2012 Golf Oklahoma August / September Issue

Golf Oklahoma www.golfoklahoma.org August - September 2012

Shangri - La

Oklahoma's Grand Lake Resort enjoys a renaissance

Buddy Phillips: 40 years at Cedar Ridge

www.golfoklahoma.org Official publication of the Oklahoma Golf Association

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GOLF AND COUNTRY CLUB

Southwest Oklahoma’s Premier Golf Facility

For membership information Call Jeff Tyrrell at 580.475.0075 or visit WWW.TERRITORYGOLF.COM PO Box 1228 Duncan, Oklahoma 73534

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www.golfoklahoma.org •••••• 5

Contents Shangri-La

28 34

Buddy Phillips Features

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Departments

Art of Golf comes to Oklahoma City

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A Century of history at Oklahoma City Golf & Country Club

Tee of OKC enjoys new digs 38 First

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8 Letter from the editor 10 OGA 15 WOGA 16 Chip Shots 20 The goods 26 Equipment 28 Where we play 44 Pro Profile 45 Amateur Profile 48 Celebrity Profile 52 Fitness 54 Instruction 56 Architect’s Notebook 58 Super’s Perspective 60 Schedules & Results

Tennessee and Texas getaways 40 profiled

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On the cover: Shangri-La Resort in Afton.

Photo by Rip Stell

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Support junior golf by contributing to the OGA Foundation Call 405-848-0042 for more information 6 •••••• www.golfoklahoma.org

For Every Player

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Letter from the publisher ken macleod

Golf Oklahoma Volume 2, Number 4 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 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.

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here is no shortage of folks doing their best in Oklahoma to help grow the game.

Dennis Bowman, head professional and superintendent at Pryor Creek Golf Course, took a grant from the Oklahoma Golf Association Foundation and used it to purchase 22 sets of youth golf clubs from U.S. Kids Golf.

Then Bowman persuaded the city of Pryor to allow him to make Tuesdays a free day for juniors with a paying adult. Not just for a few weeks or a month, Top, clubs for kids at Pryor. Above, Doug Tewell and Pat Bates on the Tewell Time Caravan. but hopefully forever.

“The idea is if we can get the juniors out are getting their hands back to square, they and get them to play with correctly sized are just ripping the ball. It’s been fun to clubs, they’ll have a lot more fun than us- watch.”

SNAG uses oversized plastic clubs and ing clubs that are way too long or big for them,” Bowman said. “Then they’ll want to balls that will stick to various targets, as well play more and hopefully develop into golf- as ribbons that teach proper arm, wrist and hand actions. ers down the line.”

Ohley said the participation in his junior The program is open to youth 17 and under and Bowman should have a set of clubs program has doubled since he purchased that fits pretty well. He purchased both right SNAG and he would be expanding his use of it going forward. and left-handed sets in various sizes.

We caught up with former PGA Tour Bowman said the program is just starting to take off but he has already noticed a few golfer Doug Tewell at the WOGA Girls Juof the kids who started on Tuesdays out nior Championship at Oaks Country Club where he was following student Aly Seng playing on other days with their parents.

Muskogee Country Club is one of many on her way to a second-place finish. Tewell, courses throughout Oklahoma to add the along with Pat Bates of Gaillardia CC, had SNAG (Start New at Golf) program to its ju- just completed a series of free clinics at nior golf arsenal this year and professional towns and small cities throughout OklahoRip Ohley said the results could not have ma. Participation had varied but most were embraced enthusiastically. The Tewell Time been better.

“The kids love it and it’s teaching them Caravan is a worthy project that we hope proper fundamentals,” Ohley said. “They continues.

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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.

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OKLAHOMA GOLF ASSOCIATION

OGA makes a difference The Oklahoma Golf Association couldn’t ask for much more from its champions this summer.

Stephen Carney makes four consecutive birdies at Southern Mark Felder OGA Executive Hills to win his second Director State Amateur Championship in three years, this time edging Draegon Majors 3 and 2 in a championship match in which the players combined for seven birdies in the first seven holes.

Mike Hughett continues to dominate our senior division, winning both the stroke play championship and the match play championship. Mike now has won 16 OGA championships and represented them all with classs.

The OGA is proud that its foundation was able to assist the family of Max McGreevy with his travel expenses for the U.S. Junior Amateur Championship at The Golf Club of New England. McGreevy, who

won the Class 6A state championship as a junior at Edmond Santa Fe earlier this spring as well as a prominent AJGA event in Bella Vista, went on to lead the qualifying scores the first day and finish as one of the top 64 who qualified for match play, where he lost in the first round.

The OGA would like to pay a special tribute this issue to Buddy Phillips, who is retiring in October after 40 years as the head PGA professional at Cedar Ridge Country Club in Broken Arrow.

Buddy Phillips is one of the hardest workers I’ve seen in any field. There’s not a pro in Oklahoma that hasn’t stolen some idea from Buddy and made it work at his place.

If something needs to be done, Buddy will either find someone to do it or do it himself.

One of the things that made a huge impression on me was my first year with the OGA (2002) and I’m announcing the players at Cedar Ridge. I look over and Buddy has sent someone to get a rag and some polish and he’s polishing the OGA Championship Trophy.

We salute Buddy Phillips for all he’s done for the OGA, his membership and golf for

40 years at Cedar Ridge.

Make sure to get your entries in for the two big events still on the calendar, the Oklahoma Open Aug. 24-26 at Oak Tree Country Club, featuring a $65,000 purse, and the OGA Mid-Amateur Sept. 17-18 at Forest Ridge Golf Club in Broken Arrow.

Understanding Slope Ratings

have you seen a group playing from the same teeing ground even when there is a wide variance of their handicaps? This shouldn’t happen. Let me show you how to use the Gene Mortensen OGA Rules numbers to help find a Director course that fits you.

The first number in our example, “74.9,” is the Course Rating. It is an indication of what a “scratch golfer” will score under normal conditions. A scratch player is a golfer who can play to a course handicap of zero (0). So, if the best amateur player will score 75 on those tees, where does that leave you?

The second number in our example, “129,” is the Slope Rating. It indicates the relative difficulty of a course for players who are not scratch players. A golf course of standard playing difficulty has a Slope Rating of 113 and the highest measure of difficulty is 155. The number is calculated by measuring the effective distance of each hole and how the obstacles will impact the playability of each hole for a player with a Handicap Index of 20. If your Index is in that range, here is an exercise you can perform to use the num-

bers to project a score from the various tees; divide the Slope Rating by 5 and add that result to the Course Rating. Using the numbers in our example we see the following: 129/5 = 25.8 + 74.9 = 100.7 The player with a Handicap Index of 20 is likely to have a score of 101 from those tees.

It’s hard work to strike a golf ball that many times, so use a tee that is more compatible to you and enjoy every round.

One of the comments about Slope Ratings which makes me cringe is “the Slope on my course is 130 and the slope on your course is 120 but I don’t believe one course is that much harder than the other.” Since Slope Ratings are unique to each course they cannot be used for comparisons. By way of example, a player with a 20 Handicap Index will not play the first hole at LaFortune Park GC the same as he would the first hole at Southern Hills CC. Look at the Course Ratings if you need to determine which course is more difficult.

If your name is on your bag and you make a living playing the game, grind it out. For everyone else the game should be an enjoyable experience and playing the course that fits you will help achieve that goal. In other words . . . have fun.

You will find a series of numbers on scorecards which can be used to make your game more enjoyable. The numbers to which I refer are the Course and Slope Ratings and they are part of the United States Golf Association Handicap System. The numbers are stated in the following format, “74.9/129” and there will be a separate set for each tee.

These numbers are used in a formula to calculate your Handicap Index and, with that Index, you will ascertain your course handicap for the tees you will play today.

It is up to each player to use these numbers to determine which set of tees is compatible to their skill level. You will find several sets of tees at each course and should play the one that fits your ability level . . . not your ego. In the program which was recently undertaken called “Tee it Forward” it is suggested that if you can hit a drive 250 yards you should play a course measuring 6,200 to 6,400 yards.

If, however, your drive only goes 200 yards (two football fields), your course should measure 5,200 to 5,400 yards. How many times

State Amateur champion Stephen Carney.

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OKLAHOMA GOLF ASSOCIATION

Rules or consequences For years there was a sign over the door leading out of Southern Hills locker room that read, “The game ceases to be golf when the rules are ignored.” I didn’t fully appreciate that quote until I became more familiar with the Rules of Golf. This quote is encompassed in Rule 1-1 that defines the game of golf. “The Game of Golf consists of playing a ball with a club from the teeing ground into the hole by a stroke or successive strokes in accordance with the Rules.”

The most basic premise of golf is that you should play the ball from the teeing ground in successive strokes until you lift that same ball from the hole. If we could all do that, there is little need for most of the other rules. So, why are they there? If, like me, you occasionally find yourself in a situation when you cannot or don’t wish to continue to play the ball where it lies. It may be in the water, out of bounds, on a cart path or somewhere where you just simply cannot strike it. Do you have to quit playing? The rules are your friend because they allow you alternatives so that you can finish the hole.

Remember, it wasn’t the rules that put you into the situation, but the rules do help you out of the situation.

The help isn’t always free! In some cases, the rules contemplate appropriate additional “penalty strokes” depending on the circumstances. Perhaps we should call those “recovery strokes” rather than penalty strokes because they do help you recover from your situation. For example, if you hit your ball into the water hazard, the rules allow you continue play with only one additional stroke for “recovering from the water” even if you cannot find your ball in the water. In the case of a water hazard, there are multiple options available to the player depending upon whether it is a regular water hazard (yellow lines) or a lateral water hazard (red lines). Knowing those options can actually save you strokes. You can learn those options by reading Rule 26.

Are there rules that are punitive? Yes, but only if you violate one of the two principles of golf. First, play the course as you find it and secondly, play your ball as it lies. Put

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simply, that means you cannot move, break or bend anything growing that will improve your swing or stance, and you cannot move your ball. Read Rule 13 and David Thompson 18 for more insight.

President Golf, as in life, is Oklahoma Golf full of breaks, some Association good and some not so good. If your ball ended up in a bad lie in the fairway, that may not be a good break versus ending up in four inch rough sitting up nicely, which is a good break. Dr. Alister MacKenzie, a world-renowned golf course architect, whose courses included Augusta National and Cypress Point, wrote, “It is possible to have too high a degree of perfection. If we never had a bad lie, we are not likely to appreciate a good one, and moreover, the ability to play from a bad lie differentiates between a good player and a bad one.”

Recently, I shared that quote with some young players after observing them “noodling” their ball. I don’t know whether they got it or not, but they were of the mindset that they should always have a good lie. The game of golf is to accept and overcome the bad breaks along with enjoying the benefits of the good breaks.

Most importantly is the understanding that the Rules of Golf assume individual integrity as the “spirit of the game.” While, you may be able to deceive an opponent, you will always know of that deception. It is not by accident that organizations such as the First Tee use the principles of golf to teach life’s lessons. What other sports rely on the players themselves to monitor their adherence to the rules?

The Rules of Golf are not as absolute as the principles described above and there are several rules that define when you may lift your ball, clean your ball and drop or place your ball. Knowing when and what the rules permit you to do will make the game more fun, help you save strokes and assist you to proceed correctly.

The United States Golf Association (USGA) has made a copy of the Rules of Golf available at no charge simply by ordering through the USGA website. In addition, the full context of the Rules are available on the USGA website. Granted, these may not be the most exciting read, but if you are a devotee of golf, and will make the effort to read, you will find rewarding insights to the traditions of this great game of Golf.

www.golfoklahoma.org •••••• 13

OKLAHOMA GOLF ASSOCIATION

Time-tested champions

Church of Altus.

Hughett has now won the stroke play title all three times it has been held since he turned 50 (it was not held in 2011). Earlier this summer he won the OGA Senior State by ken macleod Amateur (match play) at Quail Creek CounThere were no surprise winners this sum- Karsten Majors of OSU) told me to just hang try Club in Oklahoma City, his second conmer in the Oklahoma Golf Association State in there and not try to get it all back at once. secutive victory in that event.

Church, who is retired from the military Amateur Championships for men and for We got back into it, but Stephen was tough.”

Hughett defeated William Lavender 3 and and civil service and previously played as seniors.

In a final match befitting of the venue, 2 at Quail Creek to win the Senior State a professional on senior mini-tour circuits, Tulsan Stephen Carney won his second Amateur, then came from two shots behind gave Hughett all he could handle with his Oklahoma Golf Association State Amateur with two holes to play to claim the stroke second consecutive round of 2-under 70 at Championship in three years with a 4 and 2 play title in a one-hole playoff win over John Meadowbrook. He went into the par-5 17th hole with a two-shot advantage, but made finals victory over Draegen Majors at Southpar to Hughett’s birdie. On the par-4 18th, ern Hills Country Club. Carney also won in Church hit a 7-iron approach from 183 yards 2010 at Cedar Ridge and it took a spectacular that flew the green. He pitched out of the round to oust him in the quarterfinals in 2011. rough from behind the green to about 18 Meanwhile Mike Hughett just keeps winfeet past and missed the putt coming back. ning. The most decorated OGA player in Hughett meanwhile had hit his second history added championships Nos. 15 and shot to about 16 feet. Thinking mistakenly 16 to his trophy case by sweeping both that he had drawn even with his birdie on the senior match play and stroke play titles the previous hole, Hughett lagged his first at Quail Creek Golf & Country Club and putt two feet short, then made that to tie.

Meadowbrook Country Club respectively.

“I lost track of a shot somewhere, probably The Carney-Majors final match was noback at about the 12th hole where I nearly table for the way both golfers elevated their blew the tournament,” said Hughett, who games. After Majors set the tone with a 25shot 1-over 73 after opening with a 5-under foot birdie putt on the first hole and a tap-in 67. “If I had thought that putt was for the win birdie on the third hole, Carney answered I would have been more aggressive.” with a blistering four-birdie barrage, beginHe was certainly aggressive in the playning with a testy downhill slider on the third off, ripping a drive of some 335 yards hole. He then birdied holes 4, 5 and 6 in on the par-4 first hole, leaving himself a succession, with two strong irons leadMike Hughett’s State sand wedge in from 104 yards. Church ing to short birdie putts on the fourth Amateur Championships also hit a solid drive but left his second and sixth holes and a chip-in from just OGA Titles shot short of the green, chipped on then off the green on the par-5 fifth. missed his par putt from inside 10 feet.

After Carney’s 8-footer rolled in on 1986: Stroke Play Championship “They never get any easier,” Hughett the sixth hole for his fourth in a row, 2000: Stroke Play Championship said. “John played a great round today.

Majors shouted “take it easy.” Carney Four-Ball Championship He hit the ball really well and made laughed at the time, but Majors was Mid-Amateur Championship some great up-and-downs.” not about to back off. He rolled in a 2001: State Amateur Championship Hughett said his recent run of suclong birdie putt on the par-4 seventh 2004: Four-Ball Championship cess is due to a more consistent golf to cut the deficit to two holes, then 2006: Four-Ball Championship swing. He has been working with PGA lipped out a par putt on the 245-yard 2007: Mid-Amateur Championship professional Pat McTigue at GolfTec in par-3 eighth that, combined with Car2008: Mid-Amateur Championship Tulsa. ney making his first bogey, would have 2009: Senior Stroke Play Championship “I think my golf swing has gotten a shaved the lead to one.

Senior Four-Ball Championship lot more reliable,” Hughett said. “When Majors, a former state champion 2010: Senior Stroke Play Championship things are a little off now I can usually from Bixby who played collegiate golf Senior Four-Ball Championship fix them. Pat has done a good job with at Southern Methodist and now works 2011: Senior State Amateur Championship me. In the past when that happened I for College Golf Foundation, said the 2012: Senior State Amateur Championship was likely to shoot 78 or 80. Now I can four-birdie run by Carney on the front Senior Stroke Play Championship usually figure out what’s wrong and get nine was tough to overcome. it around.”

“That was cool,” he said. “It’s what Nebraska State Titles Jerry Greer of Tulsa won the Super you want in a final match. He played Seniors (age 60 and over) with a 148 tohis best golf of the week and I played 1977: Nebraska Stroke Play Championship tal, edging Bob Fouke of Broken Arrow the best I’ve played. After I got down 1981: Nebraska State Amateur Champion and Ted Milliford Jr. of Edmond by a three, I just tried to hang on and play (Match Play) shot. consistent. My brother (and caddie

Carney, Hughett back in winner’s circle

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WOGA NEWS AND NOTES

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

Fresh faces dot WOGA by katy treadwell

2012 was another great year for the ladies of the Women’s Oklahoma Golf Association. The year started with three players biding for their third straight victories. Megan Blonien came in to 2012 as the two-time Girl’s Junior Champion, Whitney McAteer was the two-time defending State Amateur Champion and Katy Treadwell was the two-time Mid-Am Champion.

The first major tournament of the year was the State Amateur, held at Gaillardia Country Club in Edmond. It was here that McAteer would fight for her third straight victory, but come up just short to the new champion, Amber Hensley. Hensley, a former ORU standout, came into the matchplay event as a fourth seed, tied with McAteer, after shooting a 74 in the qualifying round. After battling her way through the brackets, Hensley came up victorious after defeating June Tigert, of Mustang, 5 and 3.

The second major event of the WOGA season, the Girl’s Junior Championship, was held at Willow Creek this year. 2012 marked

the 62nd Girl’s Junior event. Megan Blonien, a four time high-school state champion and recent OSU signee, was focused on taking home her third straight title. After two rounds on the difficult course, she would come up a bit short after shooting 75 and 71.

