2013 Golf Oklahoma June | July issue by Golf Oklahoma Magazine

Official publication of the Oklahoma Golf Association

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NUMBER 18

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Contents

JUNE | JULY 2013

Volume 3 Issue 3

stacy lewis

Features

spurs LPGA tournament growth

Page 44

w w w . gol f o k la h o m a . o r g

Tom Jones named new president of Oak Tree Country Club

Bill Warren has been a power behind the scenes in Tulsa golf history.

By virtue of her four years at the University of Arkansas, Stacy Lewis has become the hometown hero for the Walmart Northwest Arkansas Classic scheduled June 21-23 at Pinnacle Country Club in Rogers, Ark.

Oklahoma course restoration: Shangri-La, Hillcrest Country Club, Battle Creek Golf Course

Former Tulsan helps run Black Mesa in New Mexico.

On the cover: The “spine” green on the second hole, Heritage Nine, Shangri-La Resort.

Departments 8 Letter from the editor 10 OGA 11 Rules, Gene Mortensen 13 WOGA 14 The Goods 16 Equipment 22 Chip Shots, Oklahoma news 36 Where we play: Shangri-La 48 Pro Profile 49 Amateur Profile 50 Celebrity Profile: David Feherty 52 High School spotlight 55 Instruction 56 Fitness 58 Superintendent’s Perspective 61 Schedules, Results

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

Letter from the publisher

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

The full 27 holes as well as the superb clubhouse are open for business at Shangri-La.

A busy summer issue The Moore Golf & Athletic Club may have been the only golf course to sustain serious damage from the massive May 20 tornado that leveled parts of Moore, but there are plenty of golfers whose homes were damaged or destroyed. I’m not from Oklahoma, but I’m proud to live here when I see the way folks here react to take care of their own when disaster strikes, whether it’s a bomb, a tornado or anything else man or Mother Nature sends our way. Superintendents from around Oklahoma went to Moore on June 4 to help clean up the Moore G&AC. Just another gesture among thousands of folks going out of their way to donate time, effort or money to get this situation under control. A few other thoughts about this issue of Golf Oklahoma. Inside you’ll find a Q&A with David Feherty from the 2013 Patriot Cup at The Patriot. Feherty does more for the morale and spirit of our troops when they come back than just about all of us. He’s in a position to do a lot of good, true, but he doesn’t have to do any of it, and what he’s doing with Folds of Honor, his own Troops First and other foundations is truly admirable. The support he gives the Folds of Honor by attending and helping at The Patriot Cup each year makes it that much more special. Oak Tree National, one year away from hosting the 2014 U.S. Senior Open, has put an eagle on the card by hiring Tom Jones as its president and CEO. Jones has never shied away from working for demanding bosses – try working for Mike Holder and 8 •••••• www.golfoklahoma.org

John Tyson for 20 years! We’re betting he and Everett Dobson become a great team for not only this event but more in the future. Rich Linihan has written an insightful story for this issue about the life and times of Bill Warren Jr., one of the colossal figures of Tulsa business and philanthropy, and his role behind-the-scenes in bringing the 2001 U.S. Open to Southern Hills Country Club, as well as the time he teamed up with Ben Crenshaw to save a youngster’s life. Shangrri-La Resort celebrated the opening of its final nine holes in May, meaning the entire 27-hole project plus clubhouse is open for business and it is truly incredible what has transpired up there. Also opening in May was a the final nine holes of a twoyear renovation of Perry Maxwell’s Hillcrest Country Club by Davis and an extensive bunker renovation at Battle Creek, also by the busy Davis along with Jones Plan. Throw in instruction, fitness, competition, results, book reviews, an extensive golf ball review by Ed Travis, a feature on Stacy Lewis leading into the Walmart LPGA event in Rogers, Ark., and you have another busy issue of Golf Oklahoma. And if you’re not reading the website regularly, since the last issue came out you’ve missed at least three hundred Oklahoma related golf stories, not to mention complete regional and national coverage plus just click a button to receive the weekly enewsletter with the latest breaking stories and special offers for Oklahoma golfers. We wish you all a safe and enjoyable summer on the fairways. – Ken MacLeod

Subscriptions to Golf Oklahoma are $15 for one year (five issues) or $25 for two years (10 issues). Call 918-280-0787 or go to www.golfoklahoma.org. Contributing photographers Rip Stell, Mike Klemme Golf Oklahoma PGA Instructional Staff Jim Woodward Teaching Professional, Oak Tree National jwoodwardgolf@sbcglobal.net, 405-348-2004 E.J. Pfister Teaching Professional, Oak Tree National ejgolf@me.com Pat McTigue Owner, GolfTec Tulsa and Oklahoma City pmctigue@golftec.com Steve Ball Owner, Ball Golf Center, Oklahoma City www.ballgolf.com, 405-842-2626 Pat Bates Director of Instruction, Gaillardia Country Club pbates@gaillardia.com, 405-509-3611 Tracy Phillips Director of Instruction, Buddy Phillips Learning Center at Cedar Ridge vt4u@yahoo.com, 918-352-1089 Jerry Cozby PGA Professional jerrycozby@aol.com, 918-914-1784 Michael Boyd, PGA Professional Indian Springs Country Club 918-455-9515 Oklahoma Golf Association 2800 Coltrane Place, Suite 2 Edmond, OK 73034 405-848-0042 Executive Director Mark Felder mfelder@okgolf.org Director of Handicapping and Course Rating Jay Doudican jdoudican@okgolf.org Director of Junior Golf Morri Rose morose@okgolf.org Copyright 2013 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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www.golfoklahoma.org •••••• 9

From the Executive Director

OGA slow play policy is example for all All it took was being in close proximity to the NCAA Fayetteville Regional – rounds of 5 ½ hours at The Blessings – to remind Mark Felder OGA Executive us why we have our Director own unique slow play policy in force at Oklahoma Golf Association events, including all tournaments on the Oklahoma Junior Golf Tour circuit. Men’s college golf, for a variety of reasons, has become dreadfully slow. Collegians fortunate enough to make it on the PGA Tour are already trained to be slow. Those who go on to play amateur golf have a lot of unlearning to do. Our rules are simple. Groups must complete each nine holes in 2 hours and 15 minutes or be within 14 minutes of the group in front. If the first group out plays the front side in 1:30, the next group will still have

2:15 even if they are two holes behind. If a group is out of position at the conclusion of nine holes, every player in that group will be assessed a penalty shot. It is not a prerequisite to the assessment of a penalty for an official to warn a slow player or group. This policy results in a lot of self policing by our players and has resulted in very few issues with slow play and also few penalty strokes being given. Tournament golf is always likely to be a bit slower than a friendly weekend round, but it doesn’t have to be much slower. The main culprit is making your preparations while others are playing, not waiting until it is your turn to start your deliberations, including club selection, wind testing, etc. We are pleased we have been able to maintain a reasonable pace of play in OGA events. It makes the tournament experience much more enjoyable for all the competitors. Let’s be honest. Played in 3 ½ to 4 ½ hours, golf is the greatest game ever. In five

hours, a bit tedious. In 5 ½ hours, we’d rather be at the dentist. One pleasant discovery we made while waiting for the rain to stop at Cedar Ridge during the recent Four-Ball Championship was an update from assistant pro Rory Scrymgeour on the good use he made of a recent junior golf donation by the OGA Foundation. Cedar Ridge used the funds to purchase the materials to institute a program in SNAG (Start New at Golf). The program uses oversize clubs and colorful balls and Velcro targets and kids love it. The best news is it teaches solid fundamentals. Many clubs in Oklahoma have used donations from the OGA Foundation or their own funds to purchase the equipment and their junior programs are flourishing because of it. Now when all these youngsters move up to OGA events, we’re just going to keep them playing fast. It’s the way golf should be.

OGA PACE OF PLAY GUIDELINES SUMMARY When a group takes more than the allotted time to play nine holes or eighteen holes all players in the group will incur penalty strokes. In order to avoid such penalties, players must comply with the guidelines. THE RULE Rule 6-7. Undue Delay: Slow Play states: “The player must play without undue delay and in accordance with any pace of play guidelines that the Committee may establish. Between completion of a hole and playing from the next teeing ground, the player must not unduly delay play.” Allotted Time Play is in groups of three (3). Each group is allotted: 2 hours and 15 minutes to complete 9 holes and 4 hours and 30 minutes to complete 18 holes. When a group falls behind – whatever the reason – it must regain its position. Time for ball searches, rulings, and walking between holes is included in the allotted time. PACE OF PLAY PENALTIES When a group is out of position at the completion of its first nine holes, each player in the group will incur a penalty of one stroke for a breach of these guidelines. The first group is out of position if it fails to complete play of its 9th and 19th holes within the allotted time. Any following group is out of position when it: (A) completes its 9th hole in longer than 2:15, and its 18th hole in longer than 4:30 AND, (B) is more than fourteen (14) minutes behind the next preceding group. When a group

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is out of position upon completion of its second 9 holes, each player in the group will incur a penalty of one stroke if it is the first breach of these guidelines OR a penalty of two strokes for a second breach (making a total penalty of three (3) strokes after a second breach in the same round). Penalty strokes apply at the group’s 9th and 18th holes and will be added to the scores for those holes. It is not a prerequisite to the assessment of a penalty for an Official to first warn a slow player or group. MONITORING OF PLAY AND VERIFICATION OF PACE The Committee will have officials on the course to monitor pace of play, to verify the pace of groups when asked, and to advise players of any penalties they may have incurred upon completion of their 9th and 18th holes. A player concerned about the non-responsive fellow-competitor in his group should request a Rules Official to monitor the group in case the group incurs a penalty pursuant to these guidelines and wishes to appeal. APPEALS Before returning his scorecard, a player who has been ASSESSED A PENALTY FOR THE BREACH OF THESE GUIDELINES may lodge an Appeal with the Rules Committee. The Committee will consider an Appeal only if: (a) the player was delayed by the Committee; or (b) the player was delayed by a circumstance beyond control of the player or the group; or (c) the player was delayed by another player in the group. Decisions by the Committee are final.

Oklahoma Golf Association News

Know when, where and why to touch a ball in play where on the course. See Rule 12Your quest in golf should be 2. In this situation the ball may be to place your ball on the tee and cleaned only to the extent necesnot touch it again until the hole is sary for identification. If you fail competed and you are picking the to follow each step in the proceball out of the hole. Since courses dures outlined in Rules 5 and 12-2, come with water, trees, obstacles, there is a one-stroke penalty. boundaries and other players, the If your ball is interfering with quest remains but a dream and Gene Mortensen another player, he may ask you we are left with reality. FortuOGA Rules Director to lift it. You must wait for the renately, there are situations under the Rules in which you may lift your ball quest and not assume there is interference. without penalty in order to expedite your You must mark the position of the ball and round. As we review some of them you you may not clean it so don’t put it in your need to learn and follow the procedures pocket. See Rule 22. When you have an “embedded ball” in which must be followed to avoid a penalty. A player may lift his ball anywhere on its own pitch mark in a closely mown area the course if he believes it has become un- (places cut to fairway height), Rule 25 profit for play. Rule 5 requires that the player vides that you may lift it, clean it and drop announce his intention, mark the spot it as near as possible to where it lay. The where the ball lies, and give his opponent Committee can adopt a Local Rule which or marker the opportunity to observe the expands the area in which relief is available lifting and replacement. If the ball is unfit, to, “through the green.” Make sure the Loanother ball may be substituted. The ball cal Rule is in effect at each of your events and understand the definition to see what may not be cleaned when lifted. The same procedure is followed if the is included. Two Rules permit you to lift your ball player wishes to identify his ball, any-

and drop it within one club length of the nearest point of relief, no nearer to the hole. These include situations in which your ball comes to rest: a). in or on an obstruction (24); b). in abnormal ground conditions; or, c). on a wrong putting green (25). Some players have difficulty with the “nearest point of relief” and I offer this explanation. Take the club you would play if the condition did not exist and simulate a stroke at an imaginary ball on the closest spot to where the actually ball lies and where there is no interference from the condition. Mark that imaginary ball with a tee. Then measure one club length from that tee. Remember, there is only one “nearest” spot and it doesn’t mean the “nicest” point. It is always wise to estimate the nearest point before you lift your ball as you may not like that option and elect to play the ball as it lies. On days when bad weather prevents you from being on the course, pull out The Rules of Golf and explore the inner aspects of the game. It will save you strokes in the long run.

www.golfoklahoma.org •••••• 11

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lakeview

WOGA NEWS AND NOTES

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

Eventful summer for WOGA by katy treadwell

The Women’s Oklahoma Golf Association teed off the season at Stillwater Country Club in the WOGA Cup Tournament. The team from Southern Hills - Southern Chicks with Sticks – won 5 -1/2 points out of a possible 6. The Hillcrest Hackers and the Ponca Putters placed second and third respectively. A prize was given for best team name and was taken home by the Cuatro Senior Ritas from Broken Arrow Country Club. WOGA’s next stop is at The Club at Indian Springs in Broken Arrow for the 18th Annual Stroke Play/Mid-Am Championship, June 24-25. Alex Stewart of Oklahoma City is the defending stroke play champion and Janet Miller of Broken Arrow was the 2012 Mid-Am Champion. The Stroke Play/Mid Am Championship allows every player the chance to earn points towards qualifying for the WOGA Fore State Team and USGA State Team. The

Stroke Play Champion and Mid-Am Champion will receive automatic placement on the Fore State Team and on the USGA State team, if eligible. Entries are now open and players can register and pay online at www. woga.us. WOGA is focused on improving girl’s junior golf in Oklahoma. WOGA will be hosting its first annual Fundraiser Tournament benefitting junior programs. The tournament will be held July 8 at Meadowbrook Country Club. It is a four-person shamble and costs $600 per team. Entry forms are online at WOGA.us. There will also be an online auction in conjunction with the tournament. Anyone wishing to donate items to the auction should contact Sheila Dills at southernint@aol.com. The 63rd annual Girls Junior Championship will be held July 9-10 at Meadowbrook CC. Caroline Goodin captured the 2012 title with scores of 71 and 72. Megan Blonien and Maci Arrington tied for second at 146. Entries for the 2013 Girl’s Junior Champi-

WOGA Junior champ Caroline Goodin

onship are open May 25 to July 5 and players can register and pay online. To learn more about The Women’s Oklahoma Golf Association, log on to www. woga.us or follow the ladies on Facebook at Facebook.com/womens-oklahoma-golfassociation.

Advertorial

Tulsa Golf roles out new improvements A new driving range complete with a brand new tee complex and three new target greens is set to open at Mohawk Park Golf Course in June. The renovation is part of improvements being made to the First Tee Complex and funded by Southern Hills Country Club.. The First Tee of Tulsa program at Mohawk Park is one of the nation’s best. Conditions this spring are spectacular at both Mohawk Park in north Tulsa and the Page Belcher complex in west Tulsa. Golfers at Page Belcher are enjoying both the Champion Bermuda greens which have begun to really thrive as Mother Nature turns the temperature dial up and the zoysia fairways, which provided pristine playing conditions while other courses were still emerging from dormancy. Golfers at both courses can take advantage of the fantastic Advantage Card programs which give discounts on greens fees to both seniors 55 and over and to juniors. The cards are valid at both Page Belcher and Mohawk Park. The day you enroll you can receive a free round of golf with a cart. For more information, go to www.tulsagolf.org or call 918-446-1529 for Page Belcher or 918-425-6871 for Mohawk Park.

The same numbers can be used to reserve tee times at either facility. The Page Belcher and Mohawk Park’s All New Advantage Card makes playing more golf more affordable than ever! Visit TulsaGolf.org for details.

www.golfoklahoma.org •••••• 13

The goods

Some things we like to do before and after the round

The Bookshelf

Mental, and Elemental, Golf by tom bedell

I’m writing this piece with a broken finger, no way to start a golf season. But at least I have last season to remember, and my best round ever. As a perennial mid-handicapper, getting longer in the tooth, I was beginning to wonder whether I’d ever be able to accomplish what I never had before—breaking 80. The closest I’d ever come was a couple of 82s; the 80 barrier was beginning to look insurmountable, particularly after I cobbled together a handful of rounds shooting 39 going out, only to stumble coming in. (The nadir of these rounds was a 39-59!) But then one early September day I just went out and did it—a 39-39, and after reading Gio Valiante’s “Golf Flow” (Human Kinetics, $19.95) there’s no question that during that round I had achieved the mental state he describes and recommends.

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It’s no easy concept to summarize, and many readers may have difficulty making their way through a book that throws around terms like myelination, kaizen, automaticity, mastery Gio Valiante versus ego orientation. Not to mention seeming paradoxes in the state called Flow—time that speeds by in slow motion, intense focus that is effortless, heightened awareness that feels detached and so on. But it’s an effort worth making. Any player or sports spectator will recognize manifestations of Flow—talk of being in the zone, in rhythm, stress-free, focused on the endeavor at hand and yet just feeling it unfold without any sense of urgency or concern about the actual score. Indeed, though I was certainly aware I was playing well, I didn’t really know my score until we added up the card at the end of the round. The only time I stared to think about numbers was after my drive on the last hole--and that was the only time all day tension started to overtake me. But I was able to tamp it down, walked off with another par, and straight into a grateful amazement. What was different about this round from the other chances that I had blown? It was mostly in my head, which is the whole point of “Golf Flow,” that one’s mental state will affect your game more than your mechanics. One thing was that I had blown those earlier rounds. Valiante considers blown opportunities just that—opportunities to learn something. I knew there was every chance I might screw

up again—have a bad hole, suffer a bad bounce, lose concentration. The difference was that I simply accepted the fact—and therefore didn’t really care about it. I think I even remember thinking: What will be, will be. And that acceptance freed me from tension about what would happen, allowing me to keep swinging free and easy. Valiante spends about a third of the book describing the Flow experience, and then uses examples from Tour players he has worked with like Matt Kuchar, Justin Rose, Stuart Appleby, Sean O’Hair, Bryce Molder. Lastly, he has 10 keys to try and achieve Flow in one’s game. Valiante emphasizes the mind over physical technique, but naturally the tools of the game are woven into the fabric. Still, in a book that asks readers to ask themselves, “Why do you play golf?”, suggests practicing gratitude, counsels accepting negative outcomes and turning them into positive lessons, one shouldn’t look for a lot of swing tips.

