floor. Without bending your elbows, lift your head and try to lower your spine as far as possible creating the dog position. Now, lower your head and

lift your spine up as far as possible creating the cat position. Repeat smoothly back and forth 15-20 reps.

Open Books

This is a great drill to improve flexibility in the chest, upper spine and rib cage.

Lie on your side with your knees bent and your hands extended out in front of you. Keeping your knees in contact with the ground, try to rotate your top arm all the way across your body. Try to touch your forearm to the ground, keeping your arm at chest level. Perform 15 reps and repeat on the other side.

Remember, it’s important not to rush posture changes. These changes can typically take some time but some is better than none. Also, it’s not the number of exercises that matter, it’s the correct ones that will make the biggest difference. Find a TPI Professional and get screened today. Be patient and you will be BACK before you know it!

Ryan and Sean are Founders of SwingFit Golf Fitness and Performance Training in Tulsa, OK, and are certified by the Titleist Performance Institute.They specialize in golf-specific physical testing, fitness instruction and performance training.

To unlock your full potential, contact SwingFit at (918) 743-3737 or visit them at www.swingfittulsa.com.

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www.golfoklahoma.org •••••• 53

WOGA NEWS AND NOTES

ONLINE: Get local, national, equipment, and travel stories online at golfoklahoma.org

McAteer goes for third by katy treadwell

The Women’s Oklahoma Golf Association is gearing up for a season of potential hat tricks, larger tournament fields and record-setting membership.

This year, the official WOGA tournament season begins with the State Amateur Championship at Gaillardia Country Club June 25-28. The State Am is one of four WOGA events that could potentially have a three-time champion. Whitney McAteer, the 2010 and 2011 winner, will bid for her third straight title in a field that WOGA members expect to be jam-packed with talent.

Some slight changes to WOGA guidelines in 2012 now allow any junior golfer with a handicap of 18.4 or less to participate in the State Am and the Stroke Play events. The State Amateur Championship is a matchplay event and WOGA Vice President Sheila Dills believes this revision will be a great benefit to junior golfers. “The Women’s Oklahoma State Amateur Championship should be a championship that all eligible

Oklahoma Junior Girls choose to play in. It is the only match-play competition in Oklahoma where a junior girl can gain invaluable experience towards competing in the USGA Girls’ Jr. Championship.”

WOGA members expect a full field and encourage all of the state’s best golfers to participate and compete for the coveted title. Deadline for entries is June 18.

WOGA’s second event takes the junior girls to Willow Creek Country Club in Oklahoma City for the Girls’ Junior Championship July 9-10. Like the State Am, the Girls’ Junior could also yield a three-time champion in Megan Blonien.

In addition to the changes made to the State Am and Stroke play guidelines, revisions were also made to Fore State qualifications. Under the new rules, the Girls’ Junior Champion is an automatic pick for the Fore State team and any girl who participates in the Girls’ Junior Championship is eligible to be a captain’s pick. These are changes that

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all WOGA members are very excited about.

“Fore State is becoming more and more competitive with many junior girls and college players participating. It gives juniors the opportunity to experience different formats such as Foursomes, Four-ball and Match Play as well as see what the competition is like among the college players,” says Fore State Captain and Vice President Dills.

2012 definitely seems like the year of the juniors, and WOGA President Cherie Rich thinks it’s about time. “WOGA has a longstanding and proud tradition in this state, but we need to get more juniors involved in the organization to ensure that tradition continues.” Deadline for entries into this event is July 5.

The following week, WOGA will be at the Oaks Country Club in Tulsa for the Stroke Play / Mid-Am Championship July 16-17. Keeping with the theme, this event could also award two more hat tricks. Ellen Mueller will compete for her chance at a three-peat in the Stroke Play event, while Katy Treadwell aims for her third straight Mid-Am title. Last year, Mueller impressed the field by shooting a first-round 67. And

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the titleholders) and two captains picks will make up the Oklahoma Fore State Team.

The 18th Annual Fore State Tournament will be held at the Highlands in Hutchinson, Kan., July 29-31. Oklahoma will be defending its title and going for its eighth over-all victory since the tournament began in 1994. Oklahoma currently boasts the most Fore State victories in the tournament’s history with seven.

Missouri trails close behind with six.

Whitney McAteer seeks her third WOGA Amateur.

WOGA has a very exciting then she fired back an even more impressive season approaching and members are hope66 in round two to shoot a two-day total of ful of record membership numbers. In addi133 and win the title for a second year. Katy tion to the efforts made to gain more junior Treadwell won her second title last year af- participation, WOGA also launched a new ter winning on the first playoff hole against Facebook and website campaign encouragChrissy Bagwell. The Stroke Play Cham- ing all women to participate, no matter their pionship is also now open to juniors. The skill level or handicap.

Championship entry deadline is July 9.

The “Am I Good Enough?” campaign feaThe winners of these four events, the four tures women of varying skill levels providplayers with highest points totals (other than ing candid testimonials of their experiences

and reassuring others that you can compete no matter your handicap or experience.

Glenda Radigonda, a one-year member of WOGA, encourages women to just do it.