It would be Deer Creek’s, Caroline Goodin, who would walk away with this year’s hardware after shooting impressive rounds of 72 and 71 to finish with a 1-under 143 for the two days.

The third major tournament of the 2012 WOGA season, the Stroke Play/Mid-Am Championship, was held at The Oaks Country Club in Tulsa. Last year’s winner, Ellen Mueller, was not in attendance this year. After her impressive victory last year with scores of 67 and 66, I think the girls welcomed the relief. This year Alex Stewart, a former University of Colorado golfer currently living in Oklahoma with her family, captured her first Stroke Play title after pouring in 10 birdies over 36 holes to shoot 72 and 74. Katy Treadwell fell short of her

third title after shooting scores of 82 and 78.

Janet Miller of Tulsa captured the title this year with scores of 79 and 76.

On July 30-31, Oklahoma competed in the Fore State Tournament against Arkansas, Kansas and Missouri at Highlands Country Club in Hutchinson, Kan. The team includes Hensley, Stewart, Goodin, Janet Miller, Kendra Mann, Aly Seng, Lauren Michael, Jill Johnson, June Tigert and Charter Lawson. The captain is Sheila Dills.

After Fore State, the WOGA still has a few more events before the season is officially over. The Partnership Championship will take place at Shangri-La Golf Club Aug. 20-21. That will be followed by the 36th Annual Senior Championship to be held at Meadowbrook Country Club in Tulsa, Sept. 18-19. The women will get a bit of a break before the next event; the 2nd Annual WOGA Cup Club Championship at Stillwater Golf and Country Club Oct. 22-23. The women will wrap up their season in Kettering, Ohio, at NCR Country Club for the USGA State Team Championship. Members for the USGA Team are yet to be determined; selections will be based on points accrued by the players over the 2012 season.

www.golfoklahoma.org •••••• 15

Chip shots

News from around the state

Art of the game

Exquisite display at OKC Museum of Art by john rohde

The centerpiece of the exhibition is known as the greatest golf painting in the world: Charles Lees’s The Golfers, which portrays in detail a match played on the Old Course at St Andrews in 1847.

E

xactly when and where golf was invented has never been certain.

The earliest “stick and ball” games were recorded in 1297 and throughout the 17th century in the Netherlands.

As for “stick and ball” being played over 18 holes, Scotland steadfastly proclaims itself the birthplace of golf.

Whenever and wherever the game’s origin might be, golf is drenched in history.

This summer, the Oklahoma City Museum of Art is offering The Art of Golf, an impressive collection from landscape and portrait artists, photographers and pop artists.

Organized by the High Museum of Art in Atlanta and the National Galleries of Scotland, The Art of Golf is the first exhibition devoted to the game by a major American art museum and is comprised of approxi16 •••••• www.golfoklahoma.org

mately 90 works from artists ranging from Rembrandt, Charles Lees, Norman Rockwell and Andy Warhol. It also includes an introductory video featuring English amateur champion Sir Michael Bonallack and Jack Nicklaus.

“The response has been wonderful, both from golfers and non-golfers alike,” said Alison Amick, the curator of collections at OKCMOA and the coordinating curator of The Art of Golf. “Golf has been around so long and I think that’s something that makes the exhibition so fascinating. You can see some of these early predecessors to golf in these rare Dutch paintings, something we’re rarely able to show at the museum, and from there go on up to the modern works. It’s really diverse.”

Oklahoma City is the second American city to host the exhibition, following At-

lanta. The Art of Golf opened July 19 at the OKCMOA and will remain until Oct. 7 before moving to St. Petersburg, Fla., with additional U.S. venues yet to be announced.

Amick said golf’s popularity in Oklahoma played a major role in the exhibition coming to Oklahoma City.

“Absolutely it did, knowing how many avid golfers there are throughout the state,” he said, “and also being impressed with the quality of work in the exhibition. It’s outstanding.”

The exhibition begins with a display of “kolf” as depicted in early Dutch landscape and genre paintings of the 17th century. This includes Rembrandt’s famous etching The Ringball Player (1654) and winter landscapes

by Hendrick and Barent Avercamp, which depict kolf being played on the frozen canals of Holland.

ONLINE: Get the latest news on Oklahoma golf at

golfoklahoma.org

Old Tom Morris, by Sir George Reid, was one of the great early players, winning four British Opens in the 1860s and also earning fame as a clubmaker and course designer.

“It’s astounding how far back the game goes,” Amick said. “Many people wouldn’t have considered that before. There are many subjects you could not go that far back in time, to trace them so deliberately. We’re finding with people who don’t play golf, once they see the exhibition, they’re really fascinated by what the they’re seeing. I do think it has a broad appeal.”

One of the more prominent pieces is Warhol’s portrait of Nicklaus in 1977. Another is Larry Rivers’ enigmatic drawing of Arnold Palmer.

“It shows golf as being part of the celebrity culture,” Amick said of the unique pairing of Nicklaus and Warhol. “That’s what attracted these pop artists. To actually see an original painting by Warhol really surprises people, especially in a golf exhibition.”

There also are a few photographs of Tiger Woods and women playing golf at St. Andrews, plus strobe photography and various portraits of Bobby Jones’ swing. “The photographs are such a wonderful touch,” Amick said.

The centerpiece of the exhibition is Lees’ historic “The Golfers,” considered the greatest golf painting in the world, which portrays in detail 54 spectators watching a foursome match played on the Old Course at St Andrews in 1847.

Accredited by the American Association of Museums, the Oklahoma City Museum of Art serves more than 125,000 visitors annually from all 50 states and more than 30 foreign countries and presents exhibitions from throughout the world. The museum’s collection covers a period of five centuries with highlights in European and American art from the 19th through 21st centuries, a growing collection of contemporary art, and a comprehensive collection of glass sculpture by Dale Chihuly. The Oklahoma City Museum of Art is located at 415 Couch Drive. Visit the museum online at okcmoa. com for admission pricing and hours of operation.

John Rohde covers golf and more for the Oklahoman and Newsok.com.

www.golfoklahoma.org •••••• 17

Chip shots to ear, a perfect way to end a great week.”

Both players encourage juniors to join The First Tee since it has changed their lives so dramatically. For more information about the First Tee of Tulsa you may visit www. thefirstteetulsa.org.

– by Zach Tucker

Indian Springs sold again

Bob Tway with Marla Souvannasing (white shirt) and her family at Pebble Beach.

A dream weekend

Two First Tee students play Pebble Beach First Tee of Tulsa students Eric Moore and Marla Souvannasing were thrilled recently to compete in the 2012 Nature Valley Champions Tour First Tee Open, a Champions Tour event held July 3-8 at Pebble Beach Golf Links and Del Monte Golf Course.

Moore, a senior at Memorial High School, and Souvannasing, a junior at Union High School, were two of 81 juniors ages 15-18 to advanc to the event through regional qualifying.

Moore was paired with tour legend Corey Pavin, while Souvannasing competed with fellow Oklahoman Bob Tway. Souvannasing and Tway missed the cut by one shot with a 36-hole total of 137. Moore and Pavin made the cut and finished 17th in the team event at 206. Pavin finished at 4-under and tied for ninth in the team event.

Souvannasing has been a part of The First Tee of Tulsa for five years. She said it was a great learning experience.

“Playing with Bob (Tway) all week, I noticed that he stayed calm no matter what kind of trouble he got into, and he never rushed a shot.”

Souvannasing has already been part of two Class 6A state championship squads at Union and hopes to win a quartet of titles 18 •••••• www.golfoklahoma.org

before moving on to college golf. She also placed second earlier this summer at the Texas-Oklahoma Junior Golf Tournament in Wichita Falls.

“After my experience at The First Tee Open it gave me a new prospective on golf and how far it could take me if I put the work in,” Souvannasing said.

Moore has been working with First Tee Director Janice Gibson and her staff for five years. He tied for third at the 5A State Tournament and is intent on a college golf career.

Moore said Paving was a perfect partner.

“Corey is one of the most honest and down-to-earth guys out there, I tried to learn as much from him as possible that week and he now is my favorite professional golfer,” Moore said.

Not only did the students get to be inside the ropes with golf legends, they were treated to a round at one of the world’s top courses in Pebble Beach.

“The golf course was truly amazing, it lived up to all the expectations I had, “ said Souvannasing.

Moore fell in love with the finishing hole. “ I liked the 18th, finishing Sunday on 18 couldn’t have been better,” he said. “ I missed a short putt and was still smiling ear

Indian Springs Country Club in Broken Arrow was resold at auction July 10 by Tulsa-based Williams and Williams Auctioneers after the buyers from a June 5 auction walked away from the sale.

The course was purchased by Indian Springs Managing Group LLC. Some of the new owners have large stakes in the ownership of Muskogee Country Club.

The previous sale price was $4 million to a group led by Tulsa-area businessmen Jim Kuykendall and Bill McAnally. The sellers were Tracy Upton and Leslie Elliott, daughters of previous owner Jim Pharr Jr. The new prices was close to $1.7 million, sources said.

Indian Springs Country Club Managing Group LLC released the following statement.

“The ISCC Managing Group is excited about the acquisition of Indian Springs, and proud to be associated with one of the area’s most venerable private country clubs.

The club, its tennis facilities and golf courses, offer unique attributes and tremendous opportunities. Using its considerable resources and experience, ISCC will endeavor to rejuvenate the club by strenghening and improving communication, facilities and efficiency. Ultimately the goal is to be one of Oklahoma’s premier country clubs while providing value and improving the member experienc.”

The course has two 18-hole golf courses.

The River Course, designed by George Fazio and opened in 1967, has hosted numerous Oklahoma men’s and women’s amateur championships. The Windmill Course a shorter course winding through the housing edition, opened in 1974.

The club includes a 38,000-square foot clubhouse, 10 lighted tennis courts, four covered courts and three swimming pools.

Free golf at Lake of Ozarks That’s worth mentioning.

Perhaps that’s exactly why the folks at the Lake of the Ozark Golf Trail came up with the idea. They’re calling it the Golf Week on the Lake of the Ozarks Golf Trail. It starts Sept. 30 and ends Oct. 7.

What they’re trying to do is attract golfers. Oh, they get golfers to the Osage Beach area, lots of them. But most come to the central Missouri area in the spring and early summer. Not so much in the fall, which many golfers in northeastern Oklahoma find strange. It really is a good time to visit.

Ergo, at a meeting earlier this year, many executives were brainstorming about ways to attract more visitors, not just golfers, according to Paul Leahy, the Lake of the Ozark Golf Council president.

“We were kicking around all kinds of ideas. We even talked about a Poker Run type event but that would mean you had to play five rounds. That’s a lot,” he said.

Then Steve Belton of Osage National Golf Resort and The Pines Condominiums made a suggestion to Leahy about offering free golf.

And that’s how it all began.

It’s mushroomed from a two-day golf tournament to an eight day extravaganza featuring reduced rates on golf and lodging at the 13 courses and 11 lodging properties connected to the Lake of the Ozark trails. In addition to the two-day tournament, hosted

by The Oaks at Tan-Tar-A (Leahy’s course)

and Osage National (Belton’s course) they will have numerous hole-in-one and closest to the pin contests plus chances to win free golf and lodging packages. Some golf clinics are being arranged along with a Pro-Am tournament at Dogwood Hills Golf Club and a live music concert at Osage National.

You must stay at one of the 11 properties.

But, as Leahy points out, some “really terrific deals” are being put together.

“It’s an offer most golfers would find hard to refuse because its not every day that you are offered free golf.

“And if you’ve been here before you already know how great an opportunity this is.”

Interested in playing in the inaugural Golf Week Invitaional Tournament? Full details can be found at the Golf Trail’s Golf Week website (GolfWeekOnTheTrial.com).

Only the first 288 golfers will be accepted (144 at each course; players play at The Oaks one day and Osage National the next, or vice versa). The event kicks off Sunday night (Sept. 30) with an opening night reception.

“We are inviting anyone who loves a great

Fairfax

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deal and free two-day tournament all for the price of a two-night stay at one of our exceptional lodging facilities,” said Leahy.

Both tournament courses come highly recommended.

A continuously-updated Golf Week calendar is available at GolfWeekOnTheTrial. com website.

Gaillardia honors military Gaillardia Country Club will host the inauguaral Fairways for Freedom Golf Tournament Oct. 5 to benefit the families of Oklahoma’s soldiers. David Feherty will be the master of ceremonies and Oklahoma’s 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team will be specially recognized. The 45th Infantry recently returned from deployment to Afghanistan and Kuwait.

Each four-person team in the tournament will join with a golfer from one of the branches of the military. The funds from the event will be distributed evenly between the Folds of Honor Foundation and Troops First Foundation.

For more information, please call 405-2465867.

Club

Semi-Private Course

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Join now, pay 10 months get two months free!* $2,900 family, $2,250 individual *Prices include green fees, carts and range balls

For more info, Contact Jeff Tucker, PGA Pro (405)359-8600

Just off 1-35 at 2905 N. Sooner Rd. Edmond, OK 73034 www.golfoklahoma.org •••••• 19

The goods

Some things we like to do before and after the round

The Bookshelf

Moe Norman’s strange career by tom bedell

The opening ceremonies for the 2012 Ryder Cup at Medinah Country Club in Illinois begin the evening of Sept. 27. If not already overdosed on the hype, Curt Sampson’s book may push you over the top.

Not that The War by the Shore (Gotham Books, 2012, $28) isn’t entertaining, because it most certainly is. But Sampson’s topic is the notorious 1991 Cup waged (which seems the apt word) on the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island, S.C., and which became the seedbed for some of the worst jingoistic aspects of the event.

What had once been a sleepy competition that biannually confirmed the superiority of U.S. over U.K. golfers, the matches began gathering steam, and heat, in 1983, when what was now a European team almost broke the stranglehold the Yanks had on the Cup. They succeeded in 1985, won again in 1987 and retained the Cup in 1989 when the teams tied. Meanwhile, the players, and fans, were increasingly displaying less than gentlemanly behavior during the Cup while the media fanned the flames. In 1989 Paul Azinger and Seve Ballasteros in particular were at each other’s throats, and both returned as part of the 1991 teams.

The stage was set for a barnburner, and the stage was the Ocean Course (site of this year’s PGA Championship).

Then it was a new seaside design by Pete Dye, unfamiliar to all, but downright scary in the many possibilities it seemed to promise for disaster.

And there was a lively cast joining Azinger and Seve, among them Lanny Wadkins, Ray Floyd, Mark Calcavecchia, Fred Couples and David Feherty, Ian Woosnam, Nick Faldo, Sam Torrance.

It’s all old news of course, but Sampson tucks into the task at hand with reportorial vigor and writing relish. He may crack a little too wise at times, but mainly he shows how, with the 1991 tilt, “ …the Ryder Cup became a Big Thing and an event never to be missed.”

20 •••••• www.golfoklahoma.org

The pressure cooker atmosphere of the Ryder Cup is enough to unnerve the steeliest of professional players. For Moe Norman, the mildest of social interactions could be a trial. In Moe & Me (ECW Press, 2012, $19.95), Lorne Rubenstein relates the curious tale of a player said to have had the most repeatable swing in the game, one of only two who “owned their swing,” according to Tiger Woods -- the other being Ben Hogan.

Public range rats or professionals warming up, like Woods, would stop to watch Moe Norman hit -- and he hit about 800 balls a day for 40-some years. The curious may have been drawn first by Norman’s peculiar stance far from the ball, feet wide apart, club set up well behind the ball. (A method now frequently being taught as Natural Golf by

the likes of Todd Graves in Edmond.)

But they would continue watching as shot after shot went straight down the middle.

Norman was never officially diagnosed with autism. Rubenstein makes a case that he may have had Asperger’s syndrome, or frontal lobe damage from a sledding accident when he was five, or the former exacerbated by the latter. Whatever the cause, Norman’s eccentric dress, social awkwardness, repetitive chatter and antic behavior on the course remained enigmatic to many, and surely inhibited his tournament success -- which nonetheless included two Canadian amateur championships, more than 50 wins on the Canadian Tour and two trips to the Masters.

Norman was inducted into the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame in 1995, and passed away in 2004 at 75. Rubenstein’s valedictory tale is a poignant rendering of a life that seems a little sad — the Glenn Gould of golf -- though Norman himself said he was the happiest guy on two feet.

At a clinic someone once asked Norman why he never practiced from the sand. “Why would I?” he answered. “I hit it in the fairway.” Or as he put it another time to Rubenstein: “I never get tired of the middle. It’s beautiful there.”

For those of us who wish we were in the middle more often, there’s On Par: The Everyday Golfer’s Survival Guide by Bill Pennington (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2012, $26), an aptly titled collection of essays on various aspects of the game. Although I might have added “Essential” to “Survival Guide.”

Moe Norman always considered golf a game, not work. And Pennington, who writes the “On Par” column for the New York Times, wisely sounds that theme throughout the book: when it’s not torture, golf is a game.

In his genial and humorous voice, Pennington covers some basics — how to be a good golf partner (illustrated by how to be a bad one), 10 rules to remember, ways to handle five fearsome shots, a treatise on the evils of cheating, a treatise on the evils of cell phones, and some indispensable lingo.