On the Range

For that there are two new Golf Magazine instructional offerings, “The Par Plan” and “Big Book of Basics” (both Time Home Entertainment, $29.95 and $32.95, respectively). There are general similarities to the two hardcover volumes. Both are edited by the magazine’s managing editor for instruction, David DeNunzio, both are magazine-sized and magazine-like in the use of extensive graphics, photos, sidebars. (Gauging by the look of those balls buried in bunkers, maybe the same photos in some cases.) And naturally both have the same goal—game improvement. But they go at it in different ways. “Basics” is just that, a seven-part primer by instructors drawn from the magazine’s Top 100 Teachers list. And when it comes to fundamentals, they’re not kidding around—there are 12 pages here on the grip alone. I especially liked the section by Kellie Stenzel in which she goes over 11 specific shots (the knockdown, bump-and-run, purposeful fade…), complete with little “difficulty level” gauges. This is the book for beginners, those who games have become stuck in poor routines, and those who could just use some refreshers. The book is attractive, sensibly-organized, stuffed with drills (but blessedly free

ONLINE: Get the latest news on Oklahoma golf at

golfoklahoma.org

of some of the wackier drills that sometimes find their way into periodicals). And it can be dipped into randomly, at one’s own pace. So can “The Par Plan” of course, but that’s not the intent. The goal here is to shoot one’s best score in 30 days, and the book is broken down into nine sections of one- to five-day plans covering driving through bunker play. The suggestion is that one should clear the calendar to go through the plan, eschewing play in the meantime. (This may the perfect gift for the spouse you’d rather not see for a month.) Short of an actual guarantee, the book claims those who dedicate themselves to the

plan will emerge to shoot their best score ever, and it points to the 95 percent success rate of GolfTEC, which now has some 170 game improvement centers worldwide. The book was created in concert with GolfTEC and uses the technical know-how of the company to extend the lesson platform to online videos of the drills discussed. There’s also a free swing capture app for smartphones or tablets, allowing users to assess their technique. Luddites like me, with neither smartphone nor tablet, can presumably do it the one-dimensional old-fashioned way. Not a hardship--like “Basics,” this book is packed with fascinating graphics, like the number of greens you need to hit per round to reach a goal score. (The average for a score of 78 is 8 1/2; sure enough, I hit 10 GIR in my sub-80 round.) One way to take time off from one’s own game is to revel in how the pros deal with the mental and physical challenges, and there’s no greater test than the U.S. Open. The USGA has put out a handsome volume,

written largely by Robert Williams and Michael Trostel, “Great Moments of the U.S. Open” (Firefly Books, $35). But there are other contributors, including a foreword by four-time U.S. Open champion Jack Nicklaus, in what is less an exhaustive chronology than a series of essays around five central themes—“Defining Moments,” “Perseverance,” “Underdogs,” “Comebacks” and “Dominance.” Rhonda Glenn contributes an apt piece on “America’s First Golf Hero” in this 100th anniversary year of amateur Francis Ouimet’s improbable victory over Vardon and Ray at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts. But there’s plenty on the heroes that followed as well, from Hogan and Palmer to Woods and McIlroy. It’s all a pleasure to read, and the archival photographs seal the deal. For anyone interested in the history of the game in the U.S., this one needs to be in the library. Tom Bedell is patiently (some say) awaiting his own comeback.

www.golfoklahoma.org •••••• 15

EQUIPMENT

Golf ball primer What’s the right ball for your game? by ed travis

olf ball sales have been, and continue to be, dominated by Acushnet Company with the Titleist and Pinnacle brands accounting for more than half of new golf balls annually. This ongoing premier position in the marketplace particularly in the “tour- ball” category occupied by the Titleist Pro V1 is not because the Titleist Pro V1 is the most played ball by touring professionals. The pros are paid to play them. Titleist is the number one brand because in the minds of recreational golfers the Titleist Pro V1 and to a lesser extent the Titleist NXT (targeted specifically at recreational players) simply perform better. There of course is the undeniable cachet of teeing up with the ball played by professionals but certainly a large proportion of those who plunk down the price of a dozen Pro V1s don’t have the swing to take advantage of all the technology built into them. But then these same golfers have been known to purchase a $75,000 vehicle for a 5-mile daily commute. Titleist’s position means the other golf ball makers must divide the remaining portion of the market. Although that still represents a significant amount of money, everything they do is determined by the competitive landscape and what Titleist is doing. A good example is the $13 million investment in a new ball plant TaylorMade-adidas Golf is making to support their golf ball lines which not only compete with Titleist but Callaway Golf, Nike Golf and especially Bridgestone Golf which has seen strong sales growth from their ball-fitting marketing campaign. Fortunately all the major ball makers have products with great performance in a range of prices so the recreational player’s task is to match the price they are comfortable paying with the ball that’s performs for them. In an effort to provide some clarity to what can be a confusing muddle of performance claims and hype, Golf Oklahoma asked questions of several golf industry insiders knowledgeable of the golf ball business and received some interesting answers. Golf Ok: What should the average golfer focus on when purchasing balls? Dean Snell, Vice President of R&D, TaylorMade-adidas Golf: “The average golfer 16 •••••• www.golfoklahoma.org

should take the time to test golf balls from 100 yards and in. Play four to five holes hitting shots from 100 yards and in, test the golf balls for spin, feel, control on various shotts, find the ball that best fits his or hers game. and if they walk off the last hole and can’t tell the difference, then buy the cheapest one.” Dave Bartels, Senior Director, Golf Ball R&D, Callaway Golf Company: “We recommend all golfers, no matter what their ability, go through the fitting process or talk to a club professional to find the right ball for their game. All golfers can be fit into a

Callaway golf ball base upon two questions; 1) How important is high spin (control) around the green to your game? and 2) What is your clubhead speed (or how far do you hit a good drive?).” Mike Pai, Global Category Director, Golf Balls & Bags, Nike Golf: “How they play and what is important to them – in other words, if green side spin is important to them then it narrows their range to balls with softer covers (I.e. Tour performance products). There is an argument that can be made that amateur golfers need green side spin more than they think because they tend to miss a lot of greens. And green side spin performance helps control and optimize the short game.” Corey Consuegra, Golf Ball Marketing Manager, Bridgestone Golf: “They need to find a golf ball that offers the greenside performance their game requires and still ensure that the ball has a core that can be fully compressed by their driver swing speed. The easiest way to determine whether or not a golf ball is appropriate for one’s game is by undergoing a launch monitor-based ball-fitting by a trained expert.” Golf OK: Specifically, what role should price have in the ball buying decision? Snell: “Typically, the more layers that are

in a ball, the more performance can be designed into it, from tee to green. Cheaper balls are typically two-piece and are lower spinning tee to green...multilayered balls are lower on driver spin, but higher on mid irons.. and tour balls are lower with driver and long irons, mid spin with short irons, and high spin around the greens… so you pay for performance… but you should pay for the performance that is important to you.” Bartels: ”When it comes to finding the right ball, we usually start around the green and ask the golfer to decide how much spin/ control their game needs. The better golfers prefer more control of their ball, so we would direct them to a ball with a urethane cover. Urethane is a durable elastomer that has better spin properties than typical ionomers (i.e., Surlyn), which is why they generally cost more. Average golfers, who focus more on distance and don’t rely as much on controlling their ball around the greens, could probably get all the performance they need in a Surlyn covered ball.” Pai: “That’s completely up to the consumer. But the most important thing to keep in mind is that the less expensive golf balls that are distance oriented are one dimensional – they provide distance only at the expense of feel and especially greenside spin performance.” Consuegra: “In a perfect world, price would not be the determining factor, and a golfer would choose his golf ball based simply on ball-fitting data and feel preferences. However, saying price shouldn’t matter is disingenuous, because for a variety of reasons price usually plays into the buying decision. We recommend undergoing a ballfitting or ball-selection consultation.” What do you see as the next step in golf ball technology? Snell: “I think that the multilayered technology which can control spin (high or low) will be made available for all golfers to help lower scores and address performance where golfers need it most. Bartels: “A key aspect of the advancement of our golf ball technology involves being able to communicate our product performance attributes in a way that simplifies it for consumers, so they can make informed choices on which ball is best suited for their game.” Pai: “We believe we’ve only scratched the surface of RZN core technology and that we can unlock more benefits for the golfer. We

think there could be lots of different applications as it pertains to golf ball optimization and fitting. As an injection molded polymer, we think RZN gives us an advantage to target and fine tune performance for a range of different golfer types and swing profiles.” Consuegra: “We believe that the significant technological breakthroughs in the immediate near-term will be aerodynamics driven. Things like manipulating dimple size, shape and depth will be the way companies try to achieve the ultimate in golf ball distance performance.” So there’s no doubt, if you are serious about lowering your score, playing a ball with distance and control features that match your game will make a difference. To help with that selection process here are some to consider.

e series $27 dozen Callaway Golf HEX Black Tour $46 dozen 5-piece construction urethane cover Dual mantle Hexagonal shaped dimples HEX Chrome $36 dozen 3-piece construction urethane cover Hexagonal shaped dimples

Distance ball with progressive core

TaylorMade Golf

Lethal $46 dozen 5-piece construction cast urethane cover Individual layers made to work with woods and irons TMaG says Lethal second most played ball on PGA Tour RocketBallz Urethane $30 dozen 3-piece construction soft urethane cover Nike Golf Low drag dimple pattern with high speed 20XI $46 dozen core 4-piece construction urethane cover Larger and softer RZN core with faster RZN High spin off irons for approach shot control mantle Titleist Designed for low-spin-tendency players ProV1 $48 dozen Nike One RZN $29 Dozen 3-piece construction urethane cover 3-piece construction ionomer cover New scuff resistance paint on 352-dimple Softer cover cover Designed for high clubhead speed amateurs This is the standard by which all others are Nike One RZN-X $29 dozen compared Bridgestone Golf Similar to One RZN but with firmer cover ProV1x $48 dozen Tour B330 series $45 dozen 4-piece construction urethane cover 4-piece construction urethane cover Rife Golf Slightly firmer 328-dimple cover Dual dimple design S designates softer cover V MOTION $33 dozen Lower spinning version For swing speeds over 105 mph 3-piece construction cast urethane cover NXT Tour $32 dozen Tour B330-RX Softer cover for higher spin rates 3-piece construction Fusablend cover 3-piece construction urethane cover Low drag 318-dimple pattern Large dual-core with smaller soft center Dual dimple design S designates softer cover E MOTION $20 dozen Softer compression For swing speeds under 105 mph 3-piece construction Surlyn cover

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Mizuno Shaft Optimizer Takes the guesswork out of fitting The Mizuno Shaft Optimizer has a modest appearance, but it’s a technological marvel that eliminates much of the guesswork surrounding which shafts will allow each golfer with his or her own unique swing to achieve maximum enjoyment of the game. When fastened to a club, the optimizer in just a few swings will give an experienced clubfitter every piece of information he needs to recommend a shaft, whether steel or graphite or a range of flexes from stiff to ladies light (LL). Mizuno rep Craig Lytle said even with the technology available at certified club fitters such as LaFortune Park in Tulsa, more than 80 percent of golfers are playing with the wrong shafts for their swing. Of those, 42 percent need a shaft that falls

Golf Course Construction

Recent Projects Recent Projects

Southern Hills Country Club

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

Tulsa • Cart Path Improvements

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

Battle Creek Golf Club

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

Broken Arrow • Bunker Renovation

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

Hardscrabble Country Club

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

Fort Smith, AR • Tee Improvements

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

Karsten Creek Golf Club

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

Stillwater • Practice Green Construction

Golf Club of Oklahoma

Broken Arrow • Emergency 10” Main Line Repairs Contact Us

Sapulpa Golf Course JONESPLAN Sapulpa • Green Repairs

2328 E. 13th Street Tulsa, OK 74104 t 918.832.5544 info@jonesplan.com

Builder Member South Lakes Golf Course

Jenks • Practice Green Construction

Cedar Ridge Country Club

Broken Arrow • Cart Path Improvements

The Patriot Golf Club

Owasso • Cart Path Improvements

18 •••••• www.golfoklahoma.org

in between the well-known flexes of regular, stiff and light. The Shaft Optimizer records and feeds data to either a computer or even cell phone. The fitter gets information on clubhead speed, tempo, toe down, kick angle and release vector. After providing all this in an easy-to-read format, it makes a recommendation that 90 percent of the time will be the right shaft for the golfer, or at least give

the professional a great idea of two or three shafts to test with the customer. “It’s a great tool,” said Pat McCrate, director of golf at LaFortune Park. “We send one of our assistants to the Mizuno training each year and we try to incorporate it into any iron fitting that we do. It’s such a good tool because it narrows the choices down so quickly.” The Shaft Optimzer was a project that took more than 10 years to complete and each costs more than $3,000. To see what courses close to you have the Shaft Optimizer technology, go to Mizuno.com.

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www.vanceautogroup.com www.golfoklahoma.org •••••• 19

The goods Germain-Robin XO Brandy by greg horton

Germain-Robin is one of the world’s most respected names in brandy distilling. Their 1996 Select Barrel XO was ranked best liquor in the world by Robb Report’s panel of experts. The team behind this remarkable brand has now turned their attention to barrel-aged cocktails. Using their own Germain-Robin brandy and Low Gap whiskey, Craft Distillers has created the Fluid Dynamics line of barrel-aged cocktails. Bartenders around the country have been aging blended cocktails in small wooden barrels for the past few years, recognizing that when ingredients are aged together, the cocktail becomes richer and more focused. Because of the size of their distillery, Craft Distillers is able to age their cocktails in 55-gallon oak barrels. Ingredients are blended and then aged for six weeks. The same people who distill the spirits also blend the cocktails, meaning every phase of the operation is managed by the same team; quality is guaranteed from start to pour. Currently, Fluid Dynamics offers four different cocktails: a Brandy Manhattan, the 1850, the Saratoga, and the Saint Nick. The Brandy Manhattan is a blend of Germain-Robin brandy and Vya, a small-batch vermouth made in the U.S. The Vya is remarkable in its own right--the first small-batch vermouth made in the U.S.– but blended and aged with brandy, the two combine to make a smooth, delicious cocktail.

The 1850 is Fluid Dynamics’ take on the famous Sazerac cocktail. The name is trademarked, so the distillers opted to name the cocktail after the year that Sewell Taylor began to import Sazerac-de-Forge et Fils cognac, the spirit for which the cocktail would later be named. The 1850 is a blend of Low Gap whiskey and Germain-Robin Absinthe Superieure. Unlike the Sazerac, the 1850 is made without bitters. Aging bitters with the other ingredients allowed to bitters to dominate the cocktail, so distillers eliminated the bitters. The Saratoga is the most approachable of the Fluid Dynamics line. This blend of Low Gap whiskey, Germain-Robin brandy, and Vya is the cocktail by which this line should be measured. It is smooth, balanced, and delicious, with incredible nuances of flavor and aroma. This is the best introduction to the line. For anyone in the Oklahoma City metro area, Gaillardia has a few Craft Distillers selections in their bar.

Serving OKLAHOMA for 27 Years! GOLF USA is your ONLY Locally Owned and Operated Golf SUPER STORE in Oklahoma! 2394 West Memorial - North OKC - 405-749-4653 I-240 and Penn - South OKC - 405-685-5577 664 Ed Noble Parkway - Norman - 405-364-0993 20 •••••• www.golfoklahoma.org

Luke Donald collection by greg horton

E.P. CARRILLO 2013 SHORT RUN A cigar that focuses on flavors and not strength by j.l. fletcher

In its fourth year of production, the Short Run series by E.P. Carrillo showcases core tobaccos that define a lifetime of cigar production. Since opening Tabacalera La Alianza S.A. in the Dominican, Ernesto Perez Carrillo has been making terrific cigars in the Cuban fashion. He has been able to successfully reach out to the everyday smoker and the boutique enthusiast alike. The 2013 Short Run is released in three vitolas (sizes) robusto, corona gorda, and double robusto with total production of less than 1,500 boxes or 36,000 cigars. Ernesto has brought back the Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper, along with a binder leaf that is Dominican Piloto Cubano and a filler that is a blend of Nicaraguan and Ecuadorian tobaccos. The cigar has a traditional golden colored wrapper with slight marbling. There is an aroma of white pepper, oak, sweet sorghum, and leather at the foot. At light up the cigar produces a terrific creamy flavor profile that is very smooth yet complex in flavors of orange peel, cinnamon, coffee, and oak. Medium in strength yet not overpowering. The construction on the cigar is solid. The draw was cool and produced a great amount of smoke with an emergence of white pepper and caramel while on the palate. The strength level starts to grow to medium full toward the middle of the smoke while producing this solid ash that has had some light gray coloring. The final third of the cigar maintains incredible flavors and remains balanced with the lovely orange peel, cinnamon, clove, and nutty flavors. There are some hints of coffee beans popping up but much softer than before and more of a background complexity. The cigar gives a small burst of strength on the finish, and with a modest price point of $7 to $9 you’ll be sure to want another.