“There are so many parts of WOGA that you don’t want to miss. I don’t think you want to think about your handicap. Just get out there and do it. It’s a blast.” For more information on how to join WOGA, visit www.woga.us.

WOGA Schedule

94th Annual State Amateur Championship: June 25-28 at Gaillardia Country Club 62nd Annual Girls’ Junior Championship: July 9-10 at Willow Creek Country Club Stroke Play / Mid-Am Championship: July 16 17 at The Oaks Country Club 18th Annual Fore State Team Championship July 29-31 at The Highlands Golf Club Partnership Championship: Aug. 20-21 at Shangri-La Golf Club 36th Annual Senior Championship: Sept.

18-19 at Meadowbrook Country Club 2nd Annual WOGA Cup Club Team Championship: Oct. 22-23 at Stillwater Country Club

www.golfoklahoma.org •••••• 55

INSTRUCTION

Divot and a Draw Golf Medal for Golf by steve ball owner, ball golf center

So you are a golfer that never hits the ball solidly and always hits a slice. Here’s a way to fix both faults and give you unlimited potential to play great golf. In order to do that you must be able to take a divot AFTER impact and hit the ball from the inside while releasing the club, thus producing a draw-shot shape.

3 This is the impact position; the shaft is leaning forward causing contact with the ball first and then a divot afterwards, again notice the left wrist bowing and the right wrist slightly cupped.

If you pick the ball off the ground and never make solid contact your impact position is opposite this. Your left wrist is cupped and your right wrist is extended. No chance for good golf shots!

1 Here is a player with the club about halfway down -- shaft is pointed down the line, the back of his left hand is facing away from his body.

4 Here is the finish of the release. Notice the right hand has rotated over the left, causing the face to close down, thus producing the draw-shot shape.

2 The next position shows his left wrist bowing slightly and the club is lagging behind, creating a forward shaft lean.

56 •••••• www.golfoklahoma.org

IMPORTANT: This releasing of the hands is beginning before impact. So you must understand the club is descending into the ball and releasing at the same time.

Now this is a lot of motion happening in a very short time. You have no chance of correcting this in your swing at full speed. Begin in very slow motion without hitting a ball. Then as you get more comfortable begin to hit 50-yard shots, your goal being somewhat of a “punch draw” that will require a divot after impact and the ball curving.

I promise you this: Develop this impact position and you can have as good of a golf game as you want.

Three choices on putting Pick a method and stick with it by pat bates director of instruction, gaillardia country club

We all know the phrase “Drive for show, putt for dough.” As a former PGA Tour player, I have first-hand experience with this truth. Roughly 42 percent of your score is putting, so whether you are trying to win the U.S. Open or beat your buddies we all need to make some putts.

To be a consistent putter you need to have a good system of putting. That means you need to have your putter fit your stroke. There are basically three ways to putt great.

1. Swing your putter on an arc. Putters that fit this stroke will be 45 degrees toe down. That means when you balance the putter on your finger, the toes points down at a 45-degree angle. The putter will swing back and open slightly on the backswing and close slightly on the through swing. Although it appears to open on the backswing and close on the downswing, the putter face

is always square to the arc (if that sounds too complicated then just trust me). Great putters that fit this example are Tiger Woods and Brad Faxon. Players that use the belly putter also hold to this system. Since the putter is anchored to the body it will naturally swing in an arc.

2. Swing your putter inside out. In other words, hook your putts. Putters that fit this stroke are the old-school blades such as the 8802 and the Arnold Palmer special. Scotty Cameron makes a great Napa blade that I have used for years. When you balance these putters the toe will point down, which means the putter will have more rotation which is needed to create a hook spin. Great putters that fit this mold are Ben Crenshaw, Phil Mickelson and the great Bobby Locke (you youngsters may have to Google him).

3. Swing your putter straight back and

straight through. This has been made famous by Dave Pelz. Putters that fit this system are face-balanced such as the Odyssey Two Ball. That means when you balance the putter the face will point to the sky. Although it is hard to actually take the putter straight back and straight through on a long putt (because the longer the stroke the more it will have to swing on an arc), you can be successful keeping the putter on line longer through the impact zone. Dave Stockton is best known for using this system. My buddy Ben Crane also uses this system, but he is probably known more for his funny golf videos. Also players that use crosshand grips such as Jim Furyk like this type of putter because they want a putter with very little face rotation.

One way to not putt great is to slice your putts, or take the putter back outside to in.

We all know what happens to a sliced tee shot. It spins a bunch and usually does not roll much. The same holds true for putting.

The ball will spin, bounce and skid before it starts to roll, which is not going to give you a true roll. This is the No. 1 fault I see with high handicappers and the first thing I fix!

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SUPERINTENDENT’S PERSPECTIVE

PRESENTED BY

Greens must stay cool by tim schaefer gcsaa, emerald falls

Aerification has come and gone, the fairway mowers are in full attack mode and the course is green and playing great. We all know what comes next though, the oh-sodreaded heat. Soon the Oklahoma summer will set in and with that comes new hurdles for golfers to deal with, the agronomy guys that are watering the greens.