(One I hadn’t heard came from British announcer Henry Longhurst, who would say of a putt that falls in from the side, “Safely

ONLINE: Get the latest news on Oklahoma golf at

golfoklahoma.org

golf operations at the Turning Stone Resort and Casino in Verona, N.Y., and uses Tom Fazio’s Atunyote Golf Club as a backdrop in the Michael Schieffer illustrations. (The course hosted a PGA Tour Fall Series tournament from 20072010.)

The tale is sweet and simple enough.

Tadpole Todd is sucked up by a water tanker being used to fill ponds on the developing golf course and as he turns into a frog goes in search of his parents. He’s helped along the way by members of his future foursome, and later by a friendly PGA Professional as well.

Along with Todd the Frog’s adventures, Schieffer has hidden (but not too obscurely) a ladybug on each page. This should help train young readers in counting, and young golfers in finding lost balls.

Tom Bedell wonders which non-golfer he’s going to outlive by five years.

w e ar e n ot a s ha m e d o f o u r h i g h sco r e s .

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in the tradesman’s entrance.”)

But Pennington also delves into some standard golf lore, like “drive for show and putt for dough,” and comes up with some fascinating findings, such as working on your driving accuracy may be more beneficial than practicing your putting. Or that when you do putt, you shouldn’t even look at the ball, but at the hole.

He reports on statistical trends that show the most effective way to play golf in terms of scoring is to walk with a pushcart, followed by playing with a caddies, following by taking a cart, and lastly carrying your own bag. And best news of all? A Swedish study showed that golfers outlive non-golfers by five years!

Whether that holds true for golfing frogs is unknown, but by the end of the children’s book “Fore” Your Family From: Todd the Frog (Robert Todd, 2012, $16), the title character is out on the course with a fox, a beaver and an owl. They all look healthy.

The book was written by PGA Professional Robert “RT” Todd, the director of

www.golfoklahoma.org •••••• 21

The goods Domaine Ste. Michelle by greg horton

Chateau Ste. Michelle has distinguished itself by producing outstanding quality wines at various price points. Their projects in Washington include elegant, complex wines like Ethos, stunning Rieslings like Eroica, and affordable quality like their Columbia Valley collection. However, under the name Domaine Ste. Michelle, the Washington company also produces delicious American sparkling wine.

Because it’s made in the U.S. and not Champagne, the wines cannot be called Champagne. All sparkling wines in the U.S. are typically designated American sparkling wine. What matters is the method, and Domaine Ste. Michelle uses the méthode champenoise, the same method used by the Champagne houses in France.

What distinguishes this traditional method from others is that a mixture of sugar and yeast are added to the still wine before bottling. A secondary fermentation occurs in the bottle. The result is energetic bubbles.

Once the fermentation is complete, the cap

is removed and replaced with the cork and cage associated with Champagne.

Domaine Ste. Michelle follows another Old World tradition as well. The line of wines is divided into well-known categories: Blanc de Blancs, Blanc de Noirs, Brut, Brut Rosé, and Extra Dry. Blanc de Blancs is made from Chardonnay, and Blanc de Noirs is from Pinot Noir and/or Pinot Meunier.

All these Domaine Ste. Michelle wines are available in Oklahoma, and all do well with the critics. All the wines score in the mid to high 80s in “Wine Enthusiast” and “Wine Spectator,” marking them as solid wines, and with prices around $16, they are also solid values.

From the Blanc de Blancs, expect flavors of pear, pineapple and green apple. On a scale of one to ten with one being the driest, the winemaker rates it a two, so this one is bone dry and crisp. The Blanc de Noirs, in keeping with Pinot Noir’s flavor profile, features raspberry and strawberry in a medium-dry wine.

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

justicegolf.com 22 •••••• www.golfoklahoma.org

Small Batch Bourbon Collection by greg horton

First things first. Real bourbon, not the stuff they make all over the U.S., but the bonafide real, historically and traditionally correct bourbon comes from Kentucky. If you want to be a purist, it comes from Bourbon County, Kentucky. The U.S. is not France, though, so you can make it anywhere in the U.S. and still call it bourbon whiskey. And while it may not be the Champagne of whiskeys, it is distinctively American and a favorite of whiskey drinkers around the world.

Five things matter when making bourbon, besides being in Kentucky: grain, mash, fermentation, distillation, and aging. It all begins with the grain. A combination of corn, rye, and barley malt go into the Small Batch Bourbon Collection, a set of four of the best bourbons available in Oklahoma: Basil Hayden’s, Booker’s, Baker’s and Knob Creek.

Barley malt is added later to convert grain starch to sugar to get the mash ready for fermentation. Once the mash cools, the yeasts are added. For the Small Batch Collection, unique strains of yeast are used to create interesting flavor components not found in other bourbon whiskeys.

Bourbons with rye in the mix will have a spicy quality. Those made with wheat tend to be sweeter and less astringent. All will have big toasted oak flavors, a very distinctly American part of the flavor profile, as well as vanilla, caramel, and burnt toast (it’s a good thing).

Other possibilities are butterscotch, baking spices, orange zest, and honey. It all depends on what the distiller intended.

The Small Batch Bourbon Collection takes the best Kentucky has to offer in the form of grain, water, and yeast, and creates unique, high quality Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey that’s meant to be sipped, not mixed.

Ashton Heritage Puro Sol by j.l. fletcher

O

n the Western side of the Central African Rain Forest lies a village named Geuriki. The fertile soil of this region produces what we know as Cameroon tobacco. The Ashton Heritage Puro Sol is the first Ashton line to have this tobacco as a wrapper, the filler and binder are a blend of Fuente’s sungrown Dominican Tobaccos. All the tobacco in the blend are sun grown, hence the Puro Sol designation.

The Churchill measures right at 7x48. The wrapper is very rich in color, also the construction is impeccable. Earthiness and cedar are in the forefront on the prelight draw, and the wrapper is toothy. The first inch or so is mild with natural sweetness and cream developing into a medium bodied smoke with more earth and just a hint of spice. The smoke was thick and it draws like a dream.

The cigar lasted over an hour and it was delightful all the way to the

point of burning my fingers. It burned very evenly, and at around ten dollars a stick is very reasonably priced for a super premium cigar.

When we think of premier tobacco growing regions the rainforest of Cameroon does not initially come to mind. However, some of the most flavorful wrappers are cultivated there. This cigar is definitely a classic.

Proudly serving Oklahoma with a fine selection of cigars and related products.

Stop on by our current location and share a smoke with us!

www.ztcigars.com 2726 W Britton Rd (800) 340-3007 Oklahoma City, OK 73120 www.golfoklahoma.org •••••• 23

The goods

Auto Review

The 2013 Ford F150 Limited models are priced between $35,000 and $50,000.

2013 Ford F150 Limited

The interior is trimmed in red and black leather, accented with aluminum, and five different colors of ambient lighting are availby greg horton able as an option. Seats come with optional Not satisfied with their 2012 Motor Trend horsepower that gets a reasonable 22 mpg heating and cooling settings, an indication Truck of the Year award, Ford is improving on the highway. A 4x4 option is also avail- that Ford intends to make all the amenities the F-150 model for 2013. Sure, pickups are able that comes with tow hooks, but the es- of luxury sedans available in a truck.

Keeping up with technology is important largely practical vehicles, but Ford is one timated mpg is less than on the 4x2.

For those not concerned about fuel econ- in luxury vehicles, and Ford delivers with of the leading innovators in luxury pickup trucks. As of last year, luxury models ac- omy, Ford also offers the following engine its MyFord Touch® entertainment system counted for 30 percent of F-150 sales. For options: a 302-horsepower 3.7-liter V6, a powered by SYNC®. The Limited offers a pickups, luxury models are those priced be- 360-hp 5.0-liter V8 and a 411-hp 6.2-liter V8. 4.2-inch programmable screen. The screen can display entertainment, tween $35,000 and $50,000. voice-activated navigaThe new 2013 F-150 tion, and systems moniLimited is even an improvetoring, including rear-view ment over Ford’s previous camera, for the vehicle as high-end luxury model, the determined by the driver.

F-150 Platinum. The new As if that isn’t enough, model will feature every a media center is included single option the manufacthat features a stock Sony turer has to offer, includaudio system, USB ports, ing choice of grilles, choice SD-card reader and video of wheel size, moon roof, input. leather interior and MyFord The exterior, in addiTouch® information and tion to the grille choices, entertainment system. features a choice of 18” Luxury notwithstandor 20” wheels, a chrome ing, Ford also chose not package, and new High to skimp on horsepower.

Intensity Discharge headThe 2013 features a 3.5-lilights. ter EcoBoost V-6, for 365 24 •••••• www.golfoklahoma.org

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www.golfoklahoma.org •••••• 25

EQUIPMENT

Tee it Forward works

Program saves time, makes golf more fun by ed travis

Golf, or more properly the business of golf, has plenty of problems, and at the top of the list is declining participation. Fewer players, or at best the same (and aging) number of players, do not bode well for the game’s future.

The effect of lower participation is widereaching; fewer clubs sold, fewer rounds played, etc. Golf course closings and club company consolidations are the outward signs of an industry responding to this situation some describe as a crisis. On the positive side, the associations representing the various parts of the golf industry are trying lots of ideas to attract more people and have current golfers playing more.

Behind all of this is the assumption that if golf is more enjoyable and takes less time people will play more. Tee it Forward, initiated by the PGA of America and the United States Golf Association last year, does just that.

Last summer almost one-quarter million

26 •••••• www.golfoklahoma.org

golfers participated in a national Tee it Forward trial. Afterwards a survey was done to determine their reactions.

The results are interesting Seventy percent found their round more enjoyable, over 90 percent said they would recommend Tee it Forward to a friend and nearly 50 percent of respondents said they were able to play faster.

“I’ve been around the game for more than 30 years and continue to be amazed as golfers make it much harder than it should be by playing golf courses at distances that don’t come close to matching their abilities,” said Adams Golf founder Barney Adams, a proponent of Tee it Forward. “By playing from forward tees, amateur golfers have the chance to play the course at the same rela- Kickingbird head pro Brian Soerensen voltive distance as a touring professional would unteers his time to help grow the game. over 18 holes. We need golfers to be hitting 8-irons and wedges into par-4s like the pros, Obviously, the way courses can instinot fairway woods.” tute Tee it Forward is by setting tee mark-

ers at appropriate distances. If, for example, you always play the “Blue Tees” at 6,700-yards and the course resets those tees to 6,400-yards you would be “teeing it forward.”

The fact is many if not most male golfers are overmatched by the course length.

They neither hit the ball far enough nor with enough consistency to reach most greens in regulation, giving themselves a reasonable chance of making par or even birdie. At the heart is the belief they hit the ball, especially tee shots, farther than is really the case. Studies have shown the average weekend warrior hits drives about 200 yards, but when asked their answer is usually 225 or better.

Hitting the ball 75 to 100 yards shorter than Tour players makes scoring, much less scoring well, on a Tour-length layout almost impossible. More importantly it’s definitely not fun.

The good news is the “let’s play it from the tips” mentality is almost entirely a male phenomenon since women are presumably too smart to put up with that kind of foolishness. If the PGA Tour set up their courses proportionate to the length most amateurs are trying to play, the guys on “the big show”

would face 8,000-yard monsters each week.

Pars would be tough to make and thought of as birdies are now.

Sound familiar?

The idea of playing up a set of tees makes sense from many aspects and the PGA and USGA are spot-on with the decision they made to make Tee it Forward a permanent recommendation starting in 2012.

The 99.99% of golfers who do not make their living on the links are playing for recreation, and recreation is supposed to be fun. It’s undeniably more fun to play holes of a length giving you a chance of reaching the green with a couple of good shots rather than par-4s that require a driver, then a 3-wood, then a 7-iron and maybe another iron since the 7-iron missed the green.

A lot more fun.

Playing the set of tees commensurate with their ability golfers will score better, which is a huge inducement to play more and spend more money on golf and get friends and family playing and … well, you get the idea. All are good things for the health of the game, fiscal and otherwise.

Lapsed but not forgotten In the ongoing efforts to bring players into the game and make it more fun (such as Tee it Forward), one group sometimes overlooked are those who formerly played.

Whether it was family and job pressures or simply because they were becoming frustrated from not getting any better, the large numbers of former players are all candidates to be brought back.

The PGA of America recognized the possibilities and designated the month of May “Welcome Back to Golf Month” to replace PGA Free Lesson Month as a positive way to create a welcoming atmosphere for lapsed players who decide to again give golf a try. Partnered by Golf Digest and Nike Golf, comebacks are encouraged with complimentary lessons from PGA Professionals and other introductory programs: Get Golf Ready, Welcome to Golf Days, Bring a Friend and golf clinics.

Though results from Welcome Back to Golf Month were not available at presstime, the PGA’s objective was to have 4,000 facilities and 160,000 people participate.

Read more at EdTravisGolf.com

www.golfoklahoma.org •••••• 27

Where we play

We're back!

Northeast Oklahoma’s favorite resort returns in a big way by ken macleod The “Mickey Mantle Hole,” is the final hole on the Legends Nine. The par-5 has two greens, including the island green above.

Shangri-La Resort, named for a mythical remote Himalayan utopia, is again proving worthy of the name.

The complete renovation undertaken since the Monkey Island resort was purchased in 2010 by Eddy Gibbs, owner of Ameristar Fence Co. in Tulsa, will again entice thousands of Oklahomans to make Shangri-La part of their wanderings under a summer moon, whether for a week or a weekend.

It’s not just the spectacular new clubhouse and restaurant, or the transformation of the two tired golf courses. It’s a breath-of-freshair attitude exhibited by those to whom Gibbs has entrusted this project, from general manager Jason Sheffield on down.

“The staff from top to bottom is emphasizing the experience of being here,” Sheffield said. “From the moment a guest comes on to our property until the moment they leave, we are taking care of you. But we’re not on top of you. It’s a very laid-back type of service and very unique” On the course or enjoying a cool one after, there is an egalitarian camaraderie at Shangri-La, where multi-millionaires share a laugh with a golfer who saved for months 28 •••••• www.golfoklahoma.org

for a weekend at the lake.

“People don’t come here to show off who they are, they come here to escape who they are,” said Mike Williams, communications director for the club.

What Shangri-La has to escape to now is impressive. What’s on the horizon is will make the lure near irresistible.

For now, guests can play the Champions Nine, which is a reworking of the old shorter 18-hole Gold Course into nine fun and challenging holes by Tulsa architect Randy Heckenkemper. The Champions Nine has a surprising amount of elevation change and greens to match, with robust transitions between levels.

Also open is the Legends Nine, which for the most part was the back nine of the former Blue Course. Two new holes have been added to replace the land used for the clubhouse, and every hole has been completely reworked, with new greens, all new fairway grass and blinding white sand bunkers.

The bunkers were one of the first things to go in when Gibbs purchased the club, and that presented some challenges for architect Tom Clark when redesigning the greens.

He’ll have full reign to position the bunkers

exactly where he chooses as he, superintendent Justin May and builder Dale Forrest of United Golf work on the final nine holes that are scheduled to open in the summer of 2013.

“We’re very pleased with how the Legends Nine came out, but just wait for the Heritage Nine,” Clark said. “We’re really going to have some fun and do some exciting things with the greens. We’re going to have a Redan, a Biarritz and a Punchbowl.”

Those terms refer to green designs popularized by architects Charles Blair Macdonald and Seth Raynor. The Redan, a tilted green usually fronted by bunkers and requiring a shot that lands to one side, bounces on and rolls to its target, will be on No. 5. The Biarritz will be a long green high on both ends intersected by a deep ravine, while the Punch Bowl, to be on hole 11, is pretty much self-descriptive.

“These are going to be fun holes,” Forrest said. “There is a lot of movement in Randy’s and Tom’s greens on the other two nines but these are going to be more subtle.”

Forrest said sodding will begin in August and greens should be seeded in September with a planned opening of Memorial Day.

Top, the rolling terrain of Heckenkemper’s Legends nine; above, views from the pro shop and veranda highlight the new clubhouse.

Once the final holes are open, don’t expect it to be long before plans are announced for an on-site hotel and conference center, probably in the neighborhood of 140 rooms with a center that can host between 500 and 1,000 for meetings.

For those looking for a complete lake experience, Shangri-La has a marina and shuttles golfers to and from. There are many lodging options already available on the

website – www.shangrilaok.com -- at area condos and there are usually lake houses in the area for rent as well.

Head professional Rob Yanovitch and his staff are friendly and knowledgeable about the course and the changes. They can show you in detail many of the enhancements made and how the new features improve play.

One of the highlights of the Legends

Nine is the final hole, a short par-5 dubbed the Mickey Mantle hole because it was one of his favorites when he frequently played Shangri-La back in the days when he and former Shangri-La teaching pro Marshall Smith were running buddies.

The hole now has two greens, very similar to the 18th hole at The Golf Club of Oklahoma. The lower green is shorter but is nearly an island green and any shot that www.golfoklahoma.org •••••• 29

“The learning curve was steep for Eddy and I,” Sheffield said. “We got in and started building before we had plans, literally. We realized early on that if we were going to have the impact we wanted to, we were going to have to blow things up and not inch along.

“We got some help from some really good golf minds. Randy was fantastic in helping us get going.”

Phase One of the rebuilding is a multi-million dollar project, but Gibbs has acquired real-estate interests that will hopefully help offset some of his investment. Gibbs, who is also a heavy investor in The Patriot in Owasso, was a member at Shangri-La for years and hated to see it fall into disrepair.