England is not famous for its wine, so when British golfer Luke Donald decided to get in the wine business, he looked west, way west. Donald teamed up with Terlato Wines International, a company with a portfolio that already boasted the legendary Jack Nicklaus. Donald was a longtime friend of company CEO Bill Terlato, and the pair decided to make Luke Donald wines in California. The collection consists of three wines-Claret, Chardonnay, and Viognier--of which Oklahoma has two, the Claret and the Chardonnay. Donald’s wine tastes were developed around Burgundy and Bordeaux, so he went for classical French styles with his collection. The Luke Donald Claret is a blend of four of the red Bordeaux grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petite Verdot. Fruit for the Claret comes from Rutherford and Stag’s Leap District, primarily, so the appellation is Napa Valley. Although not a professional winemaker him-

self, Donald is very involved in the process, including barrel tasting all the potential lots with his winemaker to choose the best blend of wines. This Claret is full-bodied and intense. Expect structured tannins, complex layers of red and black fruit, earth, leather, and spices. Price is about $45 in retail stores. The Luke Donald Chardonnay comes from Carneros, and the style is straight out of Burgundy. Grapes are whole-cluster pressed, fermented in French oak, and undergo 100 percent malolactic fermentation. Malolactic fermentation is the process of converting malic (tart) acid to lactic acid. The process gives Chardonnay its creamy character. The Chardonnay is medium to full-bodied with a rich, creamy character. True to the varietal, Granny Smith apples, peaches, and pineapple are the primary fruit flavors. Less typical for Chardonnay is the presence of baking spices, adding to the richness of the wine. Price is about $35 in retail stores.

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 •••••• 21

Chip shots

News from around the state Sponsored by Justice Golf Car

Patriot Cup 2013 Bigger and better

he fourth annual Patriot Cup was more 5,300, is branching out. It will host a bigger and better than its predeces- Marina Day this summer, a Range day for sors and again raised significant marksmen in the fall and a national fishing funds for the Folds of Honor Foundation, day by 2014 to go along with Patriot Golf thanks to a sellout of tables at the evening Day and The Patriot Cup. “This year’s event was fantastic and we Ricky Fowler keeps them smiling gala, several thousand paid spectators and the generosity of sponsors, notably title feel the foundation is poised to really break through nationally in a big way with patrisponsor Budweiser. CBS announcer David Feherty, who otic Americans,” said spokesman Ben Leslie. Leslie said he has already received emails talked with Golf Oklahoma about his love for the U.S. and particularly its war heroes requesting tables at next year’s gala and that (see Q&A with Feherty on Page 50) told the players have communicated their desire to assembled throng at the impressive open- return. PGA Tour player Ken Duke requesting ceremonies to talk to the veterans they ed that the Folds of Honor logo be stitched meet, treat them like normal people but into his golf bag. show them they recognize and appreciate their sacrifices. FOHF founder Dan Rooney said the event is gaining momentum each year and will continue to grow. He said that many of the pros who have supported the event have promised to bring their “friends” in the future, which could only raise the star factor to an even hgher level. The Folds of Honor, which will award 1,500 scholarships this fall to bring its total to Dan Rooney and David Feherty share a laugh. Zach Johnson was a big hit in first year. 22 •••••• www.golfoklahoma.org

Chip shots At the head of the class Back Tee Sports offers first rate corporate outings by ken macleod

Jeff McMillian has fashioned a career in golf that would be the envy of many, jetting around the country to play golf at world-famous destinations such as Pinehurst, Pebble Beach, Kiawah Island, Whistling Straights and The Broadmoor. No, McMillian isn’t playing by another name on the PGA Tour or Champions Tour, though he has that kind of talent. Nor is the former Oklahoma State golfer and two-time Oklahoma State Amateur champion (1977 and 1981) as well as record holder of low round ever at Karsten Creek (63) a bored CEO with too much time and money. When McMillian arrives at one of these golf meccas, as he does 15 or so times a year, it is to work. He is the director of golf operations (and much more) for Back Tee Sports, a company that specializes in corporate golf outings at many of the nation’s

premier golf destinations. Back Tee Sports will typically take a group ranging from 12 to 24 business folk on a four-night golf extravaganza that includes mornings of instruction with McMillian’s class is in session with an ocean view. Back Tee’s staff of teaching professionals and afternoons spent playing operations but is responsible for business courses like those mentioned above. Din- development. In other words, he goes out ners, receptions and other entertainment and sells the program to companies who -- all are included and arranged by Back still want to entertain and build client reTee’s ace social director, McMillian’s wife, lationships through golf. There was some retrenching to do after 2008 when all corRobin. The company was founded as Executive porate spending became more heavily scruGolf Outings in 1985 by former OSU play- tinized. Many of their auto industry clients ers Danny Edwards and Jim Ahearn. They pulled back. Yet because of their attention went their separate ways in the early 1990s to detail and service, McMillian’s company and founded competing companies. Ed- has rarely lost a client. “When the auto well dried up, we rewards’ company was called Profile Sports and McMillian went with that venture. In placed them with a lot of oil and gas com2005, Edwards, consumed with other busi- panies and some large construction and ness interests, turned the company over to engineering firms,” he said. “Our success is McMillian and several other partners, who due to our staff and how terrific they are. They are just really good with people and renamed the company Back Tee Sports. McMillian heads up not only the golf that’s what sets us apart.”

www.golfoklahoma.org •••••• 23

Chip shots Narrow escape Moore G&AC grazed by ken macleod

The Moore Golf & Athletic Club is rapidly returning to a semblance of normality and could reopen to member play within two weeks, but life for many of those members and some of the high school golfers who used the course will never be the same. Jason Beauchamp, the general manager who spent a terrifying afternoon May 20 huddled in a closet while the monster tornado churned by just 200 yards away, covering his course with debris, blowing out windows and puncturing the roof, is thankful to be alive. It could have been much worse. For starters, the course was emptied of golfers an hour earlier because of lightning. All but one of his employees had also left. The two remianing knew from reports and from watching themselves, that the tornado was heading directly at them. It veered just a bit north, sparing the two-story clubhouse from utter destruction. Instead, crews from Lindsey Management, which owns the golf course, arrived quickly and began repairing some of the gaping holes in the roof, just in time to prevent the entire facility from being ruined by subsequent heavy rains. The course hopes to reopen its driving range on Monday. Superintendent Jeremy McPherson and his crew along with many volunteers have done a great job picking up the course. He will be joined on Tuesday by 12 or more superintendents from around the state to help with green repairs, although the greens really did not suffer as much as one would expect with all the debris landing on the course. When Beauchamp emerged shaken but unharmed, he saw a new world. Insulation floated to the ground like snow. The course was covered with every item imaginable.

WAPL, Adams Tour on tap

Oklahoma golfers looking to support state events and view high quality golf will have several opportunities coming up, including the 22nd USGA championship to be held in the state. The Women’s Amateur Public Links Championship is scheduled June 17-22 at Jimmie Austin OU Golf Course. There is no charge to come watch the tournament that produced such champions as Michelle Wie, who won it at age 13! The tournament will feature 36 holes of stroke play followed by 24 •••••• www.golfoklahoma.org

Upper level clubhouse damage and debris on the course from the May 20 tornado.

“Anything we found that could be a momento or of value to anyone, we kept and have them spread out on a grill table,” Beauchamp said. “We found teddy bears, baseball cards, pictures, lots of other stuff. But most was building material from houses. Wood, drywall, lots of insulation.” Beauchamp said at least seven members that he knows of have lost their homes and he expects that number to rise as more check in. Moore boys golf coach Ryan Dukes said two of his players lost homes and he believed that several players from Southmoore had lost their houses as well. “One of my players actually found his clubs in the debris,” Dukes said. “There was dirt and mud all over them and they were dinged up, but probably still usuable” Beauchamp said took video of the approaching storm, then called his wife to make sure he and his child were safe, told he loved her then got into the interior closet. “It was really scary,” he said. “The lights were out, there was no communication. I thought we were in the path of destruction and when we started hearing the roar and the windows going out and the debris hitting the building, I thought this could be it. It wasn’t until later that I realized the path

was a few hundred yards away and how fortunate we were that we were just in the debris field.” Beauchamp began work at the Moore G&AC about a week before a large tornado went through Moore in 2003, that one missing the course entirely. His wife Kristin was in a building that had the roof torn off by that tornado. “Between living and working in Moore, you almost just feel it’s a matter of time until you’re in a tornado,” he said. “You wonder if they’re going to figure you what’s going on.” One way golfers can help tornado victims is by participating in the Tee It Up Fore Oklahoma Charity Pro-Am slated June 14 at Willow Creek Golf & Country Club. The 18-hole tournament will feature teams with a club professional paired with three amateurs, with teams playing a two net best-ball competition. The tournament is sponsored by South Central Section PGA Foundation. Al proceeds will go to Oklahoma charities to assist with the relief effort. To sponsor the tournament or enter a team, go to www.southcentralpga.com or email Cimarron Grubb at cgrubb@pgahq.com or call 405-388-2577.

match play for the top 64 golfers. Oklahoma’s 2012 NCAA champion Chirapat Jao-Javanil will be in the tournament while other collegians from across the state will try to qualify at local qualifiers on June 30.

The golf course is in tremendous condition with a Bermuda rough that will test any wayward shot. OU also hosted the 2009 men’s public links championship and Rodney Young, director of golf, was surprised to get a call from the USGA this winter that both events would be discontinued after 2014 in favor of a four-ball championship. Still, having been a good host for both events could serve the course well for a possible U.S. Junior or U.S. Amateur championship. First, Young said several course projects need to be complet-

Chirapat Jao-Javanil

ed. “We have a turf care facility we’re building. We would like to do some erosion control on our creeks. Down the line there are other projects, like a new clubhouse, a possible short course which could lead to the revision of some holes on the existing course.” Officials are expecting 156 players to compete including last year’s two finalists Kyung Kim and Ashlan Ramsey. Kim won the 2012 title by knocking in 10 birdies over 34 holes. That was enough to hold off Ramsey, who had eight birdies during her final round.   Two professional events on the Adams Tour will also be held in Oklahoma and are open to the public at no charge. The Buffalo Run – Prairie Sun & Moon Casinos Classic is June 12-15 with a pro-am on June 11. The following week the tour moves to Norman for the OK Kids Korral Championship June 19-22. For information on how to play in either pro-am, go to the tournaments tab at www.golfoklahoma.org. The Adams Tour fields will play for a $100,000 purse in each event with the winner netting $15,000. The tour has been a launching pad for PGA Tour winners such as Ryan Palmer, Tim Herron, Cameron Beck-

man and Bubba Watson.

Doug Tewell’s DVD

knowledge that a lifetime of professional golf can accumulate. And Tewell is not unfamiliar with teaching, he was a teaching professional in Arizona early in his career. “The success of this has been amazing,” said Tewell. “I’m not one of these teachers to the stars like Sean Foley. But I am a former player who is showing you how I achieved what I did in the game and it’s a method that a lot of folks can identify with.” Square to Square was a method taught by Jim Flick and others and Tewell credits Flick with many of his teaching basics. He also modified and adopted the methods as he returned after extensive surgery on his elbow performed by noted orthopedist Dr. Frank Jobe. Tewell won four times on the PGA Tour and was noted as one of the straightest and most consistent drivers of the golf ball, a characteristic he retained in his Champions Tour career.

Doug Tewell’s new career as a teacher through instructional videos sold online is going quite well. Tewell reports that video sales of his new instructional series were over $500,000 in the first quarter of 2013 and heading higher in the second quarter. Tewell’s Square to Square Method video shows amateur golfers the discoveries he made in recovering from a serious elbow injury on the PGA Tour to recover sufficiently to win eight times on the Champions Tour. The series emphasizes a swing that eliminates wrist rotation, full shoulder turns and other elements that can lead to physical breakdowns among older players. Tewell is doing the video in conjunction with Tim Oyler, owner of golftailor.com,. New clubhouse for Lincoln The videos are advertised through Google Park in Oklahoma City to golfers worldwide. The videos were shot locally, including some at Karsten Creek. Lincoln Park Golf Course in Oklahoma They are professional looking and full of the City will finally have a clubhouse to match

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

justicegolf.com www.golfoklahoma.org •••••• 25

Chip shots the quality of its two courses, regarded as among the best public courses in the state. Groundbreaking took place earlier this week on a new 27,000-square foot clubhouse that will replace the crumbling edifice that opened in 1961. “This clubhouse was old when I got here in 1990,” said Steve Carson, director of golf. “It’s well past its prime. All the mechanical parts, if they haven’t failed already, are on the verge of failure.” The new clubhouse is being built with $7.5 million in golf revenue bond sales and $2.5 million from a city general obligation bond earmarked for the clubhouse. The old clubhouse will be razed beginning next week as the staff moves into a trailor which will serve as the pro shop for the next 14 months or so. The current cart barn is also being demolished and the new one will be built underneath the new clubhouse, freeing up space and providing a tornado shelter in the process. The course will be leasing gas carts until the new cart barn is complete. The new building will have an ample pro shop, seating for 100 in its restaurant and an additional banquet room with seating

for 180, allowing it to host not only tournaments but also banquets, weddings and other events. It will have a second-story terrace overlooking the 10th hole leading to a smaller club seating 40 to 60 where Carson hopes to be able to sell wine in addition to beer in a more upscale setting. The parking lot will also be rebuilt during the process, mostly next winter in stages allowing part of it to remain open. “We’re all very excited,” said Carson, whose staff had to suffer through frequent breakdowns of the air conditioner during last year’s brutally hot summer. “Our goal when we started this project was to offer a total package for the golfer with all the amenties they would expect at a top flight golf club. We think this clubhouse combined with what we can offer on the East and West course does just that.”

Winter Creek returns

Oklahoma golf course and real estate investors had the small town of Blanchard pegged as the southern version of Edmond, a potential golf hot spot poised for tremendous growth south of Oklahoma City much

as Edmond had experienced to the north for the past 40 years. Developers of Winter Creek, Indian Ridge and Four Lakes Golf Club hoped their ambitious golf and housing projects would experience similar success and become cornerstones of a rapidly-growing Blanchard. It may have been a classic case of too much, too soon. Blanchard is growing but has a population of approximately 7,800. Edmond, which now supports six golf entities (Oak Tree National, Oak Tree CC, Kickingbird Golf Course, Coffee Creek Golf Course, Fairfax Golf Course and River Oaks Country Club) has swelled to a population of more than 81,000 from a similar start. Winter Creek opened in 2003. It ceased operations for three months in 2012, but buoyed by an ownership transition, is back open this year with improved conditions and a renewed optimism about its future. “We’ve made a lot of investments and the course is in very good condition,” said Garrett Mitchell, director of golf. “We’ve got a lot of events and tournaments lined up and the membership is back up over 100.” The real estate side of Winter Creek has never taken off. Many place the blame on

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owner Donnie Nicholls of Nashville refusing to adjust his pricing for the Oklahoma market. As the course transitions to new ownership and the economy continues to strengthen, hope is that Winter Creek will finally be surrounded by a successful real estate development. As for the other two projects, golfers are sometimes spied on Four Lakes, but it is not open to the public. Those are homeowners in the Four Lakes development. Four Lakes is being maintained by Frontier Bank while looking for an owner. Superintendent Dirk Henry keeps the L-93 bent grass greens alive and the Bermuda fairways. The bunkers have grown in but could be fixed easily. “It could be a good track,” Henry said. “They’ve got some really tough holes.” The third project in Blanchard was Indian Ridge and it had nine holes complete and ready for play when the project fell apart acrimoniously in 2004. The land is now owned by prominent Oklahoma City businessman Roy T. Oliver, who purchased the 1,700 acres that included the course in 2009 and said at that time that he had no plans for Belmar Full Page Ad.pdf 1 1/14/13 12:57 development.

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Senior Open tickets on sale Oak Tree National to present challenge by ken macleod

Oak Tree National co-owner Everett Dobson has worked closely with architect Tripp Davis of Norman on restoring the course both for the membership and for events such as the 2014 U.S. Senior Open. When the field arrives for the July 10-13 event next summer, golfers should expect a beautiful but demanding challenge. “I think of Oak Tree as being 18 separate works of art,” Dobson said. “Visually we’re trying to give it a look that’s worthy of its reputation and restore some of the prairie look and feel it had at first. Also it was carved out of black jack oaks and we’re trying to restore some of what we’ve lost over time.” Dobson and Davis have been walking a fine line between making Oak Tree as demanding a test as there is in golf for the professionals and still enjoyable for the high handicap player. “That’s what Tripp does for a living, and he understands some of the tricks of the trade that can accomplish this,” Dobson said. “We’re making it more playable but also harder to score,” Davis noted of some of the work that has been done on and around the greens, particularly the addition of many shaved chipping areas. The Oak Tree Gang will all be 50 and over, even Scott Verplank who turns 50 on the Wednesday of tournament week. They are looking forward to the event at the club they have helped turn into a nationally familiar name and icon. A much younger Gil Morgan returned to Oak Tree in 1977 after winning the B.C. Open for his first of seven victories on the PGA Tour. “I thought I was playing some pretty good golf,” Morgan reminisced at the kickoff press event. “I went out to get some practice in and had a double bogey on my first hole. “That’s just Oak Tree. It’s hard.” Morgan, who went on to win 25 times in a dominant Champions Tour career, still can’t get around his home track without a few hiccups. Same goes for Bob Tway, Willie Wood, Verplank and Doug Tewell. The five Oak Tree Gang members have combined for 60 victories on the PGA Tour and Champions Tour. They all expect the course to provide a superb test when it hosts its third major championship next summer. It previously was the site of the 1988 PGA Championship and the 2006 PGA Senior Championship. Tickets for the 2014 U.S. Senior 28 •••••• www.golfoklahoma.org

Open slated July 7-13 are on sale at www.2014ussenioropen.com. Volunteers can also sign up there. The tournament is in need of 3,000 volunteers. Golfers who return from the 2006 PGA Senior will find a different and perhaps even

Oak Tree Gang members Gil Moran, Bob Tway, Willie Wood and Scott Verplank.

more difficult Oak Tree. Dobson brought Dye back for an extensive review than turned to Davis to execute a renovation that included new irrigation, redesigned greens and

surrounds, fairways transitioned to U3 Bermuda, a restoration of native grass areas, and the replanting of Oak and other hardwood trees. The championship tees have been rated at a slope of 155, maximum allowed by the USGA. “We could stretch it out and host a U.S. Open tomorrow,” Dobson said. “We’re lucky in that regard. A lot of courses are landlocked. We can make this as difficult a test as you could want.” The wind is a huge factor in Oak Tree’s difficulty but even in the relative calm of the summer months the course requires precision and exacts a steep penalty for the lack of it. “It is just unrelenting,” said Tway, who is still searching for his first Champions Tour victory after a career than included eight PGA Tour wins. “If you make one small mistake, it makes you pay. Make a few and suddenly your score really starts to mount.” The U.S. Senior Open will be the 21st USGA championship to be held in Oklahoma and will also be the 20th Senior Open worked by Tim Flaherty, the Senior Director of the U.S. Senior Open. “The people of Oklahoma will see the very best players in the world, and I don’t qualify that by saying the very best senior players,” Flaherty said. “The very best players.”