In our line of work they are known as syringers. They play a vital role in keeping greens healthy throughout the long, hot summer. As temperatures increase so does the need for these guys. The goal of a green syringer is not to get in your way but to cool the bentgrass plant enough to help it make it through the day.

Bentgrass is native to climates much cooler than ours and in its native form grows 4 to 5 inches tall. When golf-course superintendents maintain bentgrass at 1/8” or below we are taking it out of its comfort zone.

These conditions can inhibit the plant from breathing or respiring, in turn leading to det-

No. 9 green at Emerald Falls.

rimental results that none of us desire.

As previously stated, when we syringe a golf green our goal is to cool the canopy of the grass. Research has shown that a onetime syringe can cool the canopy for 30 minutes or longer. Last summer some of the green canopies were reaching temperatures in excess of 120 degrees. This quick syringe can cool the plant 20 degrees or more, giving the syringer more time to check the other putting greens.

In many ways turf plants are much like human life. I relate this to hot summer days

when I am in the sun all day. One thing that will cool me off is water. Many restaurants have incorporated misters on their patio areas to do exactly that. As soon as the mist hits your skin you begin to cool down. The same goes with bentgrass putting greens.

So the next time you see a golf-course employee watering greens, remember he is not trying to mess up your putting but trying to give the bentgrass a fighting chance against Mother Nature. The cooler we are able to keep the greens on hot summer days the better the putting surface will be on your next visit to our facility.

After the heat and dryness of last summer I think we can all agree that keeping the greens cool is probably the most important job on the golf course.

upplier s l the of

Offici a

PARTNERS IN EXCELLENCE

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ARCHITECT’S NOTEBOOK

Sustainable Design McDowell Mountain Golf Club Sustainability has many definitions and interpretations. In golf-course architecture, our firm has strived to blend issues relating to environmental sensitivity, economic success and social interaction into each of our golf-course projects.

One of our more recent projects took place last summer in Scottsdale, Ariz.

The Sanctuary Golf Course at Westworld opened in 1999 on federal land managed by the Bureau of Reclamation and was designed to push the envelope of environmental sensitivity. It was the first golf course in Arizona developed under the strict Audubon International Signature Program and 17th in the world. From 1999 through 2010 it earned high praise by area residents but never gained sufficient market share of the golf-savvy tourism traffic. The initial design allowed for 70 acres of maintained turf surrounded by native plant material indigenous to the Sonoran Desert.

In all environmental categories the course earned recognition and was deemed a success. As the economy slowed, rounds and revenue declined, resulting in fewer funds available for maintenance of the vegetation framing each hole. This resulted in an increase in lost balls, longer time to play each round, fewer rounds available each day and much less enjoyment for the golfer. The business model was no longer financially sustainable.

Fortunately, in early 2011 a long-term lease was acquired by Phil Mickelson and Steve Loy, his college coach turned business manager/partner. They felt the project was a perfect course to implement their vision and design philosophies for sustainable golf.

Phil and Steve, along with other project team members who included Heckenkemper Golf Course Design, Landscapes Unlimited, OB Sports and staff from the Bureau of Reclamation, evaluated all aspects of the course with particular emphasis on player demographics, resulting in establishing several very clear objectives to guide the renovation.

Through course modifications we wanted to re-brand the course to increase rounds/ revenue, become more family-oriented, lessen average length of rounds played, increase overall enjoyment of playing our course and re-establish a balance to provide adequate area to play golf and the desire to

maintain a desert environment that supports a diverse wildlife.

Randy To gain more play Heckenkemper by low-handicap golfers we understood the need to add several new back tees to increase length by 460 yards so as to be more consistent with other championship courses in the area. Next, and perhaps more importantly, was to create a fun and enjoyable golf experience for all other golfers when playing their appropriate tees.

On many holes turf Dramatic changes at McDowell Mountain. was added to connect the forward two tees Average round time has been reduced by with the fairway to eliminate forced carries more than 30 minutes during peak times, of desert areas. Turf was also added in some yielding more players per day. The added areas to create wider corridors for those who length has provided our better players a fair “slice,” and to add additional assistance in test and new challenges on a daily basis by retaining errant golf shots from running into allowing them more opportunity to hit driver the desert we created “waste bunkers” to on tee shots or to hit longer irons into greens. frame most landing areas and serve as a tran- The widening of fairways has allowed golfsition between turf and the native vegetation. ers a greater variance in their tee shots while In order to balance improved playability helping eliminate the addition of penalty with future water usage and maintenance ex- strokes from lost balls or unplayable lies. penses, some less-utilized turf was removed The removal of dense vegetation along to accommodate added turf. The use of cost- the sides of all holes has created a more effective decomposed granite was selected visually striking course from tee to green. to provide a reasonable non-turf playable The give-and-take of turf resulted in a net surface. Dense underbrush was selectively gain from 70 to 75 acres of maintained turf, removed and existing rock was harvested by which is still considered conservative. The hand and re-purposed into low dry-stacked decomposed granite transition areas and walls framing the exterior of all holes. waste bunkers added another 15 acres of In addition to the golf-course modifica- “reasonable” playing area. Rounds and revtions, maintenance operations have also eval- enue are up significantly and players of all uated their procedures to be more sustain- demographics now comprise our players. able. In simple terms they have returned to Lastly, this winter the course experienced a cultural practices that start with the founda- large increase of out-of-town players. tion that the healthier the soil the less water, Sustainable golf courses must carefully fertilizer and chemicals are needed. Increased balance all aspects and continually be willdeep aerification and application of calcium ing to make subtle adjustments as economic and other organic soil amendments have had or environmental conditions warrant. We a tremendous impact on turf quality. hope that McDowell Mountain Golf Club On Oct. 11, 2011, we opened the re-brand- serves a model to help other projects remain ed McDowell Mountain Golf Club. Since the prosperous. renovation, several key indicators demonstrate our goals having been met and we are Randy Heckenkemper is a Tulsa-based archifinancially positioned for long-term success. tect with many projects in Oklahoma. www.golfoklahoma.org •••••• 59