“The previous owner’s philosophy was to wait until he had enough money to fix it up,” Sheffield said. “Eddy came in with the exact opposite philosophy. We wanted to have a golf course that will stack up against This foursome out for a leisurely evening round. any in the area. The clubhouse is a special misses is gone. The upper green is a safer bet Sheffield said the current ratio is about 60 place.

“It’s a passion for him. He said when he but farther off. There is a beautiful waterfall percent member play to 40 percent resort comes over the hill and sees the golf course guests. feature on the hole.

Overseeing this rapid transformation has and the water feature on the Mickey Mantle Membership under the previous ownership group had dwindled to 84 diehards been a heady experience for Sheffield, who hole, a weight drops off his shoulders.”

Check out the new Shangri-La and see if but has since swelled to more than 620. came in with a real-estate background but you don’t feel the same.

Yet there is plenty of room for outside play. little golf experience.

30 •••••• www.golfoklahoma.org

www.golfoklahoma.org •••••• 31

A Grand Golf Course

Oklahoma City G&CC turns 100 by bob burke The Oklahoma City Golf and Country Club is celebrating its centennial in 2012.

The Country Club has been at its present location in Nichols Hills, an affluent suburb of Oklahoma City, since 1930, when its members traded property with developer Dr. G.A. Nichols. Previously, the club owned and operated a golf course in a nearby landlocked Oklahoma City neighborhood.

Directors were in awe of the golf course Nichols had built in his new Nichols Hills development. Nichols spared no expense in building what he hoped would be the finest golf course in the Southwest. When he first began acquiring land for Nichols Hills, he saw the rolling topography of the land as ideal for a golf course. Nichols knew nothing of how to design and build a course, so he hired the best available golf-course architect, Perry Maxwell.

Maxwell spent a great deal of time consulting with Nichols and local golfing authorities before suggesting specific plans for

From left, Golf legend Babe Didrickson Zaharias, right, and her husband, George, at a tournament at OKC Golf & CC in 1938. At right, Charlie Coe, one of the greatest amateur golfers of the twentieth century, and the legendary golf course designer Perry Maxwell looking over his work at the Nichols Hills course.

32 •••••• www.golfoklahoma.org

the golf courses. Maxwell had recently completed the design and construction of the Twins Hills course in Oklahoma City and the Melrose course in Philadelphia.

For the Nichols Hills courses, Maxell went over the property set aside by Nichols inch by inch. Maxwell was aware that long waiting lines existed at the first tee of all Oklahoma City courses as golf grew in popularity.

To accommodate the busy player with limited time, Maxwell suggested two courses be built — a full-blown 18-hole course and a 9-hole course for the golfer who did not have time to wait his turn on the longer course.

In December 1928, Maxwell announced that Dr. Alister Mackenzie of England was en route to Oklahoma City to assist in completion of both courses. Maxwell also assured Nichols that both courses would be ready for play by late summer or early fall in 1929. The addition of Mackenzie to Maxwell’s team added prestige to the design and construction of the Nichols Hills courses.

Nichols completely turned over the golf courses project to Maxwell and Mackenzie.

His instructions were simple: I have stables full of mules, scrapers, and wagons and other equipment. I have tractors. I have a force of skilled excavators, graders and other workmen. Take as many as you need. If you think it is necessary to pull down a hill and dump it into a depression, do so. Then, if you think a hill should

be created — go ahead and create it. All I want is two of the best courses you gentlemen ever produced.

A huge force of men, teams and motorized equipment began altering the landscape to conform to the plans of Maxwell and Mackenzie. More than $40,000 was spent on equipment to water the fairways of the two courses. Natural features of the terrain were used, but manmade hazards were built

where no natural hazards existed.

The 18-hole course opened on Sept. 16, 1929. After golfers were allowed three days practice, the initial amateur and professional tournament began. A woman’s tournament had been planned for the 9-hole course, but it was decided the shorter course had not been “rounded in good condition yet.”

One of the world’s most popular golfers, Walter Hagen, came to Oklahoma City to play an exhibition match in October 1929. His opponent was Horton Smith. G.A. Nichols and John Coyle paid the $1,000 required by the two professionals for the 36-hole exhibition.

The first major tournament held at the club was the Trans-Mississippi Golf Association’s annual amateur championship in June 1932. The association was founded in 1901 and sponsored one of the South’s most recognized annual tournaments.

sworth Construction will renovate the front nine greens on the Perry Maxwell-designed course, with the front nine closing in midAugust and expected to reopen in early summer of 2013.

The renovation of the back nine, which reopened earlier this summer, has proven extremely popular with members, according to PGA professional Bryan Heim.

Riverbend reopens

After extensive renovation, Riverbend Golf Course in Chickasha reopened 18 holes June 30 and the final nine holes should open Aug. 1, according to new superintendent Mike Raidt.

The course has converted to MiniVerde Bermuda greens and done extensive recontouring of fairways and tees. A new pool and tennis courts have been added for members. The former clubhouse is being converted to a Las Brisas Steak House which will New greens at Lake Murray open soon.

As he broiling days of July and August Bermuda greens at Lake Murray are holdNew owner Steve Howard had also upgo by, Wesley Chaney is grateful for the ing up well. graded the irrigation system and purchased new Tif-Eagle ultradwarf Bermuda greens new equipment to give Raidt the tools to installed last summer at Lake Murray State Hillcrest front nine next Park Golf Course.

Hillcrest Country Club in Bartlesville is make Riverbend successful.

For information, call 405-222-1995.

Not only do the new greens thrive in hot going forward with the renovation of its weather, but they have been a blessing for front nine holes now that the back nine Ken MacLeod contributed to this report. the maintenance crew. Because they don’t is open. Architect Tripp Davis and Wadrequire constant syringing as stressed bent greens do when the temperature soars over 100 degrees, the crew has been able to concentrate on other things.

“Over the long haul, this conversion is really going to make the golf course better,” Chaney said. “It’s been an incredible difference for our crew. They seem more refreshed and not near as worried, and neither am I. We can spend our time working on other things to make the golf course better.”

Chaney said Lake Murray, located just Hot Springs Village Annual Membership east of Interstate 35 near the Texas border, $275 per single and $535 per couple is an ideal spot for the transition to Bermuda greens. The course has purchased covers for Enjoy HSV POA amenities at Resident Rates with your membership: the winter but doesn’t expect to have to use • Lawn Bowling • 8 Golf Courses • Performing Arts Center them often. The excellent putting conditions • DeSoto Club Event Center • 11 Recreational Lakes • 8 Pickleball Courts in the summer months complement a golf • Family Recreation Center • 20+ Miles of Nature Trails • Largest Bridge Club in U.S. • Outdoor Pools course that features a raft of interesting tree• 13 Court Tennis Facility • Mini Golf • RV Park • Fitness Center • Bocce Ball lined holes.

• And so much more “The layout is great and you won’t find many like it in Oklahoma. We’ve got a traditional, tree-lined golf course with a lot of doglegs and some really excellent holes,” Chaney said. “It tests you and makes you hit every club in your bag. It’s not long but it’s not just a driver-wedge course. There are Get your membership to paradise: HSVmembership.com a lot of holes requiring sound strategy.”

Lake Murray currently has a special every Special Offer! Receive a free gift with your Monday where golfers can play all day for membership purchase, code: MEMFUN2012 $20 per player. For more information, call 580-223-6613.

Save and Play

Join the fun!

www.golfoklahoma.org •••••• 33

Dedication For 40 years, Buddy Phillips gave his all to Cedar Ridge Country Club by ken macleod Back in his heyday “before they got rid of color,” you knew when Buddy Phillips entered the room. His clothes were always much louder than the man himself.

“I was a walking mannequin,” Phillips said. “If I went out to play a round with a member, I was going to sell something; a shirt, some slacks, a hat. . . just off of what I was wearing.”

Now 77 and getting set to retire in October as head PGA Professional from Cedar Ridge Country Club after 40 years of impeccable service to its members, Phillips’ attire is more reflective of our conservative times.

The man the boys in the bag room respect34 •••••• www.golfoklahoma.org

fully call The Godfather is looking forward to his role as grandfatherly Don, spending more time with his two grandkids while keeping one eye on the empire he helped build by remaining on the greens committee at Cedar Ridge.

If there is one word that describes Phillips’ tenure at Cedar Ridge, it is dedication. Not just to the members, but to the course itself.

Phillips has shared lunch with superintendent Mike Wooten most working days for the past 26 years. He has been Wooten’s strongest advocate in procuring what he needs to make Cedar Ridge the best it can be.

“I’ve spent 26 years working with Buddy

Buddy Phillips with son Tracy today and back in the days of disco.

and he’s the best thing that’s happened for my career,” Wooten said. “He’s always put the golf course first and whatever would make it better is what he was focused on.”

For Phillips, that’s what it has always been all about. Since the day in 1972 that he moved over from Tulsa Country Club to take the reins at Cedar Ridge, Phillips has told anyone who asked that he had no interest in comparing Cedar Ridge with Southern

Phillips, in his pro shop left and sporting some color with Hubert Green and Chi Chi Rodriquez.

Hills, but was only interested in making Cedar Ridge the best it could be.

“The media always wanted me to compare the two and there’s no reason to compare,” said Phillips. “Southern Hills is Southern Hills and we’ve always tried to be the best Cedar Ridge that we can be. What’s important is that we continue to improve what we have. Right now we’re spending $2.5 million on the pool and fitness center.

We keep improving every year and that’s extremely important.

“The golf course has held up very well.

I don’t know if you can make them long enough for the kids today, but we can stretch this out to 7.500 yards and set a few pins and this will be as tough as you want it to be. Yet on a daily basis it is a very enjoyable golf course. You never get tired of playing it.

“We do a lot of little things to make it better. It’s the little things that make you look good and the little things you let go that make you look ragged.”

Those little things have been adding up for Phillips for a long time. They are why long-time friends like recently retired Hillcrest Country Club head professional Jerry Cozby calls Phillips “the ultimate golf professional” Or why Cedar Ridge general manager Cleve Stubblefield said, “Buddy Phillips is Cedar Ridge. I’ve never met a man I respect more in my life.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever met a golf pro that was more dedicated to the golf course, the facility and the membership,” said Cozby.

“He put his heart and soul into it and he was very good at it. For a long time he was one of the top merchandisers in the country.

“He’s never been out there to toot his horn.

He just does his job and does it very well.”

Cozby and Phillips have been friends for more than half a century. Cozby grew up in Odessa, Texas, while Phillips was 90 miles away in the small town of Jal, New Mexico, where his father worked for El Paso Natural Gas. Phillips was a fine golfer and all-sport athlete growing up and he also went to work for El Paso. His supervisor, recognizing his love for golf, persuaded him to become an assistant professional at Jal Country Club to Hardy Loudermilk, the head pro who would also wind up mentoring Cozby later at Oak Hill Country Club in San Antonio.

At the time in Jal, Loudermilk was tutoring a young Kathy Whitworth, the future LPGA Hall of Famer.

After working at Jal CC for 14 months, Phillips became a head professional at Artesia CC and stayed there five years before becoming an assistant at Cherry Hills CC in Denver. He and Cozby both moved to Oklahoma within a year of each other, Cozby to Hillcrest in Bartlesville and Phillips to TCC in 1969.

Phillips married his wife Doris at the age of 20 and they’ve been together for 56 years.

Son Tracy was born in Artesia and was already a young phenom by the time they moved to Tulsa CC. Stricken with LeggCalve Perthes Disease, a childhood hip disorder which essentially kept him hopping about on one leg for 2.5 years until the hip bone slides back into the socket, it didn’t stop Tracy from practicing dawn to dusk.

For the next phase of his life, Buddy was torn between his duties to the club and the desire to nurture and watch his son, who quickly became one of the top juniors in the world.

“Tracy started winning tournaments around age 11 and it just was unbelievable,” Buddy said. “He still has about 80 trophies over at the house. Tracy was a very natural player. I worked with him until he was about 15 and then took him to see Harvey Penick in Texas.”

Although it was Doris who shuttled Tracy to most of his events, Buddy did get to watch him win the PGA Junior Championship in 1980, one of his fondest memories.

Tracy was one of three future Oklahoma State golfers to win the event in a nine-year span, joining Willie Wood in 1978 and Brian Montgomery in 1986, all managing to do what even Tiger Woods could not (he finished second in 1990 to Chris Couch who shot a final round 63.)

Buddy, meanwhile, was busy helping Cedar Ridge get established on the national stage. The club was host to the 1983 U.S. Women’s Open won by Jan Stephenson.

The tournament was held in August then and it was brutally hot, but the course performed beautifully. Phillips remembers the event being a lot of work but a lot of fun and that posters of the lovely and scantily clad Stephenson were, in today’s terms, going viral.

Cedar Ridge has had a long history with both the USGA and the Oklahoma Golf Association as well as the LPGA. It helped Southern Hills host qualifying for the 2009 U.S. Amateur and as recently as late July held local qualifying for the 2012 U.S. Amateur. It has been the site of numerous state and high-school championships including the 2010 OGA State Amateur and 2011 Class 6A State Championship. It hosted the SEM Group Championship on the LPGA www.golfoklahoma.org •••••• 35

Tour from 2004-2008.

“Every pro has learned something from Buddy Phillips,” said OGA Executive Director Mark Felder. “I remember in 2002 at the state amateur, I’m introducing the players and Buddy is there next to me polishing the trophy. That’s just one of the things that stuck with me. If something needed to be done, he would find somebody to do it or do it himself.”

“I’ve never been one to take anything for granted,” Phillips said. “If something needs to be done, do it. I don’t like to take other people for granted and I don’t like to be taken for granted.”

Those who have worked for Phillips have learned his lessons well and it’s helped them down the line.

“I’ve learned much of what I know about the golf business from Buddy,” said Rob Yanovitch, director of golf at Shangri-La Resort in Afton. “His leadership has been something I’ve modeled since he gave me a chance to learn how to serve and manage. Great leaders have a heart to serve, and Buddy has served his membership, club, staff and association with consistency and a sense of fairness like none other I’ve seen.

He is an old school PGA professional who embraced the role of mentorship to his as-

sistants by always striving for excellence.

Buddy has always been a man of his word and always followed through on what he promised.”

“He’s one of the best,” said Rick Reed, director of golf at The Oaks Country Club and an assistant to Phillips from 1977-89. “He really enjoys his job and loves what he does.

Customer service is what he always done better than anybody else. He just ran a great golf operation.

“He just loved Cedar Ridge and always wanted it to get better and improve.”

That daily drive is going to be hard for Phillips to give up. Despite two major openheart surgeries, Phillips is still driven. Asked what he is thinking about when he reflects on his career, he says, “What the heck am I going to do next?”

The answer, everyone hopes, is enjoy his lifetime membership at Cedar Ridge, give an occasional lesson and play a lot more golf.

Although he said one of his regrets looking back is not having played more with the members over the years, Phillips did make time for travel most years and played a lot of golf with friends such as Cozby and former Oaks head pro Larry Crummitt.

One trip he took back East stands out, as he and three companions played eight

courses, including five that have hosted U.S. Opens (Baltusrol, Bethpage, Shinnecock Hills, Merion and Oakmont.). He recharged his energies most winters with a trip to Hawaii and has been fortunate to play other great courses around the country.

Tracy, who runs the Buddy Phillips Learning Center at Cedar Ridge, will have an office waiting for his father when he retires.

The two share a close bond and Tracy was thrilled to be able to win the PGA South Central Section Championship at Cedar Ridge in 2011, giving his father a get-well boost in his recovery from his second heart surgery.

“He’s definitely an old school pro,” Tracy said. “He and Mike (Wooten) have formed a great team and have gotten a tremendous amount accomplished.

“To a lot of people, Buddy Phillips is Cedar Ridge.”

NOTES: Cedar Ridge will be having a tournament in honor of Buddy Phillips on Sept. 21 and a black-tie roast at the Spirit Event Center on Oct. 22. Call 918-252-2501 for more information on either event.

Phillips will be replaced by David Bryan, formerly director of golf and general manager at The Patriot in Owasso.

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36 •••••• www.golfoklahoma.org

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.

Note: Please park responsibly. And not on our golf courses.

To start your Alabama Road Trip, scan this code with your smartphone.

www.golfoklahoma.org •••••• 37

First Tee of Oklahoma City has a home First Tee director Dustin Semsch outside the new 5,100-square foot First Tee building. by john rohde

Willa Johnson fondly remembers May 7, 2000. It was a hot, gusty Sunday at James E. Stewart Golf Course in Oklahoma City when Johnson watched 24-year-old Tiger Woods prowl station-to-station across a makeshift practice tee.

While 100 inner-city youths received instruction from local pros, roughly 200 yards away, 25 elite golfers received one-on-one attention from Woods. Each kid got the same treatment – a smile, a handshake, a tip or two or three, words of encouragement, an autograph if requested, and the experience of a lifetime.

“Wasn’t that an amazing sight?” Johnson recalled, her voice cracking. “Did you notice when Tiger was talking to the children?

They were so quiet. They paid such attention to that man, and these were kids who didn’t normally stand still, you know. I was so impressed and I just loved it so much.”

The event was a Tiger Woods Foundation junior golf clinic that was eight years in the making.

In 1992, the year Woods won the second of his three straight U.S. Junior Amateur titles, longtime community leader Leroy Richardson contacted Woods’ father, Earl.

A charter member of a national minority golf foundation, Richardson envisioned greatness for Tiger Woods. “I was sure he 38 •••••• www.golfoklahoma.org

was going to be a huge success,” Richardson said. “So therefore I told Earl we planned to open a 9-hole golf course and we’d like to have Tiger there for it.”