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Jones to guide Oak Tree First up, U.S. Senior Open Championship by ken macleod

om Jones is back in Oklahoma and Oak Tree National – a year away from hosting the U.S. Senior Open – will be the beneficiary. Jones, the former Oklahoma State AllAmerican and PGA Tour player who has been one of the top club professionals and facility managers in the area, was hired as the president and director of golf at Oak Tree National in late May. He begins work July 1. “I think you can see by the title what we think of Tom,” said Oak Tree National coowner Everett Dobson. “Tom is one of the most respected and trusted names in the sport. He’s been at the highest level of high profile clubs. He’s the consummate golf professional and will fit in great with our membership here at Oak Tree.” Jones, 58, came off the PGA Tour in 1983 and in 1984 became director of golf at The Golf Club in Broken Arrow. He left the Golf Club to be the head professional and manager for Karsten Creek in Stillwater from 1995 to 2004 before resigning. In early 2005 he joined The Blessings in Johnson, Ark., running golf operations and overseeing the real estate and property owners associations as well. “I’m really excited to be a part of Oak Tree and take it from here forward,” Jones said. “It’s always had such a great history and tradition. I’m looking forward to being a part of that and seeing where Everett and (co-owner) Ed Evans and the membership and I can take it.” Jones first saw Oak Tree during his playing career at OSU when the team came down for practice rounds when the course opened in 1976. “We were used to playing at Lakeside in Stillwater and then we came down and saw this course with all the railroad ties, big humps and other design features and we had never seen anything like it,” Jones said. “I think what Pete Dye did at Oak Tree was responsible for a lot of folks starting to recognize the golf course architect and his contributions.” Jones was asked to join the Landmark Land family in 1988 when Oak Tree cofounder Joe Walser asked him to take over as director of golf at the LaQuinta Resort & Spa in LaQuinta, Calif., but Jones was comfortable at The Golf Club of Oklahoma at the time and declined. Jones did wear the Landmark Oak Tree logo – he picked up an armload of tennis

shirts at LaQuinta from Walser – during his PGA Tour career from 1979-83. After leaving OSU in 1977, he spent one year on the European Tour – getting to play and have dinner with Seve Ballesteros was a highlight – and a year on the Sunshine Tour in Florida before winning PGA Tour Qualifying School in 1979. He won the 1981 Magnolia Classic on the PGA Tour, but his career was cut short by disc problems in his back that limit his playing to this day. He stopped playing after the 1983 season. “It’s hard on those perfect days when you look down at the range and the balls are sitting there in the sun, because I want to go practice, which is what I most enjoyed,” Jones said. “But I came to the conclusion long ago that I loved the competition more than I loved just playing the game. I was able to travel the world and meet a lot of great people and had a great experience. My job since has been to make golf a more enjoyable experience for others and I love that too. It’s very fulfilling.” From the Golf Club of Oklahoma to Karsten Creek to The Blessings, Jones has always worked at clubs that have inherently challenging courses but also must be kept enjoyable for higher handicap players. That challenge will remain true at Oak Tree, “That’s the challenge for a lot of championship courses, to maintain the championship quality but realize that the majority of the time it’s member play. It’s not like I’ve been at easy courses, so I’ve got some experience

Tom Jones is Oak Tree National president.

at that.” Oak Tree National, with the U.S. Senior Open Championship on tap in 2014, has a membership proud of its tough reputation. Jones,grew up playing at Mohawk Park in Tulsa battling brothers Eddie and Joe, then played at Rogers High School before becoming new head coach Mike Holder’s first recruit at OSU in 1974. He was a first team AllAmerican as a freshman and second team as a sophomore, junior and senior. “I’m glad to be getting back to Oklahoma and to be associated with Oak Tree,” Jones said. “I don’t know any golf pro or anyone in the golf business that at one time or other didn’t want to be associated with Oak Tree. Look at all the great people that have come out of there.”

ClubCorp purchases Oak Tree Country Club ClubCorp has announced in a release the acquisition of Oak Tree Country Club, purchased for an undisclosed amount from Oak Tree Partners LLC, which has owned the property since 2004. The Oklahoman said in a story that the sale price was in excess of $10.4 million. Dallas-based ClubCorp owns or operates more than 150 golf and country clubs, business clubs, sports clubs, and alumni clubs in 24 states, the District of Columbia and two foreign countries, according to a release. ClubCorp announced in the release that it would embark on a multimilliondollar capital improvement project with extensive renovations and upgrades to the 65,000-square-foot clubhouse - including expanding casual dining and the addition of an outdoor dining area - and improvements

to the golf, tennis, pool and fitness areas. Extensive renovations to the East and West courses at Oak Tree have been performed in the past four years. Most of the pro shop staff and maintenance crew were retained in the transition, but not Director of Golf Mark Fuller, who was released May 23 after a brief meeting with ClubCorp representatives. “They basically said they didn’t think I would be happy there and they were not going to extend an offer,” Fuller said. Fuller said a total of eight country club employees were not offered employment with ClubCorp. He said he would like to remain in the golf business in the PGA South Central Section. Superintendent Brent Shupe was re-

See Oak Tree, page 30 www.golfoklahoma.org •••••• 29

Oak Tree from 29 tained. ClubCorp said that Devon Davenport will be the head golf professional. “We are very excited about the addition of Oak Tree Country Club, nationally recognized as one of the preeminent clubs in Oklahoma, which gives us a presence in the state and increases our brand awareness nationwide,” said Mark Burnett, ClubCorp executive vice president, golf and country club division, in the release. Both the East and West course at Oak Tree Country Club were designed by Pete Dye, with the more difficult East Course opening in 1981 and the West Course in 1983. The East Course has been the site of the Oklahoma Open since 1986. Oak Tree has a strong junior program that has helped fuel Edmond North to nine consecutive Class 6A state championships. “We absolutely support junior golf and the strength of the golf program at Oak Tree was one reason we were interested in the property,” Burnett said. “The program is a great asset to the club and we will strive to keep the program as strong, if not stronger, moving forward. We would love for the club to continue serving as the site of the Oklahoma Open and many other regional and state junior golf events.”

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www.golfoklahoma.org •••••• 31

Bill Warren

A guiding hand in Tulsa’s grand golf history by richard linihan

But Warren was not there just to shake Crenshaw’s hand . . . His motives were purely unselfish as always seems to be the case with this man.

.K. “Bill” Warren Jr. stood in the Champions Locker Room at Augusta National and waited for a half hour to meet World Golf Hall of Famer Ben Crenshaw for the first time. Crenshaw, winner of 30 professional golf tournaments and two-time winner of The Masters, hosted by Augusta National yearly, was talking to his then-girlfriend Julie, who would become his wife and mother of his children. “I must have waited 30 minutes for him on the phone,” said Warren, an icon and major cog in the history of business and philanthropy in this country and his hometown of Tulsa. But Warren was not there just to shake Crenshaw’s hand or to meet a celebrity, who was at the top of the golf world at the time. His motives were purely unselfish as always seems to be the case with this man. “He got off and I said, ‘Ben, I’m Bill Warren from Tulsa and I’d like you to do a very special favor for me. There’s a young man about 13 years old. He has a lot of golf potential. But he’s having problems with 32 •••••• www.golfoklahoma.org

schoolmates and drugs and everything else. He’s thinking about committing suicide’.” The young man’s birthday was the following week and Warren was intent on getting him the greatest gift anyone could ever bestow on another human being – the will to live. At the time, Crenshaw was considered one of the greats playing in the game. So for a teenager with golf aspirations, anything to do with Crenshaw would have been enough to make one’s jaw drop. “I said to Ben, ‘Would you be kind enough to sit down and write this young man a note about not considering suicide because the next day the sun is going to be shining and everything will look different,’ “ said Warren. Crenshaw didn’t hesitate. For the next 30 minutes, he sat and wrote. He poured everything he had into that message to Warren’s friend. “He wrote two lengthy pages,” Warren said. “I took it to him for his birthday and as a result he did not commit suicide. Ben and I have been friends ever since. In his letter to the boy, he showed compassion and imagi-

nation and support, saying how everyone has peaks and valleys in their lives.” These are the kinds of things that set Warren apart from the magnates that have their magical fingers on the pulse of American business, but forget about their fellow man as they climb the ladder of success. Men like Warren, who care about family and their home city, are also the reason that Tulsa has such a grand golf history. Seven major championships have been conducted at Southern Hills Country Club, producing champions such as Tiger Woods, Raymond Floyd, Nick Price, Tommy Bolt, Dave Stockton, Retief Goosen and Hubert Green. Without the Warren family, none of those would have been played in Oklahoma and the course itself would likely not exist. Instead, key figures at the club are hopeful that the United States Golf Association will eventually award the club a fourth U.S. Open Championship. It all began in 1916 with a paper boy in Nashville, his father, W.K. Warren Sr. That was just one of five jobs his dad worked to help his family survive. Senior’s father had

died, leaving an eighth-grade boy to care for his two sisters and mother. There was no other option but to go to work. One of his jobs was delivering newspapers to a Nashville hospital. “One day a lady with a broken leg in the hospital told my father he needed to move to Oklahoma,” said Warren Jr. “She said it was the Land of Opportunity and her husband was a judge in Sapulpa and he would get him a job.” Warren Sr. went to work at the railroad in accounting and was responsible for handing out the paychecks to some pretty rough guys who worked the manual labor at the railroad. “One day the paychecks didn’t come in on time and the roughnecks started threatening my dad, throwing rocks at the second floor window where he was living in the railroad station,” said Warren Jr. “Fortunately there was a big Swede who said, ‘Let’s give him a chance.’ Dad got on his bike and biked from Sapulpa to Tulsa to get those paychecks. But he decided after that experience he would go to work for an oil company as an accountant. That got him started.” With $300 in his pocket, Warren Sr. began his own liquified petroleum and gas company that, with his hard work ethic

and the God-given ability to sell, soon became the largest such business in the world. It wasn’t long until Warren Sr. was able to sell his business for $450 million to a major petroleum company and start what would be a long line of this family giving back to the community and country they loved. Among the projects that were built under the Warren watch were the Ben Crenshaw and Bill Warren. sprawling St. Francis Hospital and Warren clinics and medi- it was back then instead of a venue that has cal buildings that have helped hundreds of pumped millions of dollars into the commuthousands of people over the years since nity. “Back then my dad was playing pretty the 1950s, and the building of Southern Hills Country Club in 1936, scene of some regularly at Tulsa Country Club and the of the more memorable points of history owner of the course had changed a lot of in professional golf’s major tournaments. rules, including one that didn’t favor men Without Warren Sr.’s uncanny ability at coming out to play on Saturdays,” said Warselling, Southern Hills Country Club might ren Jr. “So Dad thought we needed a new still be rolling acreage used as a nursery as golf course. He asked Cecil Canary to go

www.golfoklahoma.org •••••• 33

Years of memories to look over.

with him to talk to Waite Phillips, who owned the land that now is Southern Hills Country Club.” Had it been left up to Phillips, a petroleum industry mogul himself, there still might not be a Southern Hills Country Club. He threw down the gauntlet to Warren Sr. and Canary. “He pointed to a stack of requests for the land and said, ‘See all these I have in front of me, asking to donate the land to them? Of all those, yours is the most ridiculous request of all.’ “ That’s when Phillips handed them a proposal, one he didn’t really think they could fulfill. Phillips said if they could get pledges from 150 people for $1,000 each, he would donate the land. “Well, that was no hill for my dad because he was a salesman, primarily,” said Warren Jr. Warren Sr. met those lofty goals and 22 years later Tommy Bolt was winning the 1958 U.S. Open by four strokes over Gary Player, Tulsa was reaping the benefits and Phillips had met his match as a visionary in the form of this bright salesman. Later, Warren Jr. was a member of the Southern Hills Country Club board and president of the club, continuing the legacy that would have made his father so proud. 34 •••••• www.golfoklahoma.org

Warren Jr. had dreams of his own for SHCC. He was a primary cog in the wheel that brought the U.S. Open back to Tulsa after it had not been played at SHCC for almost 25 years. “We were up against great odds to get one because the USGA didn’t want to go south of the Mason-Dixon Line at that time of year,” Warren Jr. said. “They thought it would be too hot in June. I appointed three men to an ad hoc committee. We decided we would go lobby, be around USGA members at the U.S. Open and U.S. Amateur and their annual governors meeting. “I sent them histories of temperatures for June in Tulsa, Okla., which were pretty mild. There was a fellow I struck up a conversation with at a USGA party. He was a member of the PGA at the time and we became good friends. Eventually he left the PGA to become a member of the USGA. As fate would have it, he would become the chairman of the U.S. Open selection committee. In 1996, he named Southern Hills to have the U.S. Open in 2001.” That fellow was F. Morgan (Buzz) Taylor. He first met Warren at a PGA Championship when he was on the Rules Committee for the PGA. Later, Taylor became a USGA member and was head of the Golf Course Selection Committee. Retief Goosen would win that major in an 18-hole playoff, a day after one of the greatest fourth-round finishes in Open history, and Tiger Woods would win the PGA Championship at SHCC in 2007. Warren Jr. also is responsible for getting the ball rolling on the new nine holes designed by Crenshaw and Bill Coore that were built at SHCC and is very proud of that accomplishment. The vote was passed very narrowly under his watch and he had land graders out the next morning to start the project. “An attorney called me and said, ‘What are you doing? It just barely passed.’ And I said, ‘But it passed. A win’s a win.’ “ Warren is also largely responsible for the excellent golf course at Notre Dame. “At the PGA we had in 1994, I had Ben (Crenshaw) , his wife Julie and their three daughters over for dinner. They had a course at Notre Dame (where Warren was Senior Class President in 1956 and is a Trustee Emeritus of Notre Dame) that was absolutely as flat as a table. They decided to take nine holes of it and put three dormitories on it. That only left them with nine holes. “I said, ‘Ben, would you be interested in building a golf course at Notre Dame ?’ He said yes. So I went and called Bill Sexton,

and asked if he would be interested in Ben building a golf course if I contributed and paid for it? He said yes that would be tremendous. We need a golf course. So I said you have my word on it. “ They named the course for W.K. Warren Jr.’s parents – The William K. and Natalie O. Warren Golf Course. The course opened in the fall of 1999 and abides Warren’s passions of family, golf and Notre Dame. It has been host to two NCAA Men’s Regionals Championships and was most recently named in the Top Five college courses in the nation. “I’ve played it several times. It’s a challenging course. It has all this tall grass out in the rough. You can swing through it but sometimes you can’t find your golf balls.” Warren loves to play golf, but his time is limited by his other main recreational passion – horse racing. Warren’s interest in horse racing was instigated by his father who took him to Del Mar in San Diego when he was young, a racetrack that is known as one of the paradise places in the sport of kings. They call it “Where the turf meets the surf,” because you can stand in a betting line and see the ocean sprawling just outside the gates of the track. Warren Jr. bought his first race horse in 1983 and his racing dossier culminated with the 2005 Horse of the Year in North America – Saint Liam – named for his father. Saint Liam finished the year by winning the Breeders’ Cup Classic, which is the biggest race of the year in North America and carries multi-millions in purse money. Warren’s top horse as far as the Triple Crown goes has been Denis of Cork, who ran third in the Kentucky Derby in 2008 and then second in the Belmont Stakes. Even so, Warren Jr. is a fine golfer who has had his memorable moments on the links. One that will forever play in his mind is a round with five-star general and President of the United States from 1953-61, Dwight D. “Ike” Eisenhower. Among the accomplishments and accolades of Eisenhower during his two terms as President were the end of the Korean War, the establishment of an interstate highway system and adding Hawaii and Alaska as states. As a general in the U.S. Army, Eisenhower had to have nerves of steel in the decision-making process. For a man who made nerve-wracking decisions on a daily basis, he often lost that nerve on the greens of the best golf courses in this country. “My dad would spend three months’ vacation in San Diego annually and one time I went out and played with him and Ike and

his No. 1 adjutant general,” said Warren Jr. “Ike was my partner and he could play really well from tee to green. But when he got on the green, if he had a putt from here to there (Warren Jr. holds his arms about three feet apart), he would go past the hole from here to there (Warren Jr. said, pointing at the length of his conference room table, about 20 feet). He had no idea of logistics. It was humorous and you just had to bite your lip and say, I hope he can make the one coming back (laughing).” The four completed their round and then had drinks in the club with Ike entertaining them with war stories. Warren Jr. also has played with another kind of general who had some war stories of his own of a different variety, as one of the greatest head coaches in Notre Dame football history, Lou Holtz. He led the Fighting Irish, Warren’s alma mater, to the national championship in 1988 with a 12-0 record. Holtz arguably leads all head coaches in quips that leave you rolling on the floor with laughter, too. “I took him to Augusta about five or six times before he became a member,” Warren said. “I was playing with Lou and he was my guest and we were playing a tough match. We came to No. 16 all even, the par