SCHEDULES & RESULTS COLLEGE MEN NAIA At Creekside GC, Salem, Ore. (par-72) May 22-25 Team leaders (28 teams): 1, Okla. City 297-298286-295 – 1,178; 2, Okla. Christian 297-288-292302 – 1,179; 3, British Columbia 299-295-300-292 – 1,186; 4, Johnson and Wales 298-294-290-305 – 1,187; 5, Cumberlands 305-291-297-295 – 1,188; 6, Texas Wesleyan 306-299-287-297 – 1,189. Did not make cut: Southern Nazarene 319-316-308 – DNF. Individual leaders: 1, Carson Kallis (Victoria) 74-71-72-66 – 283; 2, Nathan Anderson (TW) 70-74-69-71 – 284; 3, Vilhelm Bogstrand (Okla.

Chr.) 71-71-70-76 – 288; 4, Brandon Meltzer (JW) 73-65-71-80 – 289; 5, Scott Malo (BC) 76-7273-69 – 290; 6 (tie), Alastair Tidcome (Cumb.)

75-70-72-74 – 291 and Aaron Flores (Our Lady of the Lake) 76-71-68-76 – 291; 8 (tie), Taylor Artman (Okla. City) 73-74-71-74 – 292 and Julian Taylor 76-73-68-75 – 292; 10 (tie), Clark Collier (Okla. City) 74-75-71-74 – 294, Logan Herbst (Okla. Chr.) 75-73-72-74 – 294 and Niclas Rigbrandt (Cumb.) 75-73-73-73 – 294.

Other scores: Elliot Groves (Okla. City) 7873-72-74 – 297, Alasdair Dalgleish (Okla. Chr.) 79-71-75-74 – 299, Michael Palmer (Okla. City) 76-76-72-76 – 300, James Marchesani (Okla.

City) 74-82-72-73 – 301, Preston Wilkins (Okla.

Chr.) 74-73-75-78 – 300, Jared Consoli (Okla.

Chr.) 77-73-76-78 – 304 NCAA DIVISION II MEDAL/MATCH PLAY At Cardinal GC, Louisville May 18-19 Quarterfinals: Chico State def. C. Missouri 3-2; CSU-Stanislaus def. Georgia College 3-2; NOVA Southeastern def. S.C.-Aiken 4-1.

C. Oklahoma def. Barry 3-2 – Josh Creel (UCO) def. Daniel Stapff 73-77, Dillon Rust (UC) def.

Marcelo Huarte 71-72, Marcus Segerstrom (B) def. Baer Aneshansley 71-73, Derek Franco (UCO) def. Simon Forslund 69-74, Scott Smyers (B) def. Andrew Green 73-74.

Semifinals: Chico State def. CSU-Stanislaus 3.5-1.5.

NOVA-Southeastern def. C. Oklahoma 2.5-2.5 (NOVA-Southeastern won tiebreaker).— Josh Creel (UCO) def. Ben Taylor 66-68, Oscar Lengden (NOVA) Dillon Rust 66-72, Baer Aneshansley (UCO) tied Ricardo Celia 70-70, Derek Franco (UCO) def. Ben Vertz 76-77, Mitch Farrer (NOVA) def. Andrew Green 69-70.

Final: NOVA-Southeastern def. Chico State 5-0.

SOONER ATHLETIC At The Rawls Course, Lubbock, Texas (par-72) April 23-24 Team scores: 1, Okla. City 283-280-272 – 835; 2, Okla. Christian 286-295-283 – 864; 3, Wayland Baptist 288-288-291 – 867; 4, Lubbock Christian 286-296-292 – 874; 5, Southern Nazarene290-292-295 – 877; 6, Rogers State 306-291-287 – 884; 7, Okla. Baptist 296-288-307 – 891; 8, Northwestern (Okla.) State 316-316-306 – 938; 9, Mid-American Christian 329-323-318 – 970; 10, John Brown 329-323-326 – 978.