Earl Woods replied, “Just give me a call.”

A dormant Eastern Golf Club underwent a $1.1 million renovation and had been renamed for Stewart, a northeastern Oklahoma City civil rights and community leader who died in 1997.

The course was dedicated on June 7, 1999.

“When the time came, I wrote an official letter of request,” Richardson said of summoning Woods.

That day still resonates, not only at 824 Frederick Douglass Ave., but throughout the entire Oklahoma City area. The event had a lasting impression on Johnson, who at the time was the Ward 7 councilwoman and now serves as Oklahoma County Commissioner for District 1.

“I really felt we needed to do something for the kids who really wouldn’t have an opportunity to play the game,” Johnson explained. “African-American kids did not have a role model in that sport. Tiger provided that role model.”

Roughly 18 months later, First Tee of Metro Oklahoma City became reality and now rates among the elite of 200-plus non-profit chapters nationwide. Oklahoma also has The First Tee of Tulsa and there have been

discussions of possibly forming a First Tee of Muskogee.

Affiliated courses at Hefner, Earlywine, John Conrad, Fairfax, KickingBird, Westwood and Tinker generously share facilities and instruction, and now First Tee of Metro OKC has its own home.

Opened on March 26, 2011, the $1.7 million Learning Center is for First Tee students only. The facility includes a 5,100-squarefoot learning center, a three-hole course, a short-game area and a 12,000-square-foot putting green on 15 acres that are on a longterm lease with OKC Parks. The Learning Center also houses First Tee offices.

The First Tee of Metro OKC’s mission: “To impact the lives of young people in metropolitan Oklahoma City by providing educational programs that build character, instill life-enhancing values and promote healthy choices through the game of golf.”

First Tee incorporates nine core values: honesty, integrity, sportsmanship, courtesy, confidence, respect, responsibility, judgment and perseverance. Added two years ago were the Nine Healthy Habits from the ANNIKA (Sorenstam) Foundation that entail physical choices (energy, play and safety), social choices (friends, school, community) and emotional choices (vision, mind, family).

“I would say First Tee is more about core values and character than it is about the golf,”

said First Tee of Metro OKC president Craig Humphreys. “They’re not trying to build major champions or anything like that.”

Debi Martin is volunteer executive director for First Tee of Metro OKC. “When you play golf, you learn to deal with friends and other people in a social way to make you a healthy child,” Martin said. “That’s really what we’re doing. We use the game because kids need activity. They want recreation.”

Longtime pro Doug Tewell, a 12-time winner on the PGA and Champion tours, serves as a board member.

“I love it when I go out there and a kid looks me in the eye and shakes my hand,” Tewell said. “Those are all things that we’re teaching them, so you feel really good about that. I don’t know if one of these kids will ever become a great golfer, but just the lessons we’re teaching them are going to make great citizens out of them.”

Suffice to say, Johnson has been pleased with the impact.

“I’m not just pleased about it, I’m ecstatic,” Johnson said. “Every time anybody mentions First Tee, I’m jumping all over everything. Isn’t it wonderful? Oh, I am so happy. You have no idea of how proud I am just to be a little bit of a part of this.”

Johnson, Humphreys and Tewell credit

Martin for the First Tee’s lofty standing.

“I will tell you, it wouldn’t run without Debi Martin,” said Johnson, who serves as board secretary. “I also will tell you there were other folks who said they were going to help us get it done and instead they did everything they could to put obstacles in our way. Debi said, ‘I will help.’ I knew if she did Spacious meeting rooms at the First Tee OKC. it, she’d do it well.

“I think we are setting a standard in Okla- by 29 percent this year, retention increased homa City for charters all over the country. from 45 percent to 52 percent, the ratio of We’re doing it the right way. We’re follow- female students increased from 29 percent ing the whole outline of what First Tee is all to 36 percent and the number of students about. We are doing exactly what needs to be 12-and-older increased by 22 percent.

Though self-sufficient, more work redone for these children, and that’s giving them opportunity to interact with us instead of sim- mains for First Tee of Metro OKC. A range picker and other items are needed. Contriply counting them every time they come.” butions are welcome. For more information, While golf has endured a leveling-off peri- visit http://www.thefirstteemetokc.org.

od the past decade, First Tee of Metro OKC John Rohde writes for The Oklahoman and is going strong. Martin said participation of a seven-week certifying program increased www.newsok.com.

www.golfoklahoma.org •••••• 39

DESTINATIONS

Tennessee Trail

Stonehenge, Bear Trace are top spots by bill harper

Crossville, which is between Nashville and Knoxville on I-40, certainly holds its own when it comes to upper-class golf courses. On a recent golf writer’s tour it became blatantly obvious why these folks are sticking out their chests and proudly bragging about their venues.

Ashley Allen, vice president of Crossville’s Chamber of Commerce, probably beams more than anyone. It’s her job to promote them. “It’s not a case of local officials looking for a catchy moniker.”

In the Upper Cumberland area are 10 golf 40 •••••• www.golfoklahoma.org

courses, most of them within easy access of each other. For visiting golfers that means not adding another hour or two traveling from course to course. Keep in mind, Golf Oklahoma readers probably have already logged 11 or 12 hours just to get there.

Some are just your everyday golf courses, yet worthy challenges.

Others rank higher up the golfing ladder. Because of its designer, Jack Nicklaus, Bear Trace at Cumberland Mountain State Park earns more than its fair share of pats on the back, including No. 1 in the state by

Golfweek, and deservedly so. Bear Trace is one of those courses you had better be on your driving game. If not, you can find yourself spending way too much time on the proverbial “Easter egg” hunt, seeking those wayward missiles off the tee box, as a group of golf writers recently discovered. Playing from the back tees isn’t for amateurs or, in my case, hackers.

Not all No. 1 votes went to the Golden Bear’s tract. Stonehenge Golf Course drew massive raves.

That didn’t surprise one Tulsan, in par-

A sign painted on the water tower along Interstate 40 boldly says it all: “Crossville: Golf Capital of Tennessee.”

Powerful moniker, definitely.

Debatable, obviously.

Certainly eye-catching.

Yet not entirely inaccurate or farfetched.

ticular. Pat McCrate, director of golf at Tulsa County’s two courses, LaFortune Park and South Lakes. He spent six months working there during his college days at Ferris State.

It was one of the few universities nationally offering golf-course management.

He still grins from ear to ear recalling those days. And the course?

“Good times; fond memories,” he said chuckling.

At that time Stonehenge was the Southern Hills, if you will, of the Fairfield Glade resort and retirement village. “It was the

Stonehenge, left, and Bear Trace at Cumberland, above, offer eye-catching golf.

premier facility and they hosted a lot of the state events,” recalled McCrate, who was a mere 20 at the time.

Golf Week magazine thought so as well, ranking it the No. 1 resort golf course in the country in the mid-1980s.

As current head pro Warren Huddleston says, “it’s really a short course at 6,600 yards, but it plays 200 to 300 yards longer because you don’t get as much roll with the bent-grass fairways.

“We’re the only course with bent-grass fairways (and greens) in the state of Tennessee.”

It certainly makes it a favorite, along with the layout which brings into play a lot of rock formations, not to mention lakes and about 70 bunkers.

When McCrate was there it became a tradition upon finishing a round to skip and land your golf ball on the massive rock in the gigantic impoundment off the 18th hole.

Huddleston laughed. “Not so much any more,” he said. “When we raised the water level that rock because considerably smaller.”

Stonehenge has several titillating holes, but none more so than No. 14, with a 150foot drop from tee to green. Not much area for “oops.” A massive bunker frames the hole left, a 15-foot rock wall forms the back and left walls of the green with a lake looming just beyond. Oh, the front of the green is pretty much a native area. So, you’re either on the green or in trouble on this hole.

Yet it’s one of the most spectacular views around.

Other courses in the complex are Druid Hills, Dorchester and Heatherhurst, which features two layouts, Brae and Crag. Our tour included stops at Lake Tansi Golf Club and Deer Creek Golf Club.

Lake Tansi provides an interesting challenge although it only covers 6,700 yards from the tips. What it lacks in length, the course creates challenges with some testy greens that are not the easiest to hit or putt.

The two layouts at Heatherhurst are the newest to Fairfield Glade. Originally three 9-hole courses, an additional 9 was added and the names were created, dropping the Mountain, Pine and Creek names.

Most notable is No. 4 at Brae, with its layout more crooked than a dog’s hind leg. Eric Eckard with the host Geiger & Associates calls it the “nastiest par-5 in Tennessee and perhaps anywhere.”

Crag present a friendlier layout with wide fairways and short holes. It measures a mere 6,200 yards.

Going to Crossville for a golf outing requires some advance planning if you want to save money. Each course has its own website and rates depend on whether you’re spending time in the various properties.

Some rates almost seem idiotic not to stay there.

For a general website to learn more about Upper Cumberland and what it has to offer visit www.crossville-chamber.com.

www.golfoklahoma.org •••••• 41

The par-3 fifth hole at TPC Las Colinas. Photo copyright John Johnson.

Four Seasons Resort

Restful haven in middle of Metroplex by steve habel The opulent Four Seasons Resort and Club Dallas in Las Colinas is a welcome haven among the hustle and bustle of the Metroplex that surrounds it on virtually every side. The golf options at the resort go together like peanut butter and jelly, one course a little salty and crunchy and the other smooth and sweet.

Here you get two great golf courses: the often-brutish TPC Four Seasons Las Colinas and the underrated Cottonwood Valley, which will call on all your wiles to negotiate its twists, turns and undulations. Two completely different golf experiences, both of them highly challenging and satisfying -and neither for the weak or faint of heart.

D.A. Weibring and Steve Wolfard’s fouryear-old renovation to the TPC Four Seasons Las Colinas course, which is the home of the PGA Tour’s HP Bryon Nelson Championship, has taken firm hold and matured and thrived through a wetter-than-normal spring and early summer. Playing to a par of 42 •••••• www.golfoklahoma.org

70 and at 7,166 yards, the course is about as “in your face” as it gets, with 10 of its 12 par-4s playing at 448 yards or more from the back tees, a test that carries a rating of 76.0 and a slope of 142. There are four sets of tee boxes, so pick the right one for you.

Weibring and Wolford used one tenet when they revamped the course in 2007 – to produce a layout that would have made the late Nelson proud. “The one common denominator was Byron,” Weibring said. “I said if we do something first-class out of respect for Byron, then everything will work out.”

In the renovation, mounds were softened for a more natural look and better sight lines.

About 165 trees were removed and a handful others have fallen victim to the Texas drought of the past two summers.

The TPC Four Seasons Las Colinas course features rolling hills, indigenous oak and mesquite trees, numerous sand bunkers and small scenic lakes on a number of the

holes, including the two finishing holes. Its defining characteristics are its square tee complexes, white-sand bunkers and closely mown areas around the greens.

Right across the street from Four Seasons Resort and Club Dallas stands Cottonwood Valley Golf Course, a lush par-71, 7,120yard track designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr. and updated in 2006 by Jay Morrish with assistance from Byron Nelson.

Cottonwood Valley carries a rating of 74.3 and a slope of 137 from its back set of five tees. It serves as the exclusive golf course for members of The Sports Club at Four Seasons and brings the need for finesse into play, especially after the whipping you are likely going to take at TPC Four Seasons Las Colinas.

Cottonwood Valley features rebuilt Bentgrass greens and tee boxes and strategically placed bunkers, all situated on the rolling hills of Las Colinas. Water comes into play on nine holes and the course partly runs

through a beautiful residential community containing some mind-boggling homes that surely remind you about where you are in Dallas.

The course’s signature hole is its opening one, playing a massive 480 yards to a green designed in the shape of Texas that is guarded by a bunker in the shape of Oklahoma and a lake resembling the Gulf of Mexico. A wide fairway allows you to be aggressive off the tee on this very demanding opening hole.

To be successful on the two courses of the Four Seasons Resort and Club Dallas, the golfer must focus and persevere as both are challenges that penalize the timid.

Because the resort bears the Four Seasons name, attention to detail throughout the facility is second to none. The accommodations (whether in the gleaming tower or in one of the low-slung villas that border the 18th fairway and green of the TPC Four Seasons Las Colinas course) are understated but always elegant and the service is purely professional, with no detail too small and the guest’s every No. 1 at TPC Las Colinas. Photo copyright John Johnson. need anticipated.

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7/19/12 9:22 AM www.golfoklahoma.org •••••• 43

MAHOGANY’S PRO PROFILE

Tim Fleming

set for match play? More aggressive?

I would say it’s tougher to get Tim Fleming, director of golf at Oklahoma City Golf & in the match-play mindset. I try Country Club, was recently to not even watch what my opselected by Titleist to repre- ponent is doing. In stroke play, sent the company as one of its I’m just trying to play my game.

Pro Profiles on the back cover of both PGA Magazine and As a former OSU All-American this month’s Golf Oklahoma. and one who played profesThere will also be a video of sional golf for four years, you Fleming’s accomplishments at obviously still love to compete.

Do you think it’s important as www.titleist.com. a club pro to play and do you Tim, we have amateur Mike look for that quality in your asHughett up to 16 OGA cham- sistants? With all the demands pionships so this should be a on a club pro, it’s got to be a pretty good horse race. He’s 53 fine line.

There’s absolutely a balance and you’re 47. How many PGA Section “majors” have you won there. When I’m hiring an assistant, that they enjoy competing now?

We figured this up recently. and are reasonably competitive I’ve got the Section Champion- is not the top priority because ship in 1994, ’99, ’04, ‘05 and there are so many other things 2010. The Section Club Pro that are more important. But I (now PNC) in 2003. And the would love for them to compete.

Match Play in 1994, ’98, ’04, ’06, I think any club has pride when its professional or assistants do ’07 and 2011. So 12. well in tournaments. It’s obviJust one Club Pro Champion- ously much more important to make sure the golf operation is ship? What’s the problem.?

What’s odd about that is that running smoothly.

I’m really not a big fan of match play, but that’s the one I seem to What was the session like with do the best in. I think a guy can Titleist for the back cover ad?

They were here for at least get hot and win in match play, whereas in three days of stroke five hours. First we did a photo play normally the guy playing shoot of at least 1,000 pictures.

Then we did an interview for 30 the best is going to win.

Do you have a different mind44 •••••• www.golfoklahoma.org

See FLEMING page 46

CHARLESTON’S AMATEUR PROFILE

Stephen Carney

Both victories were very special to me, busting me out of In a span of a week, Ste- slumps, but my 2010 victory phen Carney won the 2012 gave me confidence that I knew Oklahoma State Amateur at how to play championship-winSouthern Hills, then torched ning golf. My most recent victhe difficult Cedar Ridge tory at Southern Hills has made Country Club with rounds me realize maybe I do have a fuof 69-67 for a 5-under 137 ture competing against the best to lead an ultra-talented players in the world. field trying to qualify for the U.S. Amateur Aug. 13-19 at In the finals this year, there were seven birdies in the first Cherry Hills CC in Denver.

Carney accomplished all seven holes, including four conthis walking in weather that secutive by yourself and birdconstantly exceeded 100 de- ies on 1, 3 and 7 by Draegon Majors. Was it the excitement grees. of the championship match that Stephen, obviously playing in raised the level of play after a the heat agrees with you. Are long week of golf?

I think the level of play was you bothered by it and tell us elevated because we were a little about your training regimen?

I love playing during the sum- bit nervous, and we both really mer because it generally firms wanted to win. The big stage and up the course and lets the rough tough competition really brought grow out, making the course out the best in me and I’m very play the most fair. And I have proud of the way I conducted been focusing my training on myself in the final match. Draeflexibility, balance, endurance gon was bringing his A game, so and quick explosion. I do this I had to match him. by stretching every morning and sticking to a schedule of weight- Have you made a firm decision yet on whether you’ll turn pro lifting and cardio. before the Oklahoma Open or Winning the state amateur remain an amateur while you at Cedar Ridge in 2010 and finish school at the University Southern Hills in 2012 means of Tulsa?

Well, after qualifying for the you prevailed at two of the most challenging venues in the U.S. Amateur I believe the only state. Was either victory more special than the other and why? See CARNEY page 47 www.golfoklahoma.org •••••• 45

Fleming, continued from 44 minutes or so, then back on the range with my club president for more photos. Then we played a hole and took more photos and video. They’ve only done about four of these so this is a real honor.

Tell us a bit about your golf background before OSU? I grew up in Ocean Springs, Miss., right next to Biloxi. All the great courses that are down there now didn’t exist when I was a kid. We played a course called St. Andrews that no longer exists and a pretty good track called Hickory Hills, which is now Mississippi National.

After playing at OSU, including being part of the 1987 national championship team, you turned professional and played the mini-tours for four years. Tell us about your pro playing career.

I played okay and I was paying my bills, but it was never easy. I played in Asia for three years and the last year finished 21st on their Order of Merit. I went to PGA Q School four times and each time made it past the first stage but never the second.

In 1991 I was playing a mini-tour event in

Memphis and shot 65 the first day and was tied for first. I played okay after that and finished about 20th. As I was driving back to Oklahoma City, I was thinking that this is not that much fun. I’m playing okay, paying bills but my career is not advancing.

I had a friend I played college golf with who was struggling worse than me. He had called Kevin O’Brien, who was then the head pro at SilverHorn in OKC which was just getting ready to open. I ended up doing the same thing and talked to Kevin and he offered me a job.

All but two years from 1994-2012. One other year I could not go because of a conflict with our member-guest. I’ve made it through to the PGA Championship five times, 2001-05.