3. Lou hits one about 10 feet from the pin and I hit mine to within about 15 feet. And then my partner Felix comes up and makes a hole-in-one! I look over at Lou because I know how quick-witted he is. Well, I’m waiting for a quick witty quip and it must have been 30 seconds and he couldn’t think of anything else to say other than to Felix, ‘Well, you son of a Playing Augusta National is a never-ending thrill. bitch! (laughter)” Holes-in-one seem to follow Warren hadn’t made a hole in one all day,” he said. They approached No. 11 and he kept it around, too. And the more he talks about them during a round, the more they seem up as the boys more than likely rolled their to happen. He has had four himself, which eyes. Shortly after proclaiming the stateis not a shocker when you consider he ment one more time, Warren proceeded to has shot 73 at both Augusta National and knock it in the hole for his first ever. “They were just in awe of their dad,” he at Southern Hills. His favorite golfing moment of his entire life was his first hole in laughed. “That was my number one memoone when he was playing three sons, even ry. We drank a lot of champagne after that.” - Richard Linihan is a long-time Oklahoma loftier and more precious than his round sportswriter and horse racing handicapper who with President Eisenhower. “I was being a wise guy and all during the is currently the director of marketing at Fair front nine (at Southern Hills), I kept saying I Meadows.

www.golfoklahoma.org •••••• 35

Where we play

A romp through history Shangri-La’s new greens offer design lesson by ken macleod Visitors to Shangri-La Golf Club from now on will get more than an enjoyable round on an interesting, scenic and well-maintained course. A free history lesson in classic course design is included with every round. Architect Tom Clark has long admired the work of early American predecessors Charles Blair Macdonald and Seth Raynor as well as the men they drew inspiration from in Scotland and elsewhere. He has incorporated some of their more interesting designs in his rebuild of the old Blue Course at Shangri-La, which is now divided into the Heritage Nine and Legends Nine. The first six holes of the Heritage and first three holes of the Legends opened May 16, bringing an end to Phase One, which included the Champions Nine on the old Gold Course, a spectacular new clubhouse, a massive property-wide tree trimming, new water features, irrigation, cart paths, improved practice facilities, the addition of sub-air systems and much more, all courtesy of the determination of owner Eddy Gibbs, owner of Ameristar Fence, to restore the Grand Lake resort to world class condition. Golfers who begin their round on the Heritage Nine will only have to wait two holes for the lesson to begin. The green on the short 386-yard par-4 is what’s known as a Biarritz, or a long, narrow green with a deep vale in the middle. Golfers who land in the front will face an interesting putt that could stretch to nearly 200 feet down into the vale and back up. The green design was originally observed at the Biarritz Golf club in France and has been used many times since. The par-4 third hole is just 402 yards from the tips, but again the green complex will be 36 •••••• www.golfoklahoma.org

a test. A large spine divides the green into two distinct sections, similar to the 18th hole at Greenbrier designed by Macdonald except this one is divided front to back instead of side to side. Bunkers front and behind on the green cut in a hillside will A large false front on the par-5 fourth green. test golfers, particularly when the flag is on the opposite sides built up all the way around, will be a half of the green. Putting from one side to test for superintendent Justin May but electhe other will be a delicate test of distance tric fans will help with circulation. “We were just drawing on a lot of old control. The par-3 fifth hole has a Redan green. architectural standards and emulations of The term was used to describe fortifications great golf greens,” Clark said. “Part of what that projected in a V-shaped angle toward we did with the greens and the square tees an expected attack. On greens, they typi- and the reintroduction of native areas was to cally slope downward and away and shots give it a real golden age look. United Golf of Tulsa was the builder on are often best played indirectly. The Redan at Shangri-La slopes left to right. If a pin both the Champions Nine on the old Gold is on the narrow back right portion of the Course designed by Randy Heckenkemper green guarded by a large bunker, the best and the Heritage and Legends nines done angle of attack will often be the raised left by Clark. Clark and United have worked toside which will funnel a shot hit the correct gether on projects in Arkansas and Virginia, making it a seamless transition. distance with the right pace. Golfers will find all 27 holes open Fridays, Clark has also added a “Punch Bowl” green on the par-3 second hole of the Leg- Saturdays and Sundays, while one of the ends Nine and the green on the par-5 10th nines will usually be closed during the week. hole (No. 1 on the Legends) is modeled after Call ahead to make sure if you have a favora green on Gleneagles in Scotland, almost a ite, but all three nines are highly entertaining cloverleaf design. The punch bowl, with the and have great views of Grand Lake.

Golfers enjoy the renovated Heritage Nine at Shangri-La Resort.

Those looking for a stay-and-play component will be pleased to learn that ShangriLa has worked out a much more expansive relationship with the Wyndham condos and has a variety of options for lodging to offer. A hotel and conference center is still a centerpiece of the next phase of development but no timetables are set. For now, all concerned are thrilled to have the 13,000 square-foot clubhouse and all 27 holes open. That group includes project manager Jason Sheffield, director of golf Rob

Yanovitch, May and director of communications Mike Williams. “We wanted to give the golfers a lot of choices to make, both from the tee and on the approaches,” Yanovitch said. “We want the golfers to have a fun and interesting experience on the course and then to be able to come in this great clubhouse with the views and really relax and enjoy themselves. As visitors that have already poured in from numerous states will attest, they have succeeded in all aspects. Shangri-La is back.

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www.golfoklahoma.org •••••• 37

Grand Cherokee installs Champion Bermuda That dam course by ken macleod

The Grand Cherokee State Park Golf Course near Langley has become the latest, and the northernmost, golf course in Oklahoma to convert to Champion Bermuda greens. The process began May 27 and is expected to take seven weeks. Meanwhile, the course remains open on temporary greens. You can play Grand Cherokee during the transition for $10 for 18 holes or $5 for nine holes, including cart. Course superintendent and professional Kevin Mallow, who has been operating and tending the course since it was designed by Tripp Davis and opened in 1999, is excited to see what the Bermuda will do for his course. “It’s worked well in other parts of the state,’’ he said. “We look forward to not having to nurse the greens through the summer. It will make the conditions we offer even better.” The term hidden gem may be an overused cliché, but it is certainly apt in the case of Grand Cherokee. If you can find the massive Pensacola Dam, the largest multiple

Grand Cherokee sits in the shadow of the massicve Pensacola Dam on the Grand River.

arch dam in the world, on the south side of Grand Lake, well the course is right there in its shadow. Getting there is a matter of getting to Langley and then following the signs. It’s a bird-watchers paradise, particularly for waterfowl and the birds of prey who enjoy fish, alive or dead. Mallow has counted more than 20 bald eagles on the property in the past. On our recent visit, three large vultures kept watch from a dead tree in the spillway. Davis made great use of the available land on this nine-hole tract. The greens are large enough for two flags, one for each nine dur-

ing an 18-hole round in which golfers are encouraged to play from the tee box corresponding to the flag color. A benign par-3 of 150 yards from a white tee to a white flag can transform to a 180-yard shot over a deep bunker to a pin tucked in the back right on the second pass. Like all of Davis’ work, this course is no pushover, though it is designed with enough tee boxes to keep play moving. The greens have movement and character and they could be a real treat once the Champions takes a firm hold.

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DESTINATIONS

Black Mesa

Former Tulsan polishes a gem by bill harper

When Pat Brockwell showed up at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa in the spring of 1975 he was young and needed a job. Any job. He got one. Spreading sod. And mowing. And raking bunkers. Southern Hills was preparing for the 1977 U.S. Open and there was plenty to do. That was then. Today he has an ownership share in one of the country’s most bold and adventuresome golf courses – Black Mesa near Santa Fe, New Mexico. Officially the place is called La Mesilla. Look for Espanola, which is a good idea because that’s where you’ll find most of the Santa Clara Pueblo Indian Tribe, which not only owns the land on which the course was built but they also erected a hotel and casino a few miles away. It sits along side US-84, which connects the two nationally renowned art communities Santa Fe and Taos. Black Mesa is also the name of the fabled foothills area, which holds some magical mysteries itself, according to legend. After leaving Tulsa, Brockwell eventually became a ski instructor in Taos. Still does it during those snowy times. “I go from one playground to another,” he said. Golf, however, never took a backseat. Even when driving home from the slopes he’d pass a driving range every day. More times than not he would stop and hit balls. That’s where Black Mesa starts to come

into focus. The driving range belonged to Eddie Peck. Those two played golf back in junior high; in fact, Peck’s mother used to Pat Brockwell, from Southern Hills to sandstone hills. drive them to tournawasn’t alcohol induced. It was from doing ments. Peck was asked to put together a course something totally out of the normal. Somein Santa Fe, but the project was strangled by thing different. Something special. A once red tape and never happened. Peck found in a lifetime dream.” Black Mesa definitely is different and a more receptive group when he talked to special. Although a relative short course, tribal leaders at the Santa Clara Pueblo. The land chosen for Black Mesa is as dra- measuring 6,719 yards from the blue tees, matic as you’ll find on a golf course in the which is where most golfers tee it up. HowU.S. Massive sandstone formations, dips ever, if you’re really daring simply move to and swales, the stark contrasts between the the back black tees and it adds nearly 500 green fairways and the barren desert terrain yards. And a whole new set of challenges. “It’s a course for all golfers,” said Tom loved only by rattlesnakes. Houston designer Baxter Spann, with Velarde, the personable head pro and golf a helping hand from Peck and Brockwell, coach at Northern New Mexico, an NAIA viewed the distinguished, striking sur- university. “You can make it as easy as you roundings and began carving out this mind- want or as hard.” Black Mesa is definitely a unique experiblowing par 72 layout. Spann called it “the most interesting and spectacular site” he ence. It doesn’t take long for one to understand why or how Black Mesa draws high had worked on. Hats off to those guys for not only clev- rankings from many industry magazines, erly mapping out the course yet hardly tam- including a recent “Ten Most Spectacular pereing with the terrain. “We moved very Courses in the World” by LINKS magazine. All this just brings a broad smile to Brocklittle dirt,” said Peck, proudly. Just having the imagination to conceive well’s face. “Golf courses are such beautiful places,” a golf course in this desolate but beautiful he said, then chuckled, “that people actually terrain is worthy of suspicion. “We were on a high,” Brockwell tolerate the game of golf.” They certainly do at Black Mesa. chuckled, “but not of an altered state. It www.golfoklahoma.org •••••• 39

Challenge restored Front nine of Hillcrest Country Club complete by ken macleod

he final 15 feet on a 400-yard golf hole can be the most treacherous, and that will certainly be the case at Hillcrest Country Club in Bartlesville. The restoration of the greens by architect Tripp Davis on the Perry Maxwell course reopened May 19, giving members access to their full 18 holes for the first time in nearly two years. A renovation of the back nine was opened in the fall of 2012. The project wasn’t a specific return to Maxwell’s original 1926 routing – the course would have to lose its driving range to accomplish that. There was an emphasis to put green locations back close to original locations and embrace the Maxwell spirit of greens creation, which means lots of movement. Bunkers were also restored to a classic look with grass facing rather than high sand flashing. While not as visually flashy, these retro bunkers will save superintendent Matt Wilson’s crew precious hours daily it can devote to other needs while lowering costs and will be easier for the members to master as well.

Superintendent Mattt Wilson, head pro Bryan Heim and Tripp Davis.

40 •••••• www.golfoklahoma.org

To relocate and rebuild the greens and bunker complex, Davis took advantage of solid historical records which had survived two other renovations, one by Floyd Fairley and a second by Ed Seay of the Arnold Palmer group. In some cases greens were moved to previous locations, in others to places that made the most sense for the modern game. For example, on the seventh hole, a par5 for members with the third shot playing back to the right across a ravine, the green was moved significantly to the left, making the hole playable as a long par-4 for tournaments or better players while remaining a par-5 for member play. The same philosophy went into the redesign of 18, previously a dogleg right par-5 in which it was hard to see the green on the second shot. The hole is still a dogleg right, but the green has been brought down the hillside and to the left, again making it a tough par-4 for tournament play while remaining a par-5 for most member play. Davis, who had previously worked on Maxwell greens at Muskogee Country Club and Cherokee Hills Golf Course, got on the Sand Pro himself to do the grading, adding the final nuances to the rises and falls on the greens at Hillcrest. He was looking for as much subtle movement as possible while taking into account modern green speeds. The new greens, a mixture of A-1 and 007, opened in pristine condition. Member reaction to the similar greens on the back nine since they opened last fall has been very positive, said head professional Bryan Heim. The nearly $2 million project was accom-

Tripp Davis explains the creation of the new greens at Hillcrest Country Club.

plished with a small member assessment but largely with donations. That will complete work for a time, but a new irrigation system remains a priority. Interestingly, one of the things Davis noted in his research for this project was that Maxwell was not the first choice as designer. Oilman Frank Phillips, who despised golf but agreed a course was needed for the future of the city, first contacted A.W. Tillinghast. Maxwell, now in the period when he was designing Twin Hills and Oklahoma City Golf & Country Club but 10 years prior to Prairie Dunes or Southern Hills, underbid Tillinghast and Walter Travis. The terrain proved ideal for Maxwell’s design style and tents. Davis noted that the majority of his successful courses from Dallas through Oklahoma were in the Cross Timbers, land noted for mixing prairie with woodlands and featuring many natural drainage channels of which Maxwell made great usage. Despite a total length of 6,601 yards prior to the renovation, the course has more than held its own against both technology and talent. The course competitive record of 65 has persisted even though many state and regional events have been held there.

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Raynor meets Battle Creek by ken macleod

A touch of old world class has been added to the design of Battle Creek Golf Course in Broken Arrow. Architect Tripp Davis, emulating the bunker style of early American architect Seth Raynor, has eliminated high flashing in favor of pot bunkers and low rectangular shapes often fronting grass mounds. Golfers will see a hint of a bunker or know it’s there by the shadow on the mounding. ”Tripp just wanted you to see a little glimpse, a little hint that something is there,” said builder Justin Jones of Jones Plan. “As the sun begins to set, the shadow casting will tell you something is there. It’s a really neat look.” Battle Creek was built with about 120 bunkers, an unsustainable number for a public course in any era but particularly so today when every dollar counts in successful golf course operations. Many had been removed before the current project, but the number is now fewer than 60. Square footage of bunkering on the course has been reduced from more than 150,000 square feet to less than 40,000. This is a tremendous cost and time saving benefit to superintendent Will Heffernan,

7/31/13. 42 •••••• www.golfoklahoma.org

who estimated after a recent one-inch rain he sent one employee out for four hours to rake the bunkers back into shape. Previously it would have taken four employees an estimated 32 hours to rake. The reduced bunkers and new style will save Battle Creek man hours that it can use to provide a better finished product on the rest of the course. Battle Creek was designed with a links feel and generous native areas, many of which have been cut down due to their proximity to housing, leaving Heffernan with miles of fence line to weed eat. Dee Roadman, director of golf at Battle Creek, said the reaction of golfers at the course has been very positive, particularly as the Patriot Bermuda sod planted around all the new bunkers or where former bunkers stood has begun to green up and fill in. “They really like it,” Roadman said. “For the average player, there’s far fewer bunkers so that’s a good thing. For the better player, the remaining bunkers have been positioned to really enhance the strategy. It’s probably a little more difficult now for the better player.”. Davis did that by removing bunkers that were just there for aesthetics or to define a hole while placing bunkers that offer a chal-

lenge to better players. For instance, golfers who now try to cut the corner on the difficult par-4 18th hole will find a bunker awaiting them if they drive it through the fairway. Meanwhile, golfers who play it safe short and left of the pond will find mounding that keeps their ball in play instead of sending it towards the fence line as it did previously. In these days when sustainability is a keyword and fiscal responsibility a necessity at all facilities, what Battle Creek has done can serve as a model for courses across the country.