Individual leaders: 1, Clark Collier (Okla. City) 67-69-66 – 202; 2, Alasdair Dalgleish (Okla. Chr.) 72-70-65 – 207; 3, James Marchesani (Okla. City) 73-70-68 – 211; 4, Bradley Phelps (RSU) 73-6970 – 212; 5, Taylor Artman (Okla. City) 76-71-66 – 213; 6 (tie), Elliot Grove (Okla. City) 72-70-72 – 214, Michael Palmer (Okla. City) 71-71-72 – 214 and Ryan Connolly (WB) 70-74-70 – 214.

Other scores: Logan Herbst (Okla. Chr.) 71-74-72 – 217, Johan Andersson (SN) 72-68-77 – 217, Sam Russell (SN) 73-73-72 – 218, Ethan Fine (OBU) 72-73-75 – 220, Chase Lindsey (OBU) 72-73-75 – 220, Vilhelm Bogstrand (Okla. Chr.) 73-73-75 – 221.

BIG 12 At Whispering Pines, Trinity, Texas (par-72) April 27-29 Team scores: 1, Texas A&M 296-286-286-297 – 1,165; 2, Texas 302-292-283-291 – 1,168; 3, Texas

60 •••••• www.golfoklahoma.org

Tech 290-298-290-305 – 1,183; 4, Oklahoma 292-292-296-305 – 1,185; 5, Baylor 304-297-290296 – 1,187; 6, Oklahoma State 310-302-287-297 – 1,196; 7, Iowa State 307-299-299-299 – 1,204; 8, Missouri 312-301-300-296 – 1,209; 9, Kansas State 307-304-307-309 – 1,227; 10, Kansas 307320-304-315 – 1,246.

Individual leaders: 1, Joakim Mikkelsen (Baylor) 74-71-72-68 – 285; 2, Tyler Dunlap (Texas A&M) 73-71-69-74 – 287; 3 (tie), Abraham Ancer (OU) 72-69-69-78 – 288 and Dylan Frittelli (Texas) 69-76-67-76 – 288; 5, Jordan Spieth (Texas) 74-69-75-71 – 289; 6, Johannes Veerman (Texas A&M) 72-70-73-75 – 290.

Other scores: Michael Gellerman (OU) 74-72-7674 – 296, Ian Davis 78-77-70-72 – 297, Sean Einhaus (OSU) 76-75-80-71 – 302, Tanner Kesterson (OSU) 78-77-69-78 – 302, Talor Gooch (OSU) 78-73-75-77 – 303, Riley Pumphrey (OU) 72-7580-78 – 305, Charlie Saxon (OU) 74-76-73-88 – 311, Will Kropp (OU) 79-79-78-75 – 311.

SUMMIT LEAGUE At Primm Valley GC, Primm, Nev. (par-72) April 18-19 Team scores: 1 (tie), IUPUI 265-291-293 – 849 (won playoff); 2, Southern Utah 278-288-283 – 849; 3, Oral Roberts 285-287-279 – 851; 4, IPFW 279-287-290 – 856; 5, North Dakota State 291-288-282 – 861; 6, Western Illinois 285-292288 – 865; 7, UMKC 293-298-290 – 881; 8, South Dakota State 291-305-286 – 882; 9, Oakland 296-292-295 – 883; 10, South Dakota 302-305308 – 915.

Individual leaders: 1, Michael Davan (IUPUI) 74-71-70 – 205; 2, Ben Engle (IUPUI) 62-70-75 – 207; 3, Scott Newell (ORU) 69-71-68 – 208; 4 (tie), Ben Kilborn 73-69-69 – 211, Nick Cunningham (Oak.) 68-72-71 – 211 and Jake Holt (S. Utah) 72-68-71 – 211.

Other ORU scores: David Holtgrewe 80-68-67 – 215, Jake Spencer 71-74-74 – 219, Bryan Boaz 73-75-71 – 219, Shannon Allen 72-74-73 – 219.

C-USA At Texarkana (Ark.) CC (par-72) April 23-24 Team scores: 1, Memphis 282-289-288 – 859; 2, Central Florida 290-284-287 – 861; 3, East Carolina 295-287-287 – 869; 4 (tie), SMU 284-300-289 – 873 and UAB 292-291-290 – 873; 6, Houston 292-296-296 – 884; 7, Tulsa 301-296-291 – 888; 8, Marshall 286-309-297 – 892; 9, S. Mississippi 296-303-295 – 894; 10, UTEP 297-299-302 – 898; 11, Rice 309-296-310 -- 915 Individual leaders: 1, Greg Eason (UCF) 70-6870 – 208; 2 (tie), Jack Belote (Memphis) 68-7170 – 209 and Max Buckley (SMU) 68-72-69 – 209; 4, Martin Simonsen (UTEP) 72-67-73 – 212.

Tulsa scores: Matt Mabrey 73-77-69 – 219, Mark Mumford 80-71-70 – 221, Colton Staggs 74-7676 – 226, John Young Kim 78-74-76 – 228, Chris Worrell 76-75-77 – 228.