What is it like teeing it up on that stage in one of the majors?

I can’t tell you how nervous I was in my first practice round in 2001. It helped that I was playing with Scott Verplank and Bob Tway, two guys I know. They were a calming influence and I was still really nervous.

I never made the cut but the three years Tim has worked at SilverHorn for 14 that I came within 3-5 shots I played good. If months, then as an assistant at Oklahoma you don’t have your game on those courses City Golf & Country Club before stints as and those setups, you can get embarrassed. the head pro at The Trails (1996-2003) When you see the guys near the lead and and Quail Creek Country Club before what they’re shooting, it just lets you know returning to Oklahoma City G&CC in you made the right decision.

2007. What appeals to you about being a Tell us a little about your personal life and PGA professional?

I enjoy doing a little bit of everything. what you like to do away from the course.

I’m married to my wife Ellen for 19 years.

There’s playing, a lot of teaching, merchandising, running golf tournaments, junior I have a stepson, Patrick, who is 28, and a son, Thomas, who is 16. I follow college events. I enjoy all of that. sports, particularly football and basketball.

You have qualified for what is now the We have season tickets to OSU football and Professional National Championship how basketball. If the television. is on, it’s usually golf, college football or college basketball. many times?

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Carney, continued from 45 thing that will keep me from playing professionally next year would be if I made the finals of the U.S. Amateur and gained an invite to the Masters and U.S. Open. So I’m putting all my focus into the U.S. Am, because playing those tournaments have been my dream since I started playing golf when I was 12 or 13.

Tell us a little about Stephen Carney off the course. You were an excellent baseball player coming up. What are your favorite sports to watch and play besides golf?

I don’t know who might have called me an excellent baseball player. But I did love playing baseball, basketball and football when I was younger. I am a big OKC Thunder fan and enjoy watching them play, as well as playing pickup basketball with my friends. What many people may not know about me is that I have gotten into watching a lot of soccer lately and have a great appreciation for soccer players.

Are you into the video craze and, if so, what do you play most often?

I do play Xbox when I need of some free time. My favorite game is FIFA Soccer and I play online against friends.

What do you consider the best golf shot you’ve ever hit? What’s the best round you’ve played.

Well, it’s almost impossible to pick a best shot I’ve ever hit, because I have played so much golf in my life. Considering the timing and pressure I would consider the shots I hit on the final hole of regulation at last year’s Oklahoma State Amateur at Meadowbrook.

I had three great shots to make birdie and send the match to extra holes. My best round would have to be my third- round course-record performance at the 2011 Southwestern Amateur (10 birdies 8 pars for a 62) and the round gave me a 7- stroke lead going into the final round. I would consider that my best victory, mainly because I was 26-under-par.

Professional golf is a very competitive arena. How long will you give it to reach the PGA Tour and what would you like to do for a career if pro golf doesn’t work out?

I understand that there are many great players in the world, but I have confidence in myself to work hard and accomplish my goal of playing on the PGA Tour. If professional golf doesn’t work out for me or if I choose to settle down and start a family, I would love to stay in the golf business.

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Book Your Tee Time Now | 1.877.337.2963 www.golfoklahoma.org •••••• 47

QUAIL CREEK BANK’S CELEBRITY PROFILE

Doug Ferguson

if he’s not caught up in this celebrity generation, starting with being smitten with a tennis star for his girlfriend. What I always felt about Tiger, and Phil Mickelson for that matter, is the two richest guys in golf were Doug Ferguson has worked for The Associated but – we have to remember that he is 36 the only ones who played like they didn’t Press for 25 years, starting in Oklahoma City (and probably an old 36 at that) and has four have two nickels to rub together (same and including six years as the correspondent in knee surgeries behind him. Did we expect could be said of Els and Vijay Singh, for that Tulsa. He took over the AP golf beat in 1998 at Jack Nicklaus to be the same at 40 (he won matter). Rory’s ability, however is exquisite. the British Open. He has covered more than 300 two majors that year) as he was at 32? The Luke Donald is underappreciated for what tournaments, including 66 major championships putter is his biggest issue, and perhaps some he’s achieved, and Lee Westwood is pure class. I really think majors and seven Ryder Cups. He are around the corner for lives in Jacksonville, Fla. both, or at least one. But long term, no one is quite Whether the news is good, like Rory. And Rory is nobad or indifferent, Tiger where near Tiger.

Woods talk dominates the PGA Tour. Do you have to Favorite two tournaments institute a Tiger-free zone you’ve covered and why? with friends and family to Generally speaking, my get away from answering favorite two tournaments questions about him incesare Pebble Beach (such a santly? beautiful blend of pro, amI went to the Chevron ateur, corporate and enterWorld Challenge in Thoutainment -- all the elements sand Oaks, Calif., in 2009 of the PGA Tour) and the having spent five straight Masters, because the place days covering and being is sheer magic. Specifically, amazed by the downfall though, two come to mind of Tiger. My parents drove that you would not guess. down for dinner from the Once in a while the writer gets to play. So much the better at St. Andrews.

One was the 2004 CanadiCentral Valley, as they always do, and I told them there would be of that can be attributed to age. I asked Ernie an Open at Glen Abbey. It was the 100th anZERO talk about Tiger. My dad, a high- Els about 10 years ago why older guys with niversary of the Canadian Open, the 50-year school teammate of Phil Rodgers and very so much experience and the help of technol- anniversary of the last Canadian winner and inquisitive, managed to obey. It’s not bad ogy didn’t win more majors. He attributed (Canadian) Mike Weir had the lead going at home because my wife and daughters that to the putter from the standpoint that into the final day. It was bigger and louder don’t really care that much about golf (my when you’re 40, you know the consequenc- than two of the majors that year, so loud youngest believes she’ll be marrying Mat- es of a miss more than when you’re 25. Ti- that Weir had to stretch open his mouth to teo Manassero one day). Otherwise, I’ve ger is not immune to that. Is there greater pop his ears on the tee boxes. Pure electricinever minded it too much. It would be like competition? I don’t buy that. There has ty. Vijay Singh, in his first tournament as No. me asking the beat writer of the LA Times always been great competition, and great 1, rallied late and wound up beating Weir on about Matt Kemp and Clayton Kershaw. It’s depth. The difference was that we had a guy the third playoff hole. Vijay made two triple a privilege, and it would be selfish not to winning eight times a year, so no one paid bogeys that week and still won. The other attention to the rest of them. Without Tiger was the 2002 U.S. Women’s Open at Prairie share some insight. winning all the time, there are more trophies Dunes. Juli Inkster, the coolest female golfNow let’s talk about Tiger. You’ve watched to go around, so it looks like they’re better. er in history, returned 22 years later to the him as closely as any reporter. Is he com- Here’s my hunch. I think Tiger will make scene of a U.S. Women’s Amateur title, shot ing all the way back or did he lose some- a serious run at Jack’s record, but not until 66 on Sunday and beat Annika Sorenstam at thing permanently in the last three years. about 2014. I think part of the putting issue her peak. It was just a lot of fun that week.

Will he break Jack’s record of 18 majors? is between the ears. He has a lot of clutter Can’t list the majors because those are the Predictions are a dangerous business, so I in there, perhaps much of that anger. Tiger most special, and there’s too many of them. try to avoid them. That dates to a column said all the time, and so have others when Put a gun to my head, and I probably would I wrote while at OU that the quarterback they win, that they felt a certain peace about go with Tiger at St. Andrews in 2000 and transferring to UCLA would never be heard them. I just don’t sense complete peaceful- Charl Schwartzel winning at Augusta National last year. from again. That was Troy Aikman, so les- ness right now. son learned. But since you asked ... I don’t know! The short answer would be that, in Who is the second best golfer on the planet? Best U.S. Open course and setup and best Rory McIlroy is the second-most gifted British Open course and set-up you’ve my opinion, he will come all the way, as many believe he can. But – and this is a big player on the talent. I wonder, though, seen.

Insights from ultimate PGA Tour insider

48 •••••• www.golfoklahoma.org

put any effort into his answers or the cooperation. He has always seen the media as a burden, instead of part of the daily routine.

He missed out on the idea that by giving an ounce of effort, the return would have been enormous. I know who he doesn’t like, and it always amazed me how he treated them in press conferences – no differently than anyone else. In other words, you’d never know he didn’t like this or that person, which was very professional.

As for me, we still have a reasonable working relationship, but we went probably six months without exchanging two words to each other outside a press conference. His agent gave me the cold shoulder in December, though I’m not sure why. I have written some unflattering things about him, but I believe them to be fair, and all of them factual (or opinions grounded in fact). I’m pretty Is the arthritis bothering Phil Mickelson Back to Tiger, of course. His relationship close to Steve Williams (and upset him, too, more than he’s letting on? Is he through as with the media has been prickly at best. last year in Shanghai) so that might contribThrough all that’s transpired, have you ute to it. I’ve always wondered if it was a a major force in golf?

To an extent, I think it is. He’ll never say, been able to maintain a good working re- column last November in which I suggested Tiger and Steve had different discretions, but and he’s the only one who knows. The big- lationship?

It’s not that Tiger has had a prickly re- the same lesson applies – if you’re not nice ger problem with Phil is that he needs a lot to keep him motivated, and to keep his at- lationship with the media. He simply has to people on the way up, no one will catch tention. That’s one reason you saw him get chosen to have NO relationship. He doesn’t you on the way down. For Tiger, it was the I’m partial to Pebble Beach as a California native, but the course peaked too early in the week in 2010 and it was not right on the weekend. I think the best setup was Pinehurst No. 2, both years. The fairways were narrow, but not to a fault. You couldn’t see the ball in the rough from 10 feet away, but the players could advance it at the risk of a flier, and the green complexes and bunkering is just awesome. Picking the best and worst British Open venue is like picking the worst hole at Augusta. St. Andrews is the best, historically if nothing else. The best setup was probably Royal Birkdale in 2008, though in my opinion, all but Carnoustie (1999) have been set up well. The R&A doesn’t tend to get silly with the setup. They leave that to the wind and the rain. The best Opens are the brown ones, fast and fiery.

involved with the investment group that bought the San Diego Padres -- a new challenge, and one to which he could contribute. Translated to golf, I think the majors are really all that matter to him at this point, and he has a hard time getting motivated on Thursday and Friday of other events. His play at the Masters this year was amazing, how he rallied. And the bad break he got on the fourth, hitting the rail of the grandstand, ranks up there with Jean Van de Velde hitting the rail with his 2-iron at Carnoustie that ricocheted back over the burn. I don’t think he’ll get to 50 tour wins, which is his goal. But I see another major for him, most like at the Masters or PGA. The horrible thing would be if he won the British, leaving only the U.S. Open to win. Because I don’t think golf is going to let him get a U.S. Open.

www.golfoklahoma.org •••••• 49

QUAIL CREEK BANK’S CELEBRITY PROFILE media. For Steve, the other caddies. It was accurate, though difficult to write because as for the “media” there had always been mutual respect between me and Tiger. But he engages in Q&A if it’s a good topic during press conferences, and I have no complaints.

Who’s the best interview on the PGA Tour and why? Who are some of the really good and interesting guys that we should be cheering for if we knew more about them?

Geoff Ogilvy will top anyone’s list. It’s amazing, really, that this Melbourne kid who only has a high-school education is so incredibly well-read, has a great sense of history and is incredibly smart when it comes to golf-course architecture and how to play the professional game. He says one clever thing after another, and it’s almost always thought out and articulated beautifully. And if he gets the gist of a poorly worded question, he’ll figure out what they mean and put his best effort into it. Stewart Cink is another one. They don’t beat around the bush, and they are refreshingly honest without trying to put anyone down (reporter or fellow player). It’s a long list of good interviews. Phil in a good mood can be self-dep-

recating, and it’s quite funny. And then there are guys who may not be exciting, but they spell things out so clearly and perfectly -- Bo Van Pelt, Luke Donald, David Toms. Ernie Els is as honest as South Africa is a long way from here. He also has a wicked temper, and that’s OK with me. It’s golf. Nothing personal. And no list is complete without Padraig Harrington. He once thought of something on the golf course, and lost his focus for a few holes because he was trying to be sure to remember to share that with the press.

He came into the pressroom at Pebble Beach with nothing really to ask him, and he voluntarily started dropping one great “bad weather” story after another because we were at Pebble. God bless him.

And all of these things, or most of them, are grounded in truth. “Tiger’s trying to win 18 majors? I’m trying to PLAY in 18 majors.”

You have to be the straight man for Paul.

When he was appointed assistant captain, I shook my head at the reporters who said, “This ought to be great,” without knowing anything about him except for what quote they read. A sleeper in this category is Scott Verplank. Sarcasm on steroids. He’s also smart and opinionated.

Do you hear anything about Southern Hills’ and another U.S. Open?

No, which is not to say it’s not in the works. It bugs me to hear my colleagues talk about Tulsa in terms of 100-degree heat that we had for the PGA Championship. What, like it’s cool in Atlanta in August? New JerWho is the funniest PGA Tour player?

Paul Goydos is a name you expect to sey? Give me a break. Perhaps the thinking hear, but too many reporters treat him in a is that Southern Hills in June is a better fit. I way that reminds me of the scene in “Good think it’s the greatest championship course Morning, Vietnam” when one of the guys in in the Heartland. What concerns me about the studio says to him, “Say something fun- Southern Hills is not about the golf, but the ny.” Paul doesn’t work like that. He makes event. The U.S. Open is trying to become incredibly savvy, at times self-deprecating, SO big that you wonder if it has outgrown honest observations that he delivers with the space available. Then again, they are gosuch sarcasm that it’s funny beyond belief. ing to Merion next year.

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GOLF FITNESS

Prostate tests debated . . ,

by dr sameer keole director procure proton therapy center

Prostate cancer is a public health problem.

Each year in the United States, 200,000 men are diagnosed with, and 30,000 die from, prostate cancer. This is the same number of patients who will die from pancreatic cancer.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recently reaffirmed its 2011 recommendation that healthy men, no matter their age, no longer receive prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood tests as part of routine cancer screening. The USPSTF is an independent group that works to improve the health of all Americans by making evidencebased recommendations about clinical preventive services. This group, however, does not include a doctor specializing in prostate cancer. The accompanying media coverage for the USPSTF recommendations has discouraged men from continuing to obtain PSA screening tests and men who have been diagnosed with prostate cancer from seeking treatment.

The American Urologic Association and the American Society for Radiation Oncolo-

52 •••••• www.golfoklahoma.org

gy, among others, have denounced the USPSTF recommendations on PSA screening.

From 1992 to 2007, the prostate cancer mortality in the United States has dropped 40 percent, but not necessarily because of better treatments. Advances in surgery, in the form of robotic approaches, and radiation therapy, in the form of proton beam, have gained publicity and yield significant promise over more traditional therapies.

Still, the most notable advance during this time has been the introduction of the PSA test in a clinical setting.

Prior to the advent of the PSA test, prostate cancer was detected clinically. Some fortunate patients were diagnosed after a doctor detected a subtle change during a rectal exam during a routine office visit. But rectal examinations have been proven woefully unreliable. Not surprisingly, many patients were first diagnosed after significant local progression or worse yet, after the cancer had spread uncontrollably to bone or other distant organs. In the past 20 years,

presentation of prostate cancer in the locally advanced or metastatic stages has dropped from nearly 40 percent to under 10 percent.

So why did the USPSTF come to their conclusion? Most prostate cancers diagnosed today in the U.S. are “low to intermediate” risk, with no chance of causing death within five years of diagnosis and a small risk even at 10 years. Even though medical literature has clearly stated for more than 10 years that there is no role for CT scans and bone scans in men with low-risk prostate cancer, thousands of men in the U.S. get these tests anyway. It is this lack of discipline among many doctors who treat prostate cancer that led, in part, to the USPSTF recommendation.

So, back to the original question: to screen or not to screen? The answer is somewhere in-between. Prostate cancer management includes treatments with curative intent such as radiation therapy and surgery. But management also includes active surveillance, which is not the same as “watchful waiting.” In the hands of a physician with experience in managing prostate cancer, active surveillance is an appropriate and safe option for many men with newly diagnosed prostate cancer.

It’s hip to be flexible Are you losing power and have a difficult time maintaining your balance during your swing? The problem may not be your strength or balance, but rather your hips. As we age and sit more day to day, we tend to get tighter in our hip joint and the surrounding tissues. In particular this can lead to a lack of hip internal rotation that allows you to rotate your pelvis with feet fixed on the ground. This motion is required in your trail leg during your backswing and in your lead leg during impact and followthrough.

Ultimately, a lack of hip internal rotation can lead to lateral motion swing faults such as Sway and Slide that sap power.

A Sway is defined as any excessive lower body lateral movement away from the target during the backswing which forces the weight to the outside of the trail foot. This makes it very difficult to develop a proper weight shift during transition and the downswing, leading to a loss of power. It’s important to create a coil around the back leg similar to a batter digging in at the plate with his back foot creating a solid base to drive his weight off of during transition.

A Slide is defined as any excessive lower body lateral movement toward the target during the downswing. This fault makes it very difficult to stabilize the lower body during the downswing, which can translate to loss of speed and power from the upper body through impact. The upper body needs a stable base to rotate around during the downswing, otherwise players will lose power and try to manufacture speed in an inefficient sequence.

Interestingly, golfers are suffering from an increasing risk of hip injury arising from the greater rotation favored by the more modern golf swing. This evolved to reduce the risk of low-back injury caused by the more classic swing of the ‘70s and ‘80s. However, increasing number of hip limitations due to computer and desk work put more of the rotational burden in your back and arms that creates force imbalances that lead to injury.