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Lewis helping Arkansas LPGA Tournament grow by matt jones

he success of Stacy Lewis and the seventh-year Walmart LPGA Northwest Arkansas Championship goes hand-in-hand. Lewis, a former all-American golfer at the University of Arkansas 20 miles south of the event’s home at Pinnacle Hills Country Club, burst onto the pro scene during the championship’s inaugural event in 2007, shooting a first-round 65 before the final two days of the event were washed out. While she hasn’t had as strong of a showing there since, her following has only strengthened on the heels of her other successes. Last year, she became the first American to win the LPGA’s Rolex Player of the Year honors since 1994 and earlier this year was ranked the world’s No. 1 golfer. In March, Lewis won two LPGA Tour events. “I think it really is complimentary,” said Jay Allen, the chairman of the Northwest Arkansas Championship. “The tournament was going to be successful here anyway because it’s a unique event in the community, particularly with Walmart getting behind it as a title sponsor. The timing starts with Stacy coming out of college and now every 44 •••••• www.golfoklahoma.org

week she seems to be in the top 5 or 10 competing to win. I definitely think it has helped fuel the tournament. “She’s played here every year and she takes a lot of pride in this event. She takes a lot of ownership and does different things in the community around it. She’s not the of-

While Lewis credits Arkansas for helping build her golf game, much of that success can be traced to a trip she took to Tulsa as a Razorbacks freshman nearly a decade ago. ficial host, but it’s almost like that. It’s like a hometown event for her. I worry sometimes that she puts too much pressure on herself to do well here. We encourage people to be rowdy on the 17th hole. When Stacy comes up on that hole, everybody starts the Hog call. I think the other players on the tour like it, but whether they like it or not, they rec-

ognize it’s a Stacy Lewis thing and a Northwest Arkansas thing.” Lewis, a native of The Woodlands, Texas, is as popular as ever in her adopted home state. With a list of former Razorbacks dotting all-star lineups in the NFL, NBA and MLB, her case is strong as the school’s most prominent current pro athlete. Her success has helped her give back to the UA in the form of a $100,000 donation to the Razorbacks’ golf program last fall. She was even introduced at midfield before Arkansas’ rivalry football game against LSU last November to a standing ovation. “I wasn’t really sure how people would react,” Lewis said. “We got to the end and they announced my name, and it was probably the loudest cheer I’ve ever heard in my life. I was a little shocked at how many people were cheering. Somebody actually tweeted a comment that even the LSU fans were cheering for me. That was pretty cool.” Lewis’ popularity has helped the Northwest Arkansas Championship, which has drawn larger crowds in each of its years of existence. Allen said it has also built an ap-

preciation for women’s golf in the region. “Those marquee groups - Stacy and other name golfers - have big galleries still, but now there are people all over the course,” Allen said. “If we could get a break on weather, a more seasonal type weather that week in June, I think we’re at a point now where we’re really going to see what this thing can be in terms of attendance.” While Lewis credits Arkansas for helping build her golf game, much of that success can be traced to a trip she took to Tulsa as a Razorbacks freshman nearly a decade ago. At the advice of some of her teammates, Lewis was fit for Mizuno irons at Baker’s Custom Golf. They were the clubs she used to win the Women’s Western Amateur in 2006, the NCAA individual championship in 2007 and to earn her tour card in 2008. Mike Avis recalls helping Lewis and several Arkansas golfers. One of his tasks was to account for Lewis’ scoliosis, a condition that forced her to redshirt her first season of college. Born with the disease, she wore a brace each day from age 11 to 18 until she had a rod and five screws inserted into her back in a risky operation that threatened to end her career before it ever began. “That’s one of the reasons I put her in graphite shafts,” Avis said. “The graphite

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shafts were going to be a little more absorbent to vibration, as to where the steel shafts are heavier and promote more vibration. Her back never really hindered her in playing those clubs. She could still hit it. “I believe she is the first female to play with Mizuno equipment on the LPGA Tour and she’s stayed with them after she turned professional. I know her first couple of years was that set of irons I built for her. She wasn’t going to give them up until she knew Mizuno was going to build her something else just as good. She’s had a pretty good career with them and has become a great player.” Lewis said because of the physical ailments that limited her at an early age, she doesn’t take her success today for granted. “I think early on I felt that when I had to have the surgery done that I wouldn’t be able to play golf again and I Stacy Lewis loves coming back to Arkansas each year.

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was done,” Lewis said. “It has put things in perspective and still does today what I get to do every day. It’s a constant reminder for me that I’m really lucky and to make sure I take advantage of the opportunities I have, and not to take it for granted. There are a lot of kids who look up to me because I play golf and I’m an inspiration to them. The whole process of everything with my back kind of shaped who I am.” That awareness could explain why Lewis continues to give back to a community that has given her so much support throughout the infant years of her pro career. To help build momentum for this year’s tournament, she committed to play there in April. Allen said he expects most of the world’s other top golfers to follow her lead. “Last year we had every top player in the world, so I have no doubts that barring someone getting hurt we will have every top player here,” Allen said. “We have a $2 million purse, which is really an upper-echelon purse. “Our reputation on the tour, we’re told, is for hospitality and how well we take care of the players. A lot of players stay in private homes here.” Finding a more consistent date has also helped the tournament, Allen said. The LPGA positioned the event in July and September the first five years, but it seems now to have found a landing spot in June. That puts the tournament one week ahead of the U.S. Women’s Open, serving as the warm-up course of choice for many on tour. “I think we’re going to stay in this mid-to-late June time frame going forward,” Allen said. “I hope we continue to do that because it attracts a top field and people know when they hit a certain point in the summer, it’s going to be LPGA week in Northwest Arkansas.” At right, Paula Creamer is another LPGA star who draws large crowds. Tournament times and ticket info on next page.

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MAHOGANY’S PRO PROFILE

Morgan Hoffmann It didn’t take former Oklahoma State star Morgan Hoffmann long to announce himself as the newest bright Orange OSU light on the PGA Tour. Not that he didn’t have plenty of company or examples in the past, but on the same day as Peter Uihlein won his first European Tour event in Portugal, Hoffmann broke through with his first-ever top 5 finish on the PGA Tour at the HP Byron Nelson Championship. The win not only provided a paycheck of $244,000-plus, but got him into the prestigious Colonial golf tournament the following week in Fort Worth and boosted his confidence into qualifying for the British Open in 2013, a move which ultimately fell short. Hoffman played for OSU in 2009-2010 and at one time was ranked as the No. 1 Amateur in the world. Morgan, can you explain how this first top 5 start came about at the Byron Nelson Championship this year? “Well it really came down to two things. I had been hitting it so good earlier in the week, but my putting was letting me down so I went back to my old dependable putter. It was one I had used for a long time, the Scotty Cameron Newport. What was the other? The other switch came before the Pebble Beach event earlier in the year when I switched caddies to Ryan Rue, who caddied for Chris DiMarco for eight years. He’s given me a lot of confidence and trust in my game.

practiced in winds like this all the time and (OSU home course) Karsten Creek is just an awesome place to play and practice, so that prepared me for these conditions. I see you’re continuing the tradition of wearing Oklahoma State Orange on final round Sunday. Man, Oklahoma State was some of the best times of my life. I’ll tell anybody that. Being with coach Mike Holder and coach Mike McGraw and my teammates was incredible. What was it like getting your first PGA Tour top 5 finish on the same day that Peter wins his first European Tour event? Wow, that is just awesome. I watched him all weekend on TV in the morning and that’s what we do at Oklahoma State. We are always cheering for each other. I’m proud to be a Cowboy. With all the Oklahoma State guys at Colonial this week, do you always look to see who the low Cowboy golfer will be? Sure, we always motivate and encourage each other out here. I’m always looking, but we have so many good players out here, you never know who is going low.

Some of the pros said the Byron Nelson was some of the toughest conditions of the year with the high winds on Sunday, How have some of the older how did you wind up with your guys, who you didn’t get to best finish on the PGA Tour? I have to give all credit to Oklahoma State for that. We See Hoffmann, page 59 48 •••••• www.golfoklahoma.org

CHARLESTON’S AMATEUR PROFILE most of your fairways as you neared completion. How did you guys overcome all that? Like any huge project, there are challenges along the way. None of us were able to foresee the difficult economic times that confronted the entire world beginning in the fall of 2008. But we had a solid group of core investors who believed in the project and we’ve been able to stay the course despite the difficult economic times. Now we are very much on the upswing. We have momentum now going forward. Both the golf course and David Charney is a co- the real estate project are thriving founder, co-owner and manag- and very healthy right now. er of the Owasso Land Trust, For clarification, the Owasso the group that developed not only The Patriot Golf Club but Land Trust was going forward the surrounding upscale resi- with this unique project before dential community that is be- golf became a component? Yes, We were excited about coming one of the hot spots in the state as the housing market this piece of land for development purposes regardless of rebounds. Charney and fellow real es- the Patriot. However, when I tate developers Greg Simmons stumbled into Dan Rooney and and Pete Kourtis have seen a he told me about his dream for a surge in interest in real estate quality golf course in this part of on the course and in Stone the country we saw that as just Canyon. It was a chance meet- another pearl in the necklace of ing between Charney and Dan the Stone Canyon development. So when the golf course beRooney in a 2006 charity golf tournament that sparked inter- came a reality, we viewed that est in golf becoming a part of as a wonderful addition to the development. this major development. Now many people come to When you see all the golf Stone Canyon because of the affans out here enjoying The filiation it has with The Patriot Patriot Cup, how gratifying is and many of the new homethat after all you went through owners are excited to become members at the Patriot. on this project. It’s very gratifying to see such You can see some construca beautiful piece of ground enjoyed by so many. When we tion under way both near the were first building the course course and on the drive in. we had planned to put hous- Looks to be an active summer? The lot sales the past few ing where the clubhouse and first tee are. Robert Trent Jones quarters have been the strongest Jr (the course architect) said we since our inception. Our memneed everyone to be able to en- bership at the club is increasing each month. We now have more joy this view and he was right. than 200 members and that’s inThe challenges to building creasing every month. The Patriout here, considering the re- ot Cottages that opened last fall cession and the terrain, were have been a great boon to natremendous. Not to mention things like floods washing out See Charney, page 59

David Charney

www.golfoklahoma.org •••••• 49

QUAIL CREEK BANK’S CELEBRITY PROFILE

David Feherty

your own foundation and other groups that support the military. What led to this? I have PTSD – pre-traumatic stress disorder. I have to take 13 pills a day to seem this normal. I’m familiar with depression and addiction. I gravitate toward the more severely affected when it comes to that. I have the ability to help them and that in turn helps me. It’s tremendous therapy for me. America is the most extraordinary place. I tell Americans everywhere I go that they should be a good deal more proud of being American. This war (in Afghanistan) we’re told is over and yet we know it’s not over. It’s not a war against Afghanistan, it’s a war against Islamic terrorists. These guys are not Presbyterians. There hasn’t been a Methodist suicide bomber for a long time, as far as I can tell. This idea that if you don’t think the way we do, we’ll eventually kill all of you. No you’re not. We’re going to stamp you out like cockroaches. This country has gotten to where it is because of military action. Not because of a political process. Osama Bin Laden is dead because of military action. So many people are apologists for America. We’re the greatest nation for good that there has ever been. These guys have been on the front lines and sacrificed so much. People who are proud of them and what they’ve done and what they stand for need to stand up.

David Feherty is on a roll. The Northern Ireland native’s prime time interview show Feherty is the best thing on The Golf Channel, he provides irreverent and astute commentary for CBS and he continues to crank out humorous books and columns. We caught up to him at The Patriot Cup as he was preparing to actually go home to Dallas for basically the first time in months. The naturalized American citizen’s support of the U.S. Military through the Folds of Honor, his own Troops First Q. You’ve been in Tiger Woods’ corner Foundation and other groups is a quality throughout his ordeals the past five years we can all admire and emulate. and now it looks like you were right all How did you and Dan Rooney meet and along, he is again going to be the one and begin your support of The Folds of Honor only dominant figure in golf. People have such short memories. For five Foundation? This guy showed up and asked me if years I’ve been saying that he hasn’t played I would like to ride in the back seat of an well and when he plays well, he’ll win, period. F-16. To which I immediately replied, ‘Hell And he still hasn’t played well. Not by his standards. When he does, he’ll win by 12 or 15, and no.’ Then he told me what it was for. This was during the 2007 PGA Cham- people will say, ‘yeah, I remember that.’ When he first came out, there was a sense pionship here. Dan had this idea of raising money. I had the idea of going to Iraq. I was of denial, that all these other guys must very discouraged about our media coverage suck. Well no, they didn’t. He’s just a differof Iraq and whether we should be there. I ent species. grew up in the shadow of urban terrorism. Q, It looked last year like Rory McIlroy At that point I wasn’t a U.S. citizen but Dan really kick started that process. I thought I was reaching a level where he and Tiger might have an interesting rivalry for a had to be an American after that. long time. Then the equipment change and Q. And you’ve been supporting Dan and sponsor change and now Rory has been largely absent from contention in 2013. his mission ever since? Absolutely. How could you not? He’s just With Tiger back on top, where is Rory’s place in the game? a goodness magnet. Rory will come back and win big time, Q. You’re also actively involved with but he’ll never be a dominant player. He’ll 50 •••••• www.golfoklahoma.org

have streaks where he gets really hot. And that’s the way golf is supposed to be. Jack Nicklaus is recognized as the greatest player of all time and he won about 12 percent of the time. Tiger has won about 33 percent of the time. I mean it’s ridiculous. Who is the second best player right now? That changes. For a while it was Ernie Els, then Vijay or Phil Mickelson. The thing is, the gap between first and second in world ranking points was about the same as the gap between second and the player who is 1,000th on the list. It’s been such a privilege to be around during the Tiger Woods era. Is he all the way back? Physically he may be better than ever. I don’t think I’ve seen him look so strong. He’s been coming back slowly, which I think is a good thing. I think he’ll win a major by 12 or 15 shots again and people haven’t done that since Old Tom Morris won the Open playing with a badger’s testicle stuffed with seagull feathers. Tiger has a lot of critics in the media but you’ve never been one of them and your relationship seems to be on a different level. To play as well as he did with a head full of slamming doors, particularly after the divorce, was tough. After every single round, he has a forest of idiots, asking him dumb questions and often led by me. Then we wonder why he gets short or doesn’t give us anything. He comes to my Troops First events and does a great job for the military. People may never get to know who he really is. People want to take his comments and hijack them, so he ends up saying nothing. He’s generous and funny, really funny, and does so much good that people don’t know about. You won five times on tour including the 1986 Scottish Open, after which you promptly lost one of the oldest trophies in sports. You’ve said you woke up 45 miles away on a different golf course to see Led Zeppelin manager Peter Grant staring you in the face? I still think that John Paul Jones may have the Scottish Open trophy. I went to a party with a guy named Alan Callan (a founder of Swan Song Records and a chairman for the Scottish Open). It was in Glasgow. I don’t know what happened. Details are sketchy. I woke up two days later at Gleneagles being

See Faherty, page 59

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HUDIBURG AUTO GROUP HIGH SCHOOL SPOTLIGHT

Union, Edmond North repeat in 6A Boys State Championships The streak of Class 6A state titles is nine and counting for Edmond North. That’s a winning streak that looks exceedingly likely to continue. The other notable streak in 6A is ending, as two-time champion Max McGreevy of Edmond Memorial is off to continue his career at the University of Oklahoma. Both McGreevy and Edmond North kept their streaks alive at Karsten Creek on in Stillwater. McGreevy won a playoff on May 7 with Thomas Johnson of Norman North and Nick Heinen of Edmond North. McGreevy birdied No. 18 on the second try while Heinen could only manage par. Heinen and Hayden Wood, both early commits to Oklahoma State University, will return along with three others who started much of the year and a talented group pushing them all for playing time. The Oak Tree Country Club junior program which feeds into Edmond North shows no signs of slowing down. “We’re very fortunate,” said Edmond North coach Jeff Doughtery. “Oak Tree does

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a wonderful job with its junior program. To be honest, we’ll have one of our better teams in this streak next year.” In Class 5A, Bishop Kelley repeated as champions with Kelley’s Chris Karlovich edging Edison’s Alexander Hughes by a shot for the individual title. Shawnee was second in the team race but 40 shots behind Kelley. In Class 4A, Ada senior Justin Powell shot an 8-under 64 at Lake Hefner to lead the Cougars to a six-shot victory over Heritage Hall. It was Ada’s first title in 24 years. In Class 3A, Plainview’s Trae Wilkins won the individual title in a three-hole playoff with Zac Schaefer of Oklahoma Christian. Plainview rolled to a team victory as well.

Girls State Championships Rain and record cold on May 2 combined to wipe out the final round of the Class 6A State Championship, leaving Union firmly in command of its third consecutive state title. Junior Marla Souvannasing shot a 1-under 70 on the first day to win the individual

Two-time Class 6A champ Max McGreevy.

championship by five shots. They did conduct playoffs on the second day to break the ties among the top 11 individuals. Union teammates Emma Allen and Anna Kim along with Kylie Staggs of Jenks each shot 75 in the first round. Kim won the playoff, followed by Staggs and Allen. Fifth place went to University of Tulsa signee Nadia Majidi of Union, who edged Kina Boone of Choctaw and Shelby Humbyrd of Bixby in a playoff for those who shot 76. In Class 5A, they forged on through all 36 holes at Dornick Hills in Ardmore, and Durant freshman Sydney Youngblood shot 71-76, putting her one step on the way to matching the four state championships won by Altus’ Megan Blonien, her role model. Youngblood was the only player to shoot under par in the first round, with a 1-under 71, and she had the best second round as well. Her 147 total was good for a sevenstroke victory over Deer Creek’s Caroline Goodin. Deer Creek won the team title, shooting eight strokes better in the rain and cold the second day to finish 10 shots ahead of Duncan. In Class 4A, Poteau junior Hannah Ward

North’s Griffin Pierce, Nick Heinen, Eli Armstrong, Hayden Wood, and Tyson Reeder.

won a sudden death playoff to win the individual title after the final round was canceled at Lake Hefner South. Hilldale won the state title by a stroke over Poteau. In Class 3A, Eufaula won its first state championship of any kind, finishing 20 strokes ahead of Henryetta at the Duncan Golf & Tennis Club. Ali White of Idabel won the individual title by two strokes over Faith Lasiter of

Eufaula. In Class 2A, the first day results stood, leaving Katie-Lee Wilson of Rejoice Christian celebrating a second-straight championship after an opening-round 74. She edged one shot ahead of Hinton’s Maci Arrington and two shots clear of Kailey Campbell of Oktaha. Hinton defended its team title with a score of 361 to Oktaha’s 362.