WOMEN NCAA At The Legends Club, Franklin, Tenn. (par-72) May 22-25 Team leaders (24 teams): 1, Alabama 286-285306-294 – 1,171; 2, Southern Cal 297-288-294293 – 1,172; 3, LSU 293-294-297-289 – 1,173; 4, Virginia 288-294-301-292 – 1,175; 5, South Carolina 302-281-300-293 – 1,176; 6 (tie), Oklahoma 294-299-295-291 – 1,179 and Arizona State 292-291-304-292 – 1,179; 8, UCLA 292-290-306293 – 1,181; 9, Purdue 293-295-295-299 – 1,182; 10, North Carolina 290-292-303-299 – 1,184; 11, Vanderbilt 306-284-311-285 – 1,186; 12, Florida 302-293-297-298 – 1,190.

Individual leaders: 1, Chirapat Jao-Javanil (OU) 69-73-70-70 – 282; 2, Brooke Pancake (Ala.) 6870-75-73 – 286; 3 (tie), Laura Gonzalez (Purdue) 67-76-74-70 – 287 and Tessa Teachman (LSU)

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69-74-70-74 – 287; 5, Katie Burnett (S.C.) 7467-74-73 – 288; 6 (tie), Brittany Marchand (NCS) 71-76-70-73 – 290 and Lindy Duncan (Duke) 70-75-75-70 – 290.

Other scores: Taylor Schmidt (OU) 74-75-73-72 – 294, Anne Tanguay (OU) 72-73-76-73 – 294, Jacki Marshall (OU) 79-80-76-76 – 311, Kelsey Vines (OSU) 72-83-81-76 – 312, Emily Collins (OU) 79-78-77-80 – 314.

NCAA DIVISION II At Persimmon Ridge GC, Louisville (par-72) May 16-19 Team leaders: 1, NOVA-Southeastern 308-306315-305 – 1,234; 2, Fla. Southern 314-315-309316 – 1,254; 3, Grand Canyon 330-322-305-316 – 1,273; 4, Barry 329-324-308-323 – 1,284; 5, Tarleton State 338-322-309-322 – 1,291; 6, California (Pa.) 333-314-327-326 – 1,300; 7, Grand Valley State 331-316-315-339 – 1,301; 8, Central Oklahoma 322-331-328-322 – 1,303; 9, Indianapolis 337-326-308-334 – 1,305; 10, Augusta (S.D.) 340-329-330-321 – 1,320; 11, Colo. Mesa 356344-332-359 – 1,391; 12, Western New Mexico 355-354-357-337 – 1,403.

Individual leaders: 1, Abbey Gittings (NOVA) 72-75-78-73 – 298; 2, Meghan Moore (UNC-Pem) 75-75-78-72 – 300; 3 (tie), Daniela Ortiz (NOVA) 73-72-79-77 – 301 and Liliana Camisa (NOVA) 76-76-76-73 – 301; 5 (tie), Chaney Uhlee (UCO) 76-79-75-76 – 306 and Sarah Hoffman (GV) 7878-73-77 – 306.

Other UCO scores: Taylor Neidy 76-80-74-78 – 318, Lindsey Bensch 83-82-83-81 – 329, Mychael McWhorter 87-90-86-88 – 351, Tressa Brumley 90-93-93-87 -- 363 NAIA At Link Hills G&CC, Greenville, Tenn. (par-73) May 15-18 Team leaders (28 teams): 1, British Columbia 305-299-304-303 – 1,211; 2, SCAD-Savannah 310-295-304-304 – 1,213; 3, Embry-Riddle 308304-308-295 – 1,215; 4, William Woods 303304-310-307 – 1,224; 5, Shorter 298-308-310-315 – 1,231; 6, Okla. Christian 302-314-309-313 – 1,238; 7, Lubbock Christian 301-318-315-308 – 1,242; 8, Okla. City 318-300-312-313 – 1,243; 9, Northwood 304-315-322-308 – 1,249; 10, Wayland Baptist 304-319-320-312 – 1,255. Did not make cut: Southern Nazarene 327-332-332 – DNF. Individual leaders: 1, Megan Woodland (Victoria) 73-70-76-73 – 292; 2, Anna Arrese (Okla. Chr.) 74-73-73-73 – 293; 3, Jamie Palermo (WW) 7374-75-73 – 295; 4, Jessica Schiele (Okla. City) 77-68-75-76 – 296.

Other scores: Taylor Howard (Okla, City) 78-7581-75 – 309, Morgan Dockery 72-78-81-83 – 314, Sarah Harper 79-81-73-81 – 314, Catherine Odgers 77-82-82-76 –- 317, Mary Larsh (Okla. City) 80-78-78-82 – 318, Madison Haley (Okla. City) 85-79-78-80 – 322, Tanya Tibshraeny (Okla., City) 83-79-83-82 – 327, Courtney Steuver (Okla.

Chr.) 84-86-88-91 – 349.

SOONER ATHLETIC At Lincoln Park West, Okla. City (par-72) April 16-17 Team scores: 1, Okla. City 299-301 – 600; 2, Okla.

Christian 305-302 – 607; 3, Lubbock Christian 305-303 – 608; 4, Wayland Baptist 310-303 – 613; 5, Southern Nazarene 319-306 – 625; 6, Rogers State 326-321 – 647; 7, Okla. Baptist 325-323 – 648; 8, Northwestern (Okla.) State 370-353 – 723.