If you are looking for more power and to avoid future injury, you need to make sure your hips are mobile.

Here are a few stretches to help you begin:

Sean Riley SwingFit

Ryan Smith SwingFit

Ryan Smith, licensed physical therapist, and Sean Riley, licensed chiropractor, are founders of SwingFit Golf Fitness and Performance Training in Tulsa and are certified by the Titleist Performance Institute. They specialize in golf-specific physical testing, fitness instruction and performance training. To schedule your SwingFit Functional Assessment and receive a comprehensive physical training program designed to unlock your full potential, This gentle, beginner stretch is used to contact SwingFit at (918) 743-3737 or visit them safely begin the process of improving your on the web at www.swingfittulsa.com. hip mobility. Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet slightly flared (see picture). From this position, tighten your core and rock your knees side to side while keeping your low back on the ground. If you have tight hips and done properly, you will feel a nice stretch in your pelvis and hips.

Hold for 3-5 seconds at end range motion.

Perform 15 reps each direction daily.

Hip Drops

Windshield Wipers

Windshield Wipers

This is a drill that both stretches and strengthens your hip. Lie on your back with your hip and knees bent to 90 degrees and feet off the floor (see picture). Place your both fists between your knees and then rotate your feet out while keeping your thigh in contact with your fists. Hold for 3-5 seconds and perform 15 daily.

Hip Drops

www.golfoklahoma.org •••••• 53

INSTRUCTION

The Soft Pitch

won’t have to swing so much across the ball with your path.

Listen up, this is the most important part.

When swinging the club back with the stronger grip maintain the feeling of a cupped left wrist and a flat right wrist . When a player’s right hand is more neutral or on top, the right wrist tends to bend back and the palm points to the ground. The only Above: No! Do not exagerate way to create loft from this position is your shoulder angle. to scoop or flip at the ball, which results in poor shots and inconsistent trajectories.

In simple terms, with the right hand grip being stronger the palm is already facing more skyward, and when swinging the club back keeping the right palm always facing this way helps maintain loft. Keeping the left wrist cupped going back also keeps the club in front of you and not too much inside.

Swing the club down to the ball; you must have a complete hip and torso rotation through. This will ensure hitting the ball first and ground second.

The great thing about having Shoulders level, weight left.

Loft and angle of attack are the keys by tracy phillips

You have to have two things to hit a soft pitch. The correct angle of attack and loft to the clubface.

The critical mistake I see in golfers that can’t hit this shot is they try to create loft by leaning back with their shoulders (right shoulder being a lot lower than left for right-handed golfers). This happens at address and also during impact. The result is hitting fat and sometimes catching the ball very thin. The fix here is what I call LEVEL LEFT. You want to make your shoulders feel level with each other and put more weight to your left side. I feel it is very important to tilt your spine towards the left as well as this will help to move the bottom of your swing more forward as long as your takeaway is not too much inside.

Now let’s talk about loft, the second factor to hitting a high soft shot. I like to grip the golf club a little stronger with both hands (turning both hands to the right for a right-handed golfer). You may think this is contradictory to hitting higher shots but let me explain.

You want to open the face and then grip it stronger, playing the ball slightly forward of center in your stance. You must establish a firm left arm at address – almost feel as though you are pushing your hands down. The more loft you need the more open the face needs to be at address and lower the hands! By lowering the hands you

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Strong grip, open face, firm left arm.

more loft and keeping the right palm facing up is that this enables you to have bounce; even if you hit the ground a little before the ball you can still hit a very good shot as long as you don’t tilt your spine back as you swing through! Try this next time you need that high soft shot!

Tracy Phillips is the Director of the Buddy Phillips Learning Center at Cedar Ridge Country Club in Broken Arrow.

Course Management Think your way to lower scores by pat mctigue

Let’s go over some basic course management strategies that can give you a leg up on your playing partners.

Tee Game: For each tee shot on par-4 and 5 holes, proper course management starts with identifying hazards and other trouble within range, wind direction, overall shape of the hole, the widest part of the fairway and the best angle to approach the green. If your driver typically travels 240 yards, determine which obstacles are within range and which ones aren’t and aim accordingly.

If trouble exists on both sides at your driver yardage, consider hitting a shorter club off the tee to reduce risk. Generally, there is one side of the hole that is less penalizing than the other, so based on your shot pattern you can adjust your strategy. For example, on a dogleg hole with trees on both sides, it is nearly always best to miss on the outside of the dogleg than the inside, as the recovery from the rough will tend to have a clearer path. For any shot in golf, be sure to aim at a small target, and never aim between or away from trouble, as the golf ball clearly knows what you’re thinking.

Approach Shots: I’m amazed at how often golfers drive up to their ball, gets a yardage, grab a club and hit the ball without taking notice of the conditions that might affect club selection. Just because someone hit a 7- iron 160 yards once, it is not automatically the correct choice every time he gets to 160 yards. Conditions that affect club selection are wind, elevation changes, temperature, firmness of the greens and where the trouble is around the green. Consider also that is best not to “short side” yourself when playing to a green. If the flagstick is cut hard to the right side of the green, then the worst place to miss the green is to the right, because you won’t have much green to work with.

I suggest surveying the conditions, and trying to arrive at a “playing like” yardage.

Try to assess a plus or minus yardage to each individual condition. For example, if I have a 160-yard shot into a 10-mph wind (+8 yards), slightly downhill (-5 yards), with wet, soft greens (+5 yards), and a bunker protecting the pin that I have to clear (+5 yards), I have a 160-yard shot that’s playing like 173 yards. Clearly that would indi-

green and letting it roll to the hole. Simply put, putt from off the green when you can, chip with a 7- or 8-iron when you can’t putt, pitch with a lofted club when you can’t chip, and hit a lob shot when that’s the only alternative. I get irritated when I see my clients take a lob wedge up to the green for a 50foot shot from five feet off the green. Save the lob wedge for when you’re short-sided and don’t have options that have a higher margin for error.

Take loft and spin out of the equation whenever you can, and put the ball on the green and let it roll like a putt. I like the idea here of “putting with loft,” or using your putting grip and stance while using a 7- or 8-iron.

Finally, make your goal in your short game to hole the shot. Don’t try to hit it close, but read the shot like a putt and try to hole it. It won’t happen too often, but it is always best to focus on the smallest target you can find.

For additional help with your course management, arrange a playing lesson with your PGA Professional.

cate at least one additional club, and maybe more depending on how solidly I’m hitting the ball that day. I’m not advocating slower play, but take just a bit of time to put all the information into the computer before making a hasty decision.

Layup shots are another potential source of trouble, as I see too many players not paying correct attention to them. If you are laying up on a hole, play the shot like you’re playing a par-3. Nothing irritates me more than botching a layup shot, and it’s generally because I didn’t give the shot the attention it deserves. Also, when laying up, think about the yardage you want to leave for the shot into the green. If you’re not very good from 40-60 yards, then work to not leave yourself that distance, and lay back to a more comfortable yardage.

Pat McTigue owns GolfTEC Learning Centers Greenside: I am a big advocate of playing the easiest shot first, putting the ball on the in Tulsa and Oklahoma City.

www.golfoklahoma.org •••••• 55

ARCHITECT’S NOTEBOOK

Historic golf courses have defenses other than length One statement that concerns me a great deal as a golf architect is “the length the modern player can hit the ball is making our historic golf courses obsolete.” This statement Tripp Davis leads to a lot of decision makers at historic golf courses thinking that length is critical to protect. However, I have studied six things that should give us all concern and some things to think about.

First, this statement creates the perception that these historic golf courses have to add or protect length to remain relevant, creating somewhat of a general perception that this is required regardless of the design or what possibilities exist to make alterations to counterbalance the length some players can hit the ball today. This perception fails to consider that a great golf course can be a complete examination of skill without favoring one strength over another – without favoring length over control.

Second, a lot of members of these historic golf courses don’t fully understand or embrace that this statement refers solely to the best amateur golfers and the best professional golfers. This statement has no relevance whatsoever to the average club player.

Third, this statement fails to acknowledge that it is not how long a hole is that makes it a strategic or challenging test of golf, but how good the hole is.

Fourth, I often hear that length was added so that players will hit the same club into a green that players of the past did, or as was intended by the original design. I have two questions – which player are you talking about and what green are you referring to?

I think anyone will agree that anyone with a PGA Tour card is capable of playing the game and scoring as well as any other player on any given day. However, the longer players on the tour hit it 60 yards or more farther than the shortest players.

And what about the green – a green that was designed with contours for greens rolling much slower in 1950 than they do today.

That green is no longer built to accept and

56 •••••• www.golfoklahoma.org

challenge a longer approach. It is now much more challenging on the green and around the green. It is not unusual for some of the great golf holes to have “evolved” to have a different strategy today, that may actually be better than the way players 80 years ago played the hole. While the modern player is playing a more lofted club into the green, it is still a great hole that does not need additional length. (Winged Foot #11 sketch is an example) Fifth, it is important to understand that it is not how long the course is in total, but how long individual holes play. How long a hole plays refers to three things. 1. The effective length – how long the hole actually plays considering wind, temperature and elevation. 2. The playing length of a hole can be impacted by design elements that suggest players use something other than driver off the tee on a par-4 or par-5, leaving a longer second shot. 3. The length relative to par of the hole, given scoring relative to par has become in the modern era the measure of how well a course defends itself. For example, a 495-yard par5 is “short” and relative to par it will play relatively easy for the better players, while a 460 yard par-4 is long and will play more difficult to par. If a hole is a 460-yard par-4 instead of a 495-yard par-5, the total yardage

of the course is “shorter,” but it is harder relative to par. This is largely why a lot of historic golf courses have gone to creating par-4 holes where there were once par-5 holes – to make the course play longer relative to par.

And sixth, how the playing lengths of holes are collected within a golf course to provide a balanced and complete examination of skill over the course of the round can have a significant impact on the mental state a player will play a golf course with. The modern tournament golfer is conditioned, in

part, to analyze strategy based on the par of a given hole, and the player’s mental state is often impacted by whether or not they play a hole in par as shown on the scorecard.

Therefore, how holes are placed within the flow of the course can have a huge and defining impact on the player’s outlook. If a front nine ends with a 460-yard par-4, a player will be impacted differently than if the front nine ends with a 495-yard par-5 Too often the perception that a golf course’s total length is too short leads to adding length, or protecting length added in the past, where it does not make the course better and/or does not make the course any tougher for the best players. I have seen too many holes lengthened because they could be, but it did not make the hole better or more of a challenge.

What most people are concerned about with the length of a golf course is how it will defend par. Most historic golf courses that want to be relevant in hosting events want par to mean something. While how players score on a course relative to par is important, it is just as important to consider how to make the golf course a test of every facet

Q

of the game that is balanced in who it will test and how it tests them. A golf course that is best set up for tournament golf is one that does not favor one strength over another in testing every facet of the game.

Length is a strength that should be an advantage at times, but accuracy, distance control, the ability to shape shots in both directions, putting (short and long), the short game and recovery shots are just as if not more important than sheer length. Design is critical, but so is course set-up. However, what design and course set-up must test is the player’s ability to make strategic decisions that take best advantage of their strengths.

Don’t worry about how long, but focus on how good and how balanced the test is. If you want to test the best players and identify the best player, test every facet of the playing of the game and allow all players in the field that have the ability to score to compete. Anyone will tell you that it is typically easier to win a tournament when there are fewer players in the field. With an overemphasis on length, you are reducing the number of players who are truly competing.

Golf Course Construction

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Karsten Creek Golf Club

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

Stillwater • Practice Green Construction

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 • Emergency 10” Main Line Repairs 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

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

Jenks • Practice Green Construction

Cedar Ridge Country Club

Broken Arrow • Cart Path Improvements Contact Us

The Patriot Golf Club JONESPLAN

E. 13th Street Owasso • Cart Path 2328 Improvements Tulsa, OK 74104

t 918.832.5544 Silverhorn Golf Club info@jonesplan.com

Builder Member

Edmond • Creek Crossing Repairs and Gabion Wall

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 •••••• 57

SUPERINTENDENT’S PERSPECTIVE

PRESENTED BY

Super time at Forest Ridge John Babe has been the superintendent at Forest Ridge Golf Club in Broken Arrow since the fall of 1988 when he was preparing the course for opening, giving him the most consecutive years at a course of any Oklahoma superintendent behind Mike Wooten, who has been at Cedar Ridge Country Club for 26 consecutive years.

Babe worked with original architect Randy Heckenkemper on an extensive renovation in 2010 that included new greens, new bunkers and extensive clearing of underbrush. He recently chatted with Golf Oklahoma about how he believes Forest Ridge is now in the best condition in its 22-year history.

The golf course is good right now. Our greens, fairways and tees are good. The roughs are starting to lose color in places the irrigation doesn’t hit.

This time of year it is always the greens that you worry about.

A lot of guys would rather deal with extended heat than off-andon rains when you can’t control the amount of moisture on the greens. But even when it’s this hot, as long as you can control the moisture and the humidity doesn’t get too high, you can survive. We would like to see the nighttime temperatures get down in the low 70s again because when they are in the 80s, the plant doesn’t cool down overnight.

PennCross we had before in the heat. After last year and this year, we’ll feel pretty comfortable with it.

The renovation also involved a lot of clearing to improve sunlight and airflow. Has that helped?

Anytime you can get more sunlight and airflow it is better for the grass. The golfers were worried that we were going to clear out too much, but once they saw how much better the course looked and played, they were really receptive.

You rebuilt your greens in 2010 with the new Tyee bent grass. With the past two How do they like the new 15th hole with We’re in the middle of another stretch of summers, its ability to withstand heat is the peninsula green?

Everybody loves the hole now. It has a lot 100-plus degrees every day. How does that getting tested right away.

The Tyee does a lot better than the more character than it did before. It’s hard to affect the course and your staff?

58 •••••• www.golfoklahoma.org

even remember the old 15 now. The golfers were really excited about that one.

You stopped a tradition of rye grass overseeding in the fall when you did the renovation. How has that worked out?

So far very well. We are much less weedy now and just cleaner than we have been in a long time. Also, we never really thought the overseed would lead to so much Poa Annua in the greens, but it did. As of right now, there are no plans to overseed this fall.

So is this the best shape Forest Ridge has ever been in?

I would be hard pressed to think of a year we were better than we are right now. But we’ve got a ways to go and the summer is not over yet.

Spoken like a true superintendent. Still it’s got to be pleasing to be in the best shape ever considering all the challenges of the past five years for superintendents throughout the area.

We’ve had the ice storm in ‘07, the winter kill in 2010, then three of the hottest summers ever in succession. I don’t know if this is the new normal but it’s kind of starting to look that way. We hope not.

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SCHEDULES & RESULTS OKLAHOMA GOLF ASSOCIATION SENIOR STROKE PLAY At Meadowbrook CC, Tulsa (par-71) July 23-24 1, Michael Hughett 67-73 – 140 (won playoff); 2, John Church 70-70 – 140; 3 (tie), Mark Allert 74-71 – 145 and Richard Koenig 73-72 – 145; 5, Kirk Wright 73-73 – 146; 6, Michael Koljack 78-71 – 149; 7 (tie), Nick Sidorakis 75-77 – 152, Brent Taylor 75-77 – 152 and David Hukill 77-75 – 152; 10 (tie), Stephen Hughes 76-77 – 153 and Brad Miller 78-75 – 153; 12, Brad Christianson 78-76 – 154; 13 (tie), Tom Hess 74-81 – 155 and Kermit Frank 78-77 – 155; 125, Jay Mayfield 78-78 – 156.

Super Seniors: 1, Jerry Greer 75-73 – 148; 2 (tie), Bob Fouke 77-72 – 149 and Ted Milford Jr. 76-73 – 149; 4, Larry Reed 75-75 – 150; 5, Jim Arnold 73-78 – 151; 6 (tie), Ed Cohlmia 80-73 – 153, Ron Kise 75-78 - -153, Richard Hunt 72-81 -- 153 and Gary Bonner 77-76 – 153.

STATE AMATEUR At Southern Hills CC, Tulsa July 16-18 Match Play Round of 32: Cameron Meyers def. Ian Davis 1-up (22); Dillon Rust def. Austen Fuller 1-up; Jeff Coffman def. Walker Henson 5 and 4; Chris Worrell def. Blake Gibson 2 and 1; Draegen Majors def. Michael Hampton 1-up; Cole Wiederkehr def. Will McDonald 3 and 2; Taylor Williams def.

Nathan Hughes 5 and 4; Austin Hannah def. Nick Bulla 2 and 1; Tyler Carson def. Sam Lee 4 and 3; Brodie Hinkle def. Baer Aneshansley 4 and 2; Hunter Sparks def. James Marchesani 2 and 1; Trey Lawson def. Michael Hughett 3 and 1; Stephen Carney def. Alec Heinen 3 and 2; Tanner Owens def. Pat Collogan 1-up; Kyle Hudelson def. Brendon Jelley 1-up (20); Heath Myers def.

Wyatt Robson 5 and 4.

Round of 16: Coffman def. Worrell 2 and 1; Majors def. Widerkehr 4 and 3; Rust def. Meyers 1-up; Myers def. Hudelson 3 and 2; Hannah def.

Williams 2 and 1; Carney def. Owens 5 and 4; Lawson def. Sparks 4 and 3; Carson def. Hinkle 6 and 5.