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INSTRUCTION

My favorite drill

Make the most of your time by michael boyd, the club at indian springs

We all want to hit the ball better. We all want things to be simple, and honestly, to get better at the game of golf, we need simplicity. We need to be able to practice in a way that can help us to improve. We all could use a drill that helps us to hit the ball more solid and learn to control the direction it goes. Good ball striking can be boiled down to three things: 1) striking the ball before the ground, 2) controlling the club face, and 3) controlling the club path. If you can do the first two things, you are a pretty good player. If you learn to do all three, you will be a great player. To help many of my students, heck, to help myself, I incorporate this drill as often as possible. I call it the short shot drill. In 2006, when I made some major swing changes and went on to advance through Q-school to the PGA Tour, I used this drill all the time. I would imagine I hit thousands of balls that year with this drill alone. Coincidentally, I became very good at half and ¾ wedge shots as well. The purpose of this drill is to work on the “impact zone” learning to control the golf club, by teaching the body, the arms, and the hands to work together. First, using a short to mid iron (9, 8, or 7), get set up into a normal position. Next move 70 percent of your weight to your front foot, and start with your hands ahead of the golf ball (across from your left thigh, if you are right handed, is a good indicator). The best ball strikers in the world all have much of their weight (70-80 percent) on their lead foot at impact, and their hands ahead of the ball (with irons), incorporating a flat left wrist. This is the position we want to start from. We set up this way, for the drill, because we will not be making a big enough move to shift our weight. The goal is to teach the body to work together through the impact zone. Next, take some practice swings. The swing should be about a half swing, the hands should swing to just above waist level in the back swing and in the through swing. Pay attention to where your club is striking the ground (where your divot is), you can use a tee, a leaf, or another divot as a reference, but make sure your divot is in front of where the ball would be. Too often the mistake I see in this drill is for the hands to “flip” through impact. Practice finishing with a flat left wrist and your shaft and left arm in a straight line. If you learn to rotate your body and your arms in sync you will not be prone to flipping. Now, try it hitting a few shots. The ball should only be flying about 80-100 yards (thus the name, short shot drill). The goal is to control the contact and the direction of

the ball. If the ball is going left, then the face is closed at impact, if it is going right, then it is too open. If you are hitting behind it, then your hands are not far enough forward at impact. After a few shots, take a few more practice swings and make adjustments to the face or the contact point. (I like to control the face by the direction the back of my flat left hand is pointing at impact). Then hit a few more incorporating those modifications. For the advanced player you can work on curving the ball by swinging more in to out (for a draw), or more out to in (for a cut). Because the shot is so short it will only curve a little. Remember: 1. Set up weight on front foot 2. Hands ahead, flat left wrist (for a right handed golfer) 3. Short swings 4. Make divot in front of ball 5. Control face For a video version of this drill and other instruction visit our Youtube page http://www.youtube.com/user/indianspringsacademy .

www.golfoklahoma.org •••••• 55

GOLF FITNESS

Better posture for better putting Putting is one of the most analyzed parts of the game of golf. It’s easy to get bogged down in equipment, lie and length, stroke style, green reading, and even eye dominance. We agree that all of these things are important in creating a good solid stroke, but let’s don’t forget about one basic fundamental: posture. During the putting stroke, it is crucial to have the ability to stabilize your lower body while disassociating the upper body to produce a consistent, solid stroke. Proper posture is the key foundational element of any good putting stroke. The most common postural fault we see is the dreaded C-posture, where the upper back and shoulders are rounded rather than straight. C-posture is often the result of tightness in the chest muscles and stiffness in the thoracic spine, the area between your shoulder blades. Mechanically this posture makes it difficult to properly move the upper body independent of the lower body, particularly while putting. A good neutral posture and stable base will allow you to make a more consistent stroke and most importantly hole more putts! Below are two drills to help you improve your posture, stabilize your lower body while disassociating your upper body, and ultimately improve your putting results. 1. Bent Over Rows - Starting with two dumbbells close to your body, sit back towards your heels keeping the dumbbells close to your thighs. Get in a good upright posture (no slouching). A mirror or friend can you give you some feedback on your setup. From this position, simply pull your arms to your chest maintaining a neutral posture. Perform two sets of 15 reps. Remember to engage your abdomen while performing the exercise. This drill will not only improve your endurance but your putting as well, especially on the back nine! 2. Horizontal Chops-Wide to Narrow Base - This is a great

56 •••••• www.golfoklahoma.org

Sean Riley SwingFit

Ryan Smith SwingFit

drill to build better stability in your lower body, while increasing better flexibility between your upper and lower body (disassociation). Start by attaching one end of rubber tubing to an anchoring point while sitting on an exercise ball holding the other end of tubing (we recommend using Gray Cook Bands from the TPI store). Widen your base of support by spreading out your feet, rotate your trunk and arms back and forth holding the tubing for resistance. The ball will force you to stabilize your lower body. Perform two sets of 15 reps in both directions. 3. Now, try to narrow your base by bringing both feet close together and rotating your trunk and arms back and forth. This should challenge your lower body even more. Repeat the same rep and set counts in both directions.

SwingFit specializes in golf specific fitness, performance, and training services for golfers of all ages. Founded by Titleist Performance Institute Certified Medical Professionals, Ryan Smith, PT and Sean Riley, DC, SwingFit gives players access to the same proprietary testing and training systems used the by the best players in the world. The SwingFit system identifies the least amount of physical changes required in your body to produce the greatest results in your golf swing. The result is better practice with your swing coach and more enjoyment on the course. To schedule your SwingFit Golf Assessment and receive a comprehensive physical training program designed to unlock your full potential, contact SwingFit at (918) 743-3737 or visit us on the web at www.swingfittulsa.com.

ARCHITECT’S NOTEBOOK

Working in China A contrast in approach by tripp davis

Working outside of the United States to design and build a golf course is most often a practice in patience and fortitude. You have to realize it will take longer, or more than one try, to get some things right, but you cannot give up on getting everything completed the way you want it done. My first experience working outside of the United States was at what is now the Turtle Dunes Country Club at the Fairmont Resort in Acapulco, Mexico. We started construction there in the fall of 2009 and we did not finish until early summer of 2011. In the U.S, the 20 months it ended up taking to build the course could have been done in 10 months given the climate there and the fact we were working on mostly pure sand. The challenge there was that when you realized the guys doing the work were doing something wrong, you would teach them the right way, but within a few days they were back to doing it wrong again. So, you went back and corrected what was wrong, taught them again, and repeated this throughout the project. However, the methods to get what you wanted, and the machinery/tools they used, were not different from the U.S. My first project in China is a part of completely new city being built as a joint venture between the Singapore and Chinese governments to provide housing, office and warehouse space, and even a theme park near the port city of Tangu, two hours east of Beijing. This new city, Eco-city, is being built to be almost completely self-sustaining and where there was nothing but salt marshes 10 years ago, within a few years there will be 1.2 million people and some ridiculous square footage of office and warehouse space. Many of the new inhabitants will be Americans, Australians, Europeans, and Singaporeans that will live there to support trade with China. We did the golf course, aptly named Eco-city International Country Club. We worked for a Singapore based company named Keppel Land that was the master planner and developer for Eco-city. Thankfully, they were committed to doing the golf course right, so we were able to select an American based golf course construction management company and one of the best golf course builders in China. While a lot of people think there are a tremendous number of golf courses being built in China, which is

true relative to the rest of the world, the Chinese gov- The eleventh hole at Eco-City. ernment officially has a moratorium on golf course construc- to teach them once. However, one challenge tion, which it enforced in large measure start- was that they did things a little different and ing in the summer of 2011. Only a select few did not always use the same equipment or are actually getting completed today, while tools were used to, so we had to adjust. The other challenge is that if we did not there are some 200 ready to be finished or start once the moratorium is lifted, which is catch it early, there might be a good bit to expected to happen later this year – maybe. correct, which they actually wanted to do The benefit to us was that we ended up if it was wrong. One unique thing in China getting the best crews from the golf course with golf course construction is that they do builder because they were not that busy. most of it by hand – dig drain and irrigation However, that does not mean there was not lines by hand, back fill areas by hand, and a learning curve on both ends. What I found they smooth out a good bit of the ground was that the standards we uphold were not by hand prior to planting the course. I finish prevalent in China by all of the other golf the surfaces of the greens and the areas right course architects and as a result the golf around the green myself for our projects, course builders were not as used to doing anywhere in the world, on a machine that is things per plan or per the specifications. They typically used for raking bunkers, but with a blade attached, (often called a sand pro) but they had a tool they made out of wood that I think actually works better and I used it myself right along the edges of the greens to tie the grades in so they were perfectly smooth. What we realized as we were reviewing pricing for the project was that the prices were not a great deal different from the U.S., which was interesting because they paid their labor a great deal less, they did not put the labor up in “apartments” (they built a little “village” on-site out of essentially conTripp Davis at work in China. tainers complete with a common “mess hall” realized that I would not waver on building for meals), the government covered insurit the best it could be built. It was vital that ance, and the taxes were about half of what I had my shaper, Jason Gold, there to shape a U.S. golf course builder would have to pay the project and help oversee the work daily. on percentage. Some materials that had to be We started construction in early November shipped in were more expensive, but mainly of 2011, winter shut down the job complete- they expected to have to build things twice . We did a lot of that. The most glaring and ly from early January until mid March, and then after working through record rain falls probably costly (to the golf course builder) for June, July and August, we finished most was failure on their part to test the sand and everything and had everything grassed by peat moss mixture that goes into the greens late October. In the U.S., it is entirely possible before it is installed. We told them more this 12 months could have taken 18 given the times than I can remem In the end, the project turned out really winter shut down and the record rain. Not a knock on the U.S. golf course builders, but well and it is set to open this Sept. 15. It was in China they can throw 250 or more people quite an experience and while it was a difat the effort to move at the speed of light, ferent approach, I actually learned a lot that I which they did. That was the first learning can bring back to building new courses in the curve for me and my shaper – don’t blink United States, if we ever do that again. or it will be done. The difference was that Tripp Davis is a Norman-based architect with when we found the golf course builder doing something wrong, we typically only had many projects in Oklahoma. www.golfoklahoma.org •••••• 57

SUPERINTENDENT’S PERSPECTIVE

The science of pin locations by eddie m. roach jr

One of the most important daily tasks of a golf course maintenance department is setting up the golf course for play each day. A golf course that is set up properly can be challenging, yet fair and create an experience for golfers that they greatly enjoy. On the other hand, a golf course that is set up poorly or incorrectly can be a complete disaster and can lead to a lot of questions and complaints from the members and patrons of that facility. The entire set up process, starts at the teeing ground and finishes at the hole location on the green. We pride ourselves at Jimmie Austin Golf Club, by creating an experience for each and every one of our members and patrons, by putting a strong focus on our golf course set-up methods. In our continued effort to provide an exceptional experience, we have recently purchased and have implemented a new hole location program called ezLocator. The ezLocator program was created by Jon Schultz of Richardson, Texas. He came up with the idea after playing numerous

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rounds of golf at his home golf course, Dallas Athletic Club. After one of his rounds, he and his golf friends were discussing the fact that they were seeing the same pin positions weekend after weekend. That is when John decided to take action and create ezLocator. The whole process starts with a 3D digital scan of each green which is mapped to a tolerance of +/- 1 millimeter. This scan reveals areas of the green that are puttable and the optimum hole locations which are determined by the slope (normally less than 3 percent of slope or a little over 1.5 degrees), speed of the green and overall topography. Once all of this data is collected, it is then input into the cloud-based software and made available to the golf course superintendent, golf professional or anyone else who would be responsible for selecting the hole locations for play each day. After the hole location for the day has been determined, a properly trained employee is provided precise instructions on where to place each new hole location. The software includes the option to print pin sheets and the hole locations are also available on smart-phone applica-

presented by tions for both iPhone and Android devices. One of the great things about ezLocator is the ability to precisely map and track hole locations over an extended period of time. It allows us to utilize the maximum amount of each of our greens and to limit consistent traffic in certain areas. A useful feature that we have recently used, is the ability to isolate certain areas of each green for specific amounts of time. For example, if I have a tournament or championship coming up and I know where the hole locations will be, I can isolate those specific areas of the green and “save” those locations for that specific event. From an agronomic standpoint, I can also isolate areas that are struggling or just need a break from consistent traffic. This will help the overall health of the turf in those areas. By utilizing the ezLocator system and implementing it with our other set up methods, we are adding one more tool to an arsenal of tools that we use each day to provide an exceptional golf course to the members and patrons of our facility. Eddie M. Roach Jr. is the superintendent at the Jimmie Austin University of Oklahoma Golf Course.

Feherty, from 50

Hoffman, from 48

poked by Peter Grant and the trophy was play with at OSU, helped you learned the gone. And it’s still gone. It’s one of the old- ropes? I’ve been a lot of time playing (practice est trophies in professional sports.” rounds) with Bo Van Pelt and Charles HowYour show Feherty is a huge hit. You’ve ell. They have been very helpful showing had some great interviews, but the one with me the situation out here on Tour. (basketball legend) Bill Russell stands out, Do you stay in touch with your coaches even made Bobby Knight want to do your in Stillwater? show. Sure, coach McGraw is always sending Bill Russell might be the most extraordinary human that I’ve ever met. You feel me towels and headcovers. I’m happy to like you’re with an angel. It was one of this take all Oklahoma State gifts, country’s most difficult periods and he enYou grew up in New Jersey, playing dured it with a dignity that was staggering. And you can still see it. You shake his hand hockey, played golf at Oklahoma State and now live in Jupiter, Florida. You covand you can feel the warmth. There is no race card in his deck. It was ered most of the country I just love Florida because I just love the always someone else’s problem. There is such a culture of complaining and he rose water. Every morning when I’m home, I get above it. He never chose to be offended, just up and see the water and it’s incredible. It is just so peaceful. I can practice all the time looked at those people as idiots. and a bunch of my friends are there. I love Are you surprised by the success and ac- living in Florida. claim of the show? What’s next for you? Absolutely, I can’t believe it. I’m just entertainWell, getting into Colonial is huge and I ing myself. I love to get people to reveal something. Even it it’s a weakness, it really serves to think I will get into Memorial the next week as well. I will also try to qualify for the Brithelp other people.

ish and the U.S. Open. It’s an exciting time to be out here. Have your goals changed? I’m still missing some shots, but I’m very happy with my ball striking out here. I had a really tough start to the season (three missed cuts in first four events), so it was tough to get going, but I think I’m definitely moving forward now.”

Charney, from 49 tional membership and for others who want to come out and experience the course. What’s next for Stone Canyon and The Patriot? We’ve added a pool to Stone Canyon and we’re looking to break ground on a pool for The Patriot campus in 2014. Eddy Gibbs, the owner of Shangri-La, has done a remarkable job rebuilding was also a key investor in The Patriot? “Eddy is a wonderful friend of The Patriot. He is an Owasso resident and believes in the mission of The Patriot. He has been with us from the beginning and we’re happy to have him on our team.”

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SCHEDULES & RESULTS COLLEGE MEN NCAA FAYETTEVILLE REGIONAL At Blessings GC, Fayetteville, Ark. (par-72) May 16-18 Team leaders (14 teams): Qualifiers -- 1, Illinois 282-292-289 – 863; 2, Arkansas 290-283-293 – 866; 3, Texas 285-298-297 – 880; 4, Oklahoma State 286-304-292 – 882; 5, Kent State 288-303301 – 892. Did Not Qualify – 6, SMU 297-298-300 – 895; 7, Tulsa 303-292-313 – 908; 8, Colorado 292-310-309 – 911. Individual leaders: 1, Mario Clemens (SMU) 7070-73 – 213; 2 (tie), Austin Cook (Ark.) 72-6874 – 214, Thomas Detry (Ill.) 68-74-72 – 214 and Brian Campbell (Ill.) 77-67-70 – 214; 5 (tie), Kevin Dougherty (OSU) 73-73-70 – 216 and Charlie Danielson (Ill.) 65-78-73 – 216; 8 (tie), Chris Gilbert (Kansas) 73-72-73 – 218 and Taylor Moore (Ark.) 72-72-74 – 72-72-74 – 218; 10 (tie), Jordan Niebrugge (OSU) 67-78-74 – 219, Paul McConnell (Texas-Arlington) 74-72-73 – 219 , Cody Gribble (Texas) 70-74-75 – 219 and Thomas Pieters (Ill.) 72-73-74 – 219; 14 (tie), Ian Davis (OSU) 72-71-77 – 220, Nicolas Echavarria (Ark.) 76-70-74 – 220, Sebastian Cappelen (Ark.) 72-73-75 – 220 and Taylor Pendrith (Kent St.) 71-75-74 – 220. Other scores: Mark Mumford (Tulsa) 74-71-78 – 223, Talor Gooch (OSU) 74-82-71 – 227, Chris Worrell (Tulsa) 75-74-79 – 228, Colton Staggs (Tulsa) 81-70-80 – 231, Matt Mabrey (Tulsa) 8077-76 – 233, Logan McCraken (Tulsa) 74-80-82 – 236, Patrick Winther (OSU) 81-82-81 – 244. NCAA TALLAHASSEE REGIONAL At Golden Eagle CC, Tallahassee, Fla. (par-72) May 16-18 Team leaders (13 teams): Qualifiers -- 1, North Florida 272-277-281 – 830; 2, Washington 276275-282 – 833; 3, Florida State 277-276-283 – 836; 4, Georgia Tech 280-284-285 – 849; 5 Oklahoma 284-281-289 – 854 (won playoff). Did Not Qualify: 6, South Florida 280-284-290 – 854; 7, Oregon State 292-285-278 – 855; 8, Oregon 280282-294 – 856. Individual leaders: 1, Cheng Tsung Pan (Wash.) 67-67-67 – 201; 2(tie), Daniel Walker (Richmond) 68-67-69 – 204, Chase Seiffert (Fla. St.) 66-6870 – 204 and M.J. Maguire (N. Fla.) 65-68-71 – 204; 5 (tie), David Fink (Ore. St.) 70-69-67 – 206, Kevin Phelan (N. Fla.) 68-68-70 – 206 and Sean Dale (N. Fla.) 69-68-69 – 206. Oklahoma scores: Abraham Ancer 67-72-70 – 209, Michael Schoolcraft 68-70-74 – 212, Charlie Saxon 75-67-74 – 216, Beau Titsworth 74-72-72 – 218, Will Kropp 78-75-73 – 226. NAIA CHAMPIONSHIP At Creekside GC, Salem, Ore. (par-72) May 14-17 Team leaders (29 teams): 1, Oklahoma City 280288-289-291 – 1,148; 2, Texas Wesleyan 297-297279-303 – 1,176; 3, CSU-San Marcos 299-288292-302 – 1,181; 4, Grand View 288-294-300-300 – 1,182; 5, Bellevue 294-293-306-291 – 1,184; 6, Lee 304-300-292-294 – 1,190; 7, Our Lady of the Lake 301-301-285-304 – 1,191; 8, Faulkner 294312-285-304 – 1,192; 9, Cumberlands 302-292298-301 – 1,193; 10, Johnson and Wales 294-297290-313 – 1,194. Individual leaders: 1, Sondre Ronold (OCU) 69-69-74-71 – 283; 2 (tie), Aaron Flores (OLL) 72-71-69-73 – 285 and Adam Loran (CSUSM) 70-69-74-72 – 285; 4, Michael Palmer (OCU) 7172-73-70 – 286; 5, Davis Garner (Bellevue) 7568-74-71 – 288; 6, Anthony Marchesani (OCU) 68-72-73-76 – 289; 7 (tie), James Marchesani (OCU) 72-75-69-74 – 290, Jose Mario Vega (Bellevue) 74-72-75-69 – 290 and Dylan Anthony (TW) 72-72-70-76 – 290. Other OCU score: Oswin Schlenkrich 81-81-7682 – 320. NCAA DIVISION II At Hershey (Pa.) CC (par-71) May 19-24 Quarterfinals: Lynn def. S.C.-Aiken 3-2, Barry def. Mo.-St. Louis 4-1, W. Washington (won tiebreaker) def. Fla. Southern 2.5 – 2.5, Nova Southeastern def. CSU-Monterey Bay 3-2.