Individual leaders: 1, Anna Arrese (Okla. Chr.) 71-71 – 142; 2, Jessica Schiele (Okla. City) 72-72 – 144; 3, Anna Schopp (:Lubbock Chr.) 71-76 – 147; 4, Mary Larsh (Okla. City) 75073 – 148; 5, Sarah Helly (WB) 76-73 – 149; 6 (tie), Morgan Dockery (Okla. Chr.) 75-75 – 150, Taylor Howard (Okla.

City) 76-74 – 150 and Erika Dolezelova (SN) 77-73 – 150.

Other scores: Jordan Leibold (SN) 80-73 – 153, Amanda Dixon (NWOSU) 81-75 – 156, Sarah Harper (Okla. Chr.) 78-78 – 156, Whitney Hocutt (RSU) 81-76 – 157.

OKLAHOMA HIGH SCHOOL BOYS May 7-8 Class 6A At Karsten Creek, Stillwater (par-72) Team leaders: 1, Edmond North 300-293-301 – 894; 2, Edmond Memorial 296-309-316 – 921; 3, Jenks 309-311-316 – 936; 4, Edmond Santa Fe 314-316-317 – 947; 5, Broken Arrow 329-310-315 – 915 – 954; 6, Union 322-313-325 – 960.

Individual leaders: 1, Max McGreevy (ESF) 7372-71 – 216; 2, Nick Heinen (EN) 75-69-73 – 217; 3, Taylor Moore (EM) 72-72-74 – 218; 4, Hayden Wood (EN) 76-68-75 – 219; 5, Tate Williamson (BA) 76-70-76 – 222; 6, Brendon Jelley (Jenks) 75-75-73 – 223.

Class 5A At Chickasha Pointe GC (par-72) Team leaders: 1, Bishop Kelley 316-319-328 – 963 (won playoff); 2, Shawnee 316-321-326 – 963; 3, Edmond Deer Creek 319-315-338 – 972; 4, Ardmore 318-325-339 – 982; 5, Durant 321-326344 – 991.

Individual leaders: 1. Jacob Oaks (Ardmore) 74-74-73 – 221 (won playoff); 2, Logan Gray (El Reno) 74-75-72 – 221; 3, Will Murphy (Kelley) 77-78-79 – 234; 4 (tie), Eric Moore (Tulsa Memorial) 79-78-78 – 235 and Seth Wheeler (Durant) 74-83-78 – 235.

Class 4A At Lake Hefner North GC, Okla. City (par-72) Team leaders: 1, Heritage Hall 295-289=285 – 869; 2, Elk City 293-299-284 – 876; 3, Ada 301291-291 – 883; 4, Cascia Hall 297-308-301 – 906.

Individual leaders: 1, Trent Mewbourn (HH) 6668-73 – 207; 2 (tie), Gabe Rogers (CH) 65-74-70 – 209 and Garrison Mendoza (Clinton) 71-70-68 – 209; 4, Wyatt Robson (Ada) 70-70-71 – 211.

Class 3A At Dornick Hills, Ardmore (par-70) Team leaders: 1, Okla. Christian 285-300-301 – 886; 2, Plainview 297-300-297 – 894; 3, Idabel 312-294-308 – 914; 4, Pauls Valley 315-315-340 – 970.

Individual leaders: 1, Nick Stauter (Idabel) 70-68-75 – 213; 2, Jackson Hess (Okmulgee) 6874-72 – 214; 4, Will Roberts (Plainview) 71-75-73 – 219.

Class 2A At Sugar Creek Canyon, Hinton (par-72) Team leaders: 1, Rejoice Christian 323-327-313 – 963; 2, Hinton 321-325-319 – 965; 3, Laverne 346340-348 – 1,034; 4, Liberty 354-339-344 – 1,037.

Individual leaders: 1, Justin Strathe (Rejoice) 74-74-71 – 219; 2, Ryan Stults (Luther) 77-73-71 – 221; 3, Preston Lowell (Tishomingo) 74-74-75 – 223; 4, Brian Wenninger (Burns Flat) 77-7475 – 226.

GIRLS May 2-3 Class 6A At Muskogee CC (par-71) Team leaders: 1, Union 303-303 – 606; 2, Edmond North 317-314 – 631; 3, Jenks 327-328 – 655; 4, Broken Arrow 328-338 – 666; 5, Mustang 345-332 – 677.

Individual leaders: 1. Allison Sell (EN) 73-74 – 147; 2 (tie), Emma Allen (Union) 75-74 – 149 and Anna Kim (Union) 75-74 – 149; 4, Catrina Pearson (Musk.) 80-70 – 150; 5, Nadia Majidi (Union) 76-75 – 151.

Class 5A At Lincoln Park East, Okla. City (par-70) Team leaders: 1, Duncan 328-322 – 650; 2, McGuinness 328-327 – 655; 3, Edmond Deer Creek 336-322 – 658; 4, Altus 376-342 – 718.