Quarterfinals: Carney def. Myers 2 and 1; Majors def. Hannah 3 and 2; Carson def. Lawson 1-up; Coffman def. Rust 2 and 1.

Semifinals: Majors def. Coffman 1-up (19); Carney def. Carson 7 and 6.

Final: Carney def. Majors 4 and 2.

SENIOR STATE AMATEUR At Quail Creek G&CC, Okla. City June 18-21 Round of 32: Michael Hughett def. Mike Matthews 2 and 1; Gary Bonner def. Mike Martin 4 and 3; Doug Perry def. Jim Young 1-up (19); Stephen Hughes def. Brad Miller 5 and 4; Brad Kropp def. Nick Sidorakis 1-up; Kermit Frank def. Brad Kropp 1-up; Bob Alexander def. Bob Tate 3 and 2; Brent Taylor def. Ed Cohlmia 2 and 1; Joseph Bushee def. Greg Stephens 5 and 4; Stephen Carroll def. Charles Paul 1-up; Ken Kee def. Larry Hatch 1-up; John Reese def. Walter

Pitts 3 and 2; Tom Nielsen def. Paul Thomas 3 and 2; Don Quint Jr. def. Jack Steinmeyer 2 and 1; William Lavender def. Dan Griffin 4 and 2; Bob Fouke def. Jim Roberts 3 and 2.

Round of 16: Hughett def. Bonner 4 and 3; Hughes def. Perry 5 and 4; Kropp def. Frank 1-up (20); Alexander def. Taylor 1-up; Bushee def.

Carroll 2-up; Kee def. Reese 3 and 1; Quint def.

Nielsen 2 and 1; Lavender def. Fouke 5 and 3.

Quarterfinals: Hughett def. Hughes 6 and 5; Kropp def. Alexander 3 and 2; Kee def. Bushee 1-up (19); Lavender def. Quint 1-up.

Semifinals: Hughett def. Kropp 2-up; Lavender def. Kee 3 and 2.

Final: Hughett def. Lavender 3 and 2.

STATE JUNIOR BOYS At Kickingbird GC, Edmond June 4-7 Match Play 16-18 Quarterfinals: Quade Cummins def. Kyle Story 2 and 1; Hayden Wood def. Garrison Mendoza 4 and 3; Sam Humphreys def. MacMcGreevy 5 and 3; Jordan Renner def. Michael Hampton 2 and 1.

Semifinals: Wood def. Cummins 3 and 2; Renner def. Humphreys 3 and 2.

Final: Wood def. Renner 5 and 4.

14-15 Quarterfinals: Griffin Pierce def. Chandler Graham 4 and 3; Trent Evans def. Joel Prentice 3 and 2; Preston Crawford def. Brody King 6 and 5; Mason Overstreet def. Clark Killion 7 and 6.

Semifinals: Pierce def. Trent Evans 4 and 2; Crawford def. Overstreet 7 and 6.

Final: Pierce def. Crawford 2 and 1.

WOMEN’S OKLAHOMA GOLF ASSOCIATION STROKE PLAY At Oaks CC, Tulsa (par-71) July 16-17 1, Alex Stewart 72-74 – 146; 2 (tie), Aly Seng 77-75 - -152 and Amber Hensley 78-74 – 152; 4, Kendra Mann 75-78 – 153; 5 (tie), Janet Miller 79-76 – 155 and Lauren Michael 77-78 – 155; 7, Christy Carter 81-75 – 156; 8, Taylor Boylan 7881 – 159; 9 (tie), Katy Treadwell 82-78 – 160 and Rebecca Davis 79-81 – 160; 11, June Tigert 83-78 – 161; 12 (tie) Sheila Dills 78-84 – 162 and Taylor Neidy 80-82 – 162; 14, Jill Johnson 84-79 – 163; 15, Teresa DeLarzelere 80-84 – 164.

MID-AMATEUR At Oaks CC, Tulsa (par-71) July 16-17 1, Janet Miller 79-76 – 155; 2, Christy Carter 8175 – 156; 3 (tie), Katy Treadwell 82-78 – 160 and Rebecca Davis 79-81 – 160; 5, Sheila Dills 78-84 – 162.

A Flight: 1, Gayle Allen 84-83 – 167; 2, Joyce Washam 82-88 – 170; 3, Ann Turner 87-84 – 171.

JUNIOR GIRLS At Willow Creek G&CC, Okla. City (par-72) July 9-10 1, Caroline Goodin 72-71 – 143; 2 (tie), Megan

Blonien 75-71 – 146 and Maci Arrington 74-72 – 146; 4 (tie), Nadia Majidi 75-74 – 149 and Sydney Youngblood 74-75 – 149; 6 (tie), Kylie Staggs 7777 – 154, Taylor Greteman 80-74 – 154 and Kailey Collier 78-76 – 154; 9, June Tigert 78-77 – 155; 10, Emma Allen 80-77 – 157.

16-17: 1, Goodin; 2. Blonien; 3, Arrington; 4, Majidi; 5, Greteman.

14-15: 1, Youngblood; 2, Taylor Dobson 87-77 – 164; 3, Trudy Allen 79-86 – 165; 4, Taylor Boylan 84-85 – 169.

12-13: Shaebug Scarberry 86-83 – 169; 2, Kaitlin Milligan 88-84 – 172; 3, Baylee Brewer 92-90 – 182; 4, Madison Smith 97-94 – 191.

11-under: 1, Yujeong Son 41-35 – 76; 2, Alyssa Wilson 50-49 – 99; 3, Sarah Sherrard 61-56 – 117; 4, Taylor Johnson 62-63 – 125.

STATE AMATEUR MATCH PLAY At Muskogee CC June 25-28 Championship Flight Round of 16: Jade Staggs def. Abby Thompson 9 and 7; Megan Blonien def. Ashton Collier 2 and 1; Taylor Neidy def. Jill Johnson 5 and 4; Whitney McAteer def. Leigh Ann Fore 5 and 3; June Tigert def. Charter Lawson 6 and 5; Amber Hensley def. Katie Lee Wilson 4 and 3; Lauren Michael def. Haley Hill 3 and 2; Kendra Mann def.

Nan Dyer 7 and 6.

Quarterfinals: Mann def. Staggs 2 and 1; Blonien def. Michael 2 and 1; Hensley def. Neidy 4 and 2; Tigert def. McAteer 1-up (19).

Semifinals: Hensley def. Blonien 7 and 5; Tigert def. Mann 4 and 2.

Final: Hensley def. Tigert 5 and 3.

Consolation Final: Johnson def. Lawson 1-up.

Presidents Final: Kailey Campbell def. Aly Seng 5 and 4.

Presidents Consolation Final: Rebecca Davis def. McCandren Lewis 1-up.

A Flight Final: Kelly Lewis def. Darlene Crawford 2-up.

A Flight Consolation Final: Madison Smith def.

Ann Watkins 3 and 2.

B Flight Final: Taylor Greteman def. Sherri Buster 2 and 1.

B Flight Consolation Final: Vicki Smith def. Leslie Young 5 and 3.

GOLF INC (OKLAHOMA CITY) CITY AMATEUR At Lake Hefner, Lincoln Park, Trosper and Earlywine GCs June 2-3 & 9-10 Championship Flight: 1, Jeremy Brandon 74-6669-77 – 286; 2, Joel Driver 71-72-73-72 – 288; 3, Clint Stewart 71-76-76-72 – 295; 4, Scott Kennedy 73-77-72-76 – 298; 5, Blake Gibson 73-71-75-80 –- 299; 6, J.P. Eischen 76-76-74-75 – 301; 7, Tyler Willey 72-77-74-79 – 302; 8, Alex McAllister 73-79-74-83 – 309; 9, Kevin Simons 73-80-78-80 – 311; 10, Tom Owens 76-79-77-80 – 312.

Presidents Flight: 1, Jacob Simon 79-77-71-78 – 305; 2, Mike Stotz 77-81-80-78 – 316; 3, Cary Decker 84-79-77-83 – 323; 4, Patrick Spaan 80-85-81-83 – 329; 5, Darren Jones 84-79-8087 – 330.

Senior Flight: 1, Rick Lutz 69-66-68-75 – 278; 2, Paul Dickson 74-69-66-76 – 285; 3, Dwayne Chenoweth 68-74-69-75 – 286; 4, Joe Bushee 67-73-73-78 – 291; 5, Ralph Cissne 76-74-73-75 – 298.

Super Senior Flight: 1, Ed Tilberg 79-76-70-77 – 302 (won playoff); 2, David Franks 73-76-7974 – 302; 3, Doug Randall 80-76-78-71 – 305; 4, Allen Dukes 82-80-76-74 – 312.

TULSA GOLF ASSOCIATION STROKE PLAY At Battle Creek GC, Broken Arrow (par-72) June 23-24 Championship Flight: 1, Tyler Hunt 73-69 – 142; 2 (tie), Patrick West 72-71 – 143 and Brent Williamson 72-71 – 143; 4, Austin Hannah 72-72 – 144; 5, Tyler Sullivan 70-75 – 145; 6, Brodie Hinkle 76-70 – 146; 7, Troy Keller 70-78 – 148; 8, Tate Williamson 71-78 – 149; 9, Ryan Grimm 76-74 – 150; 10, Randy Brown 74-77 – 151.; 11, Jason Gulley 78-74

60 •••••• www.golfoklahoma.org

ONLINE: Get the latest schedules and results at

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– 152; 12, Josh Bernard 78-77 – 155; 13, Austin Schmidt 82-74 – 156; 14, Jeremiah Sweezey 81-77 – 158; 15, C.J. Wiseley 81-79 – 160.

Seniors: 1, Brad Chrstianson 69-76 – 145; 2, Tim Hoagland 74-72 – 146; 3, Danny Barnett 78-69 – 147; 4, Steve Secora 76-72 – 148; 5, Richard Koenign 75-75 – 150; 6, Terry Trimble 79-73 – 152; 7, Scott McGhee 76-77 – 153; 8, Scott Dorney 77-77 – 154.

A Flight: 1, Ted Williamson 79-73 – 152; 2, Steve Gidley 79-80 – 159; 3, Ken MacLeod 81-82 – 163.

4-BALL MATCH PLAY At LaFortune Park GC June 2-3 Championship Flight Quarterfinals: Matt Brown/Blake Gray def. Bill Dobbs/Dave Wing 1-up; Mike Hughes/Jeremiah Sweezey def. Tate Williamson/Brent Williamson 1-up; Shawen Barker/Brent Taylor def. Jeff Glenn/Joey Ragsdale 3 and 2; Steve Hughes/ Shawn Kitchen def. Clint Hill/Michael Raines 4 and 3.

Semifinals: M.Hughes/Sweezey def. Brown/ Gray 1-up; S.Hughes/Kitchen def. Barker/Taylor 5 and 4.

Final: M.Hughes/Sweezey def. S.Hughes/Kitchen 1-up.

A Flight Final: Larry Reed/Steve Secora def. Bruce Lisooey/Nick Sidorakis 3 and 2.

B Flight Final: Terry Trimble/Tim Wilson def. Richard Jacewitz/Mike Land 3 and 2.

C Flight Final: Kyle Ellig/Steve Vedros def. Mark Hight/ Bobby Kelley 2-up.

OKLAHOMA HIGH SCHOOL ALL-STATE MATCHES At Cherokee Hills GC, Catoosa (par-70) July 23

Boys Team scores: East 15 1/2, West 8 1/2 Will McDonald (E, Jenks)/Jackson Stuteville (Durant) (66) def. Cullen Stahl (Lawton Eisenhower)/Blake Rhodes (Lawton MacArthur) (68) 3 1/2 to 1/2; Eric Kline (E, Ponca City)/Jason Goben (Union) (64) def. Michael Hampton (Edmond North)/Matt Folsom (Edmond Deer Creek (71) 4 to 0; Jacob Oaks (W, Ardmore)/Logan Gray (El Reno) (62) def. Seth Wheeler (Durant)/Cameron Holder (Tulsa Memorial) (71) 4 to 0; Trent Mewbourn (W, Heritage Hall)/Michael Helton (Heritage Hall) (65) def. Gabe Rogers (Cascia Hall)/Blade Knox (Seminole) (68) 3 to 1; Jackson Hess (E, Okmulgee)/Zach Oliver (Checotah) (63) def. Will Roberts (Plainview)/Rustin Purser (Okla. Christian School) (68)_ 4 to 0; Austin Welch (E, Lincoln Christian)/Tyler Martindale (Sallisaw Central) (72) def. Ryan Stults (Luther)/ Hayden George (Hinton) (73) 3 to 1.

Girls Team scores: West 15, East 9 Charter Lawson (W, Mustang)/Amanda Johnson (Duncan) (66) def. Catrina Pearson (Muskogee)/ Mycah Higley (Fort Gibson) (75) 4 to 0; June Tigert (W, Mustang)/Abby Thompson (Edmond Deer Creek) (72) def. Mikayla Rosser (Broken Arrow)/Kaylee Crawford (Henryetta) (75) 2 1/2 to 1 1/2; Kurstyn Mills (E, Shawnee)/Tiffany Thompson (Coweta) (69) def. Megan Blonien (Altus)/ McCandren Lewis (Guthrie) (66) 2 1/2 to 1 1/2; Kayla Schroeder (E, Bristow)/Addie Guthruie (Poteau) (83) tied Sarah DeLong (Elgin)/Bailey McCann (Anadarko) (83) 2 to 2; Ashton Gores (W, Plainview)/Megan Gowens (Purcell) (72) def.

Hannah Voise (Perry)/Jordan Humphrey (Bethel) (84) 4 to 0; Jasmine Vasquez (E, Tishomingo)/ Haley Day (New Lima) (75) def. Kelsey Steuver (Washington)/Taryn Smith (Hinton) (79) 3 to 1.

TRANS-MISSISSSIPPI CHAMPIONSHIP At Oak Tree National, Edmond (par-71)

July 9-12 1, Tyler Raber 70-65-75-72 – 282; 2, Steven Ihm 75-63-72-73 – 283; 3, Austin Cook 68-70-71-76 – 285; 4, Calvin Pearson 69-72-76-69 – 286; 5 (tie),, Riley Pumphrey 67-72-73-75 – 287, Andrew Lister 70-74-69-74 – 287 and Joseph Winslow 68-72-75-72 – 287; 8 (tie), Peter Williamson 70-73-73-73 – 289, Rafael Becker 73-70-72-74 – 289, Brad Dalke 67-69-75-78 -- 289 and Ian Vandersee 69-71-70-79 – 289; 12, Ryan Kelley 7371-73-73 – 290; 13 (tie), Geoff Shaw 69-73-74-76 – 292, Zach Tucker 73-71-72-76 – 292, Abraham Ancer 71-72-72-77 – 292 and Kolton Crawford 71-71-71-79 –292.

U.S. AMATEUR QUALIFYING At Cedar Ridge CC, Broken Arrow (par-71) July 23 1, Stephen Carney 69-68 – 137; 2, Talor Gooch 72-68 – 140; 3, Taylor Moore 71-70 – 141. Alternates: 4 (tie), Danny Funk 70-71 – 141 and Jeff Coffman 68-73 – 141.

Others: 6, Max McGreevy 69-73 – 142; 7 (tie), Dalton Owens 71-72 – 143, Logan McCracken 7271 – 143 and Brendon Jelley 71-72 – 143.

SOUTH CENTRAL PGA SUN MOUNTAIN & E-Z-GO PRO-SCRATCH At Chickasaw Pointe GC, Kingston (par-72) July 23 1, Michael Boyd/James Roberson 64-67 – 131; 2, Rod Alexander/Craig Poet 64-70 – 134; 3 (tie), Peter Vitali/Bill Bishop 73-68 – 141 and Tim Fleming/Michael Love 67-74 – 141; 5, Bobby Jacks/Ryan Overland 71-71 – 142; 6 (tie), Mike Hammond/Will Dillard 71-72 – 143 and Michael Henderson/Steve Nichols 69-74 == 143; 8, Pat McTigue/Ken MacLeod 70-74 – 144; 9 (tie), Brent Cryer/Creighton Hadden 68-77 – 145, Andy Mar/Kenny Wilkins 68-77 – 145; Donavan Grahn/Tony Reed 74-71 – 145.

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GENTLEMAN JACK is a registered trademark. ©2008 Jack Daniel’s. Gentleman Jack Rare Tennessee Whiskey, Alcohol 40% by Volume (80 Proof). Distilled and Bottled by Jack Daniel Distillery, Lynchburg (POP. 361), Tennessee.

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Making an iMpact.

Tim Fleming

PGA ProfessionAl oklAhomA City Golf & CoUntry ClUB

leading by example Players know, when they hit a pure shot, there’s a perfect sound and feel at impact. PGA Professionals strive for this kind of deep and meaningful connection with their members and students every day. tim fleming, PGA head Professional at oklahoma City Golf & Country Club, is well-known for his accomplishments on the course.

He was a first-team All-American and part of a national Championship team at oklahoma state, and competed in numerous major championships. And tim has the same focus and desire to succeed in his many other roles as a PGA Professional. he’s relentless when it comes to finding ways to explain a teaching technique so it clicks with the player, or working to enhance the experience at the club to encourage more play from the membership. At titleist, we celebrate the thousands of PGA Professionals like tim, who are constantly improving themselves and searching for new ways to make a meaningful impact on their students, members and the game overall. Visit titleist.com/best-practices to learn more about Tim and how he leads by example.

©2012 Acushnet Company.

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