Individual leaders: 1, Megan Blonien (Altus) 7567 – 142; 2, Alexis Sadeghy (McG) 74-71 – 145; 3, McCandren Lewis (Guthrie) 74-77 – 151; 4, Caitlin Farris (McG) 77-76 – 153.

Class 4A At Lake Hefner GC, Okla. City (par-73) Team leaders: 1, Poteau 356-364 – 720; 2, Anadarko 372-369 – 741; 3, Hilldale 368-379 – 747; 4, Cushing 376-375 – 751.

Individual leaders: 1, Hannah Ward (Poteau) 76-74 – 150; 2, Kayla Schroeder (Bristow) 81-77 – 158; 3 (tie) Sarah Delong (Elgin) 81-82 – 163 and Darby Morgan (Weatherford) 82-81 – 163.

Class 3A At Fountainhead Creek GC, Checotah (par-72) Team leaders: 1, Comanche 345-339 – 684; 2, Idabel 349-352 – 701; 3, Henryetta 358-349 – 707; 4 (tie), Plainview 360-353 – 713 and Purcell 357-356 – 713.

Individual leaders: 1, Madelyn Lehr (Idabel) 7779 – 156; 2 (tie), Megan Gowens (Purcell) 82-79 – 160 and Ashton Gores (Plainview) 81-79 – 160; 4, Jordan Hurphrey (Bethel) 82-79 – 161.

Class 2A At Trosper Park, Okla. City (par-70) Team leaders: 1, Hinton 356-343 – 699; 2, Oktaha 335-367 – 702; 3, Turner 367-349 – 716; 4, Rejoice Christian 383-376 – 759.

Individual leaders: 1, Katie-Lee Wilson (Rejoice) 75-72 – 147; 2, Maci Arrington (Hinton) 76-73 – 149; 3, Kailey Campbell (Oktaha) 73-79 – 152; 4, Tess Hartog (Turner) 81-74 – 155.

OKLAHOMA SPRING FOUR-BALL At Twin Hills G&CC, Okla. City (par-72) May 21-22 1, Jeff Coffman/Brian Birchell 66-65 – 131; 2, Jeb Blacketer/Bill Bishop Jr. 67-65 – 132; 3 (tie), Kris Hudelson/Cameron Meyers 69-66 – 135 and Don Cochran/Rick Bell 68-67 – 135; 5 (tie), Scott Kedy/Heath Myers 67-69 – 136 and Cooper Johnson/J. Kelly Hudelson 67-69 – 136; 7 (tie), Jordan Perceful/Zachary Oliver 70-67 – 137 and Jeff Oakes/Paul Brunner 67-70 – 137; 9, Joel Paden/Russ Smith 71-67 – 138; 10, Daniel Funk/ Austin Schmidt 71-68 – 139.

OKLAHOMA SENIOR SPRING FOUR-BALL At Twin Hills G&CC, Okla. City (par-72) May 21-22 1, Rex Hughes/William J. Lavender 63-68 – 131; 2, Michael Hughett/Eric Mueller 67-66 – 133; 3, Joseph Bushee 66-68 – 134; 4 (tie), Scott Mastell/ Tony Ellison 67-68 – 135 and Lanny Dickmann Jr./Nick Fuller 69-66 – 135; 6, Dan Clark 70-66 – 136; 7, Craig Collins 69-68 – 137; 8, Stan Reyes/ Dan Meyer 68-70 – 138; 9, Mike Parham/Allen Anderson 68-71 – 139.

TULSA GOLF ASSOCIATION TWO-MAN CHALLENGE At South Lakes GC, Jenks April 14-15 A flight: 1, Mark Costello/Cole Wiederkehr 66-96 – 162; 2, Jason Gulley/David Weiderkehr 63-101 – 1643; Tim Hoagland/Ken Kee 63-104 – 167; 4 (tie), Mark Baber/Jeff Nickle 64-105 – 169 and Marty Edwards/Phil Geirger 63-106 – 169.

OKLA. JUNIOR GOLF TOUR OKLAOMA’S BEST HIGH SCHOOL CLASSIC At John Conrad GC, Midwest City (par-72) May 27-28 Boys 1, Hayden Wood 70-68 – 138 (won playoff); 2, Max McGreevy 66-72 – 138; 3 (tie), Alexander Hall 73-68 – 141 and Michael Hampton 70-71 – 141; 5, Tate Williamson 73-69 – 142; 6 (tie), Garrison Mendoza 75-68 – 143, Zac Oliver 70-73 – 143 and Gavin Mastell 75-68 – 143; 9 (tie), Matthew Folsom 73-71 – 144 and Nick Heinen 70-74 – 144.

Girls 1, Anna Mikish 71-73 – 144; 2, Nadia Majidi 75-70 – 145; 3 (tie), Emma Allen 75-71 – 146, Hannah Ward 75-71 – 146 and Alexis Sadeghy 73-73 – 146; 6, Kailey Campbell 74-74 – 148; 7 (tie), Katie-Lee Wilson 75-74 – 149 and Anna Kim 74-75 – 149; 9, Caroline Goodin 75-75 – 150; 10, Marla Souvannasing 79-73 – 152.

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