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Semifinals: Lynn def. W. Washington 4-1, Barry (won tiebreaker) def. Nova Southeastern 2.5 2.5. Final: Barry (won tiebreaker) def. Lynn 2.5 – 2.5. Team scores: 1, Florida Southern 294-293-280 – 867; 2, Barry 284-288-304 – 876; 3, Nova Southeastern 292-290-295 –877; 4 (tie), Lynn 290-301-297 – 888 and S.C.-Aiken 298-292-298 – 888; 6, CSU-Monterey Bay 291-303-299 – 893; 7 (tie), Missouri-St. Louis 299-302-297 – 898 and W. Washington 292-312-294 – 898; 9, CSU-Stanislaus 297-299-306 – 902; 10 (tie), Grand Canyon 302-302-299 – 903 and Colorado-Co. Springs 301-302-300 – 903; 12, Central Oklahoma 297300-307 – 904; 13, Columbus State 297-303305 – 905; 14, Indiana (Pa.) 314-304-289 – 907; 15 (tie), Central Missouri 307-297-311 – 915 and Wilmington 304-310-301 – 915; 17, West Florida 312-307-297 – 916; 18, Bellarmine 302-314-305 – 921; 19, Southwestern (Okla.) State 308-306-310 – 924; 20, California (Pa.) 325-312-314 – 951. Individual leaders: 1, Tim Crouch (FS) 71-71-69 – 211 (won playoff); 2 (ite), Jake Webb 71-75-65 – 211 and Matt Atkins (USCA) 70-69-72 – 211; 4, Rob Damschen (CSU-Stan.) 70-68-75 – 213; 5, Jimmy Kozikowski (GC) 69-72-73 – 214; 6, Case Gard (FS) 69-76-71 – 216; 7 (tie), Dillon Rust (UCO) 73-70-74 – 217, Jared Dalga (Barry) 7274-71 – 217, Daniel Young (Lynn) 72-73-72 – 217 and Ricardo Celia (Nova SE) 73-71-73 – 217. Other scores: Chris Muriana (UCO) 75-77-76 – 228, Eric Kline (UCO) 76-78-77 – 231, Jordan Hudson (SWOSU) 76-77-78 – 231, Trevor Stafford (UCO) 73-78-80 – 231, Vincent Stong (SWOSU) 80-77-78 – 235, Jake Duvall (SWOSU) 75-82-78 – 235, Logan Waresback (UCO) 83-75-81 – 239, Tommy Sterling (SWOSU) 83-77-79 – 239. WOMEN NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP At Univ. of Georgia GC, Athens, Ga. (par-72) May 21-24 Team leaders (24 teams): 1, Southern Cal 284276-285-288 – 1,133; 2, Duke 286-289-287-292 – 1,154; 3, Purdue 289-289-295-300 – 1,173; 4, UCLA 289-287-297-301 – 1,174; 5, Arizona State 293-287-297-301 – 1,181; 6, Auburn 305-292-285301 – 1,183; 7, Alabama 288-284-301-316 – 1,189; 8, Arizona 298-295-297-300 – 1,190; 9 (tie), Oklahoma 291-291-300-309 – 1,191, Michigan State 298-291-298-304 – 1,191 and Tulane 295-289297-310 – 1,191; 12, Oklahoma State 303-300-294296 – 1,193; 13 (tie), Arkansas 296-293-302-309 – 1,200 and Stanford 290-288-301-321 – 1,200; 15, Northwestern 298-293-300-310 – 1,201. Individual leaders: 1, Annie Park (USC) 70-6770-71 – 278; 2, Lindy Duncan (Duke) 72-71-71-70 – 284; 3, Paula Reto (Purdue) 71-73-70-72 – 286; 4 (tie), Erynne Lee (UCLA) 71-70-73-73 – 287 and Celine Boutier (Duke) 69-73-71-74 – 287. Other scores: Julie Yang (OSU) 74-72-73-74 – 293, Chirapat Jao-Javanil (OSU) 75-70-73-75 – 293, Taylor Schmidt (OU) 71-73-74-78 – 296, Josephine Janson (OSU) 78-74-76-71 – 299, Jayde Panos (OSU) 75-74-73-79 – 301, A.C. Tanguay (OU) 75-71-75-81 – 302, Kelsey Vines (OSU) 7680-75-75 – 306, Emily Collins (OU) 71-79-79-78 – 307, Lauren Falley (OSU) 78-80-73-76 – 307, Kaitlyn Rohrback (OU) 74-77-78-78 – 307. NAIA CHAMPIONSHIP At Link Hills G&CC, Greenville, Tenn. (par-72) May 21-24 Team leaders (27 teams): 1, Oklahoma City 310-305-305-304 – 1,224; 2, British Columbia 312-308-310-306 – 1,236; 3, Embry-Riddle 301-334-308-301 – 1,244; 4, CSU-San Marcos 310-305-318-312 – 1,245; 5, Lubbock Christian 304-314-313-320 – 1,251; 6, William Woods 316312-309-323 – 1,260; 7, Northwood 325-311-315314 – 1,265; 8, Wayland Baptist 313-324-317-313 – 1,267; 9, SCAD-Savannah 320-307-312-329 – 1,268; 10, Cumberlands 317-322-315-315 – 1,269. Individual leaders: 1, Jessica Schiele (OCU) 7568-74-78 – 295; 2, Elia Folch (OCU) 75-78-7473 – 300; 3, Mariah Montoya (LC) 75-76-76-76 – 304; 4 (tie), Haley Cameron (BC) 76-76-74-80 – 306, Shelbye Hill (LC) 75-79-74-78 – 306 and Maria Saavedra (Bellevue) 79-78-77-72 – 306. Other OCU scores: Taylor Howard 78-80-79-78

– 315, Mary Larsh 82-79-84-75 –- 320, Tanya Tibshraeny 84-80-78-79 – 321. NCAA DIVISION II At LPGA International, Daytona, Fla. (par-72) May 15-18 Team scores: 1, Lynn 301-288-293-305 – 1,187; 2, Nova Southeastern 292-294-295-309 – 1,190; 3, Barr 302-294-298-300 – 1,194; 4, St. Edwards 304-309-307-306 – 1,226; 5, Grand Canyon 309305-310-311 – 1,235; 6, Tarleton State 320-301303-318 – 1,242; 7, Indianapolis 321-301-311-310 – 1,243; 8, Northeastern (Okla.) State 318-317-324 –331 – 1,290; 9, California (Pa.) 327-314-320-330 – 1,291; 10, Central Oklahoma 326-320-329-323 – 1,298; 11, Augustana 328-321-328-325 – 1,302; 12, Ashland 344-325-330-332 – 1,331. Individual scores: 1, Nancy Vergara (Barry) 7172-73-75 – 291; 2, Linnea Johansson (Nova SE) 73-70-72-77 – 292; 3, Daniela Ortiz (Nova SE) 67-75-75-77 – 294; 4, Ellen Chambers (Lynn) 7473-73-75 – 295; 5, Charlotte Jaengkit (GC) 7770-74-75 – 296. Other scores: Kelsey Kirkpatrick (NSU) 78-7877-76 – 309; Taylor Neidy (UCO) 76-81-79-75 – 311, Whitney McAteer (NSU) 75-80-77-80 – 312, McCandren Lewis (NSU) 84-77-83-85 – 329, Aly Seng (UCO) 83-79-85-82 – 329, Erica Bensch (UCO) 85-80-85-80 – 330, Katie Bensch (UCO) 87-80-80-86 – 330, Alex Koch (NSU) 81-82-8790 – 340, Tressa Brumley (UCO) 82-85-85-89 – 341, Kayla Schroeder (NSU) 94-99-92-97 – 382. NCAA CENTRAL REGIONAL At Jimmie Austin GC, Norman (par-72) May 9-11 Team leaders (24 teams): Qualifiers – 1, Duke 284-291-276 – 851; 2, Oklahoma 283-286-288 – 857; 3, Mississippi State 292-299-281 – 872; 4, Florida 282-307-288 – 877; 5, Arizona State 292298-288 – 878; 6, UC Davis 291-300-289 – 880; 7, Wisconsin 292-303-288 – 883; 8, Michigan State 291-301-292 – 884. Did Not Qualify: 9, North Carolina State 294-298-293 – 885; 10, Washington 294-307-285 – 886. Individual leaders: 1, Ally McDonald (Miss. St.) 69-69-68 – 206; 2 (tie), Emily Collins (OU) 6770-74 – 211, A.C. Tanguay (OU) 71-70-70 – 211 and Alejandra Cangrejo (Duke) 72-69-70 – 211; 5, Lindy Duncan (Duke) 69-72-71 – 212; 6, Chirapat Jao-Javanil (OU) 72-70-71 – 213; 7, Mia Piccio (Fla.) 69-76-69 – 214. Other OU scores: Kaitlyn Rohrback 73-76-74 – 223, Taylor Schmidt 78-76-73 – 227. OKLAHOMA HIGH SCHOOL BOYS May 6-7 Class 6A At Karsten Creek, Stillwater (par-72) Team leaders: 1, Edmond North 309-282-293 – 884; 2, Jenks 305-304-302 – 911; 3, Edmond Santa Fe 307-297-312 – 916; 4, Edmond Memorial 312-305-309 – 926; 5, Union 321-313-319 – 953; 6, Norman North 317-318-324 – 959; 7, Broken Arrow 334-310-317 – 961; 8, Owasso 339-321-320 – 980. Individual leaders: 1, Max McGreevy (ESF) 71-7073 – 214 (won playoff); 2, Nick Heinen (EN) 7468-72 – 214; 3, Thomas Johnson (NN) 68-75-71 – 214; 4, Brendon Jelley (Jenks) 74-69-72 – 215; 5, Hayden Wood (EN) 79-66-73 – 218; 6, Ty Tamura (EM) 72-71-78 –221. Class 5A At Tulsa CC (par-70) Team leaders: 1, Kelley 305-303-305 – 913; 2, Shawnee 323-316-314 – 953; 3, Edmond Deer Creek 318-312-331 – 961; 4 (tie), Tahlequah 319318-325 – 962 and McGuinness 321-310-331 – 962; 6, Duncan 326-324-328 – 978; 7, Edison 335-328326 – 989. Individual leaders: 1. Chris Karlovich (Kelley) 7171-77 – 219; 2, Alexander Hughes (Edison) 77-7073 – 220; 3 (tie), Will Murphy (Kelley) 72-76-75 – 223 and Jake Johnson (Tahlequah) 71-75-77 – 223; 5, Garrett McDonald (Shawnee) 77-75-74 – 226. Class 4A At Lake Hefner North GC, Okla. City (par-72)

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Team leaders: 1, Ada 294-290-284 – 868; 2, Heritage Hall 293-291-290 – 874; 3, Elk City 288-298295 – 881; 4, Weatherford 292-302-297 – 891; 5, Metro Christian 306-305-300 – 911. Individual leaders: 1, Quade Cummins (Weatherford) 67-67-67 – 201; 2, Wesley Jackson (Fort Gibson) 70-66-70 – 206; 3, Jordan Powell (Ada) 72-72-64 – 208; 4 (tie), Cody Shore (Poteau) 6771-71 – 209 and Garrison Mendoza (Clinton) 6871-70 – 209. Class 3A At Duncan G&TC (par-71) Team leaders: 1,.Plainview 304-290-302 – 896; 2, Okla. Christian 315-305-305 – 925; 3, Pauls Valley 301-314-320—935; 4, Idabel 317-313-313 – 943; 5, Marlow 318-315-319 – 952. Individual leaders: 1,.Trae Wilkins (Plainview) 7075-72 – 217 (won playoff); 2, Zac Schaefer (Okla. Chr.) 76-67-74 – 217; 3, Matt Henry (PV) 73-74-74 – 221; 4 (tie), Bryce Shaw (Idabel) 79-73-71 – 223 and Jack Lemon (Okla. Chr.) 77-75-71 – 223. Class 2A At Emerald Falls GC, Broken Arrow (par-72) Team leaders: 1, Rejoice Christian 310-310-309 – 929; 2, Lincoln Christian 328-313-316 – 957; 3, Laverne 326-315-320 – 961; 4, Noweata 348340-341 – 1,029; 5, Christian Heritage 348-339343 – 1,030. Individual leaders:.1, Mason Overstreet (Laverne) 72-66-72 – 210; 2, Brandon Strathe (RC) 72-74-72 – 218; 3, Matt Herring (Kiefer) 74-74-72 – 220; 4, Taylor Asbill (Watts) 75-73-75 – 223; 5, Nate Landers (LC) 77-75-72 – 224. GIRLS May 1-2 Class 6A At River Oaks GC, Edmond (par-71) (Weather shortened) Team leaders: 1,.Union 296; 2, Broken Arrow 313; 3, Jenks 320; 4, Choctaw 328; 5, Southmoore 338; 6, Edmond North 340; 7, Ponca City 348. Individual leaders: 1. Maria Souvannasing (Union) 70; 2, Anna Kim (Union) 75; 3, Kylie Staggs (Jenks) 75; 4, Emma Allen (Union) 75; 5, Nadia Majidi (Union) 76; 6, Kina Boone (Choctaw) 76; 7, Shelby Humbyrd (Bixby) 76. Class 5A At Dornick Hills GC, Ardmore (par-70) Team leaders: 1, Edmond Deer Creek 342-334 – 676; 2, Duncan 337-349 – 686; 3, Durant 344-363 – 707; 4, McGuinness 353-362—715; 5, Lawton MacArthur 370-372 – 742; 6, Ardmore 372-377 – 749. Individual leaders: 1, Sydney Youngblood (Durant) 71-76 – 147; 2, Caroline Goodi (EDC) 7678 – 154; 3, Alexis Sadeghy (McG) 77-79—156; 4, Michael Osborne (LM) 78-84 – 162; 5, Haley Hill (EDC) 79-83 – 162. Class 4A At Lake Hefner (South) GC, Okla. City (par-73) (Weather shortened) Team leaders: 1, Hilldale 359; 2, Poteau 360; 3, Cushing 373; 4, Seminole 374; 5, Clinton 377. Individual leaders: 1, Hannah Ward (Poteau) 74 (won playoff); 2, Darby Morgan (Weatherford) 74; 3, Paige Neidy (Clinton) 76; 4, Kelsi Wilson (Elk City) 78; 5, Katie Kirkhart (Hilldale) 84. Class 3A At Duncan G&TC (par-71) Team leaders: 1,.Eufaula 345-371 – 716; 2, Henryetta 355-381 – 736; 3, Idabel 359-379 – 738; 4, Comanche 376-415 – 791; 5, Byng 389-402 – 791. Individual leaders: 1, Ali White (Idabel) 80-83 – 163; 2, Faith Lasiter (Eufaula) 80-75 – 165; 3, Morgan Brown (Henryetta) 80-86 – 166; 4, Melissa Eldredge (Eufaula) 81-91 – 172; 5, Talor Fisher (Bethel) 86-87 – 173. Class 2A (Weather shortened) At Trosper Park, Okla. City (par-70) Team leaders: 1, Hinton 361; 2, Oktaha 362; 3, Rejoice Christian 384; 4, Mooreland 389; 5, Latta 419. Individual leaders: 1, Katie-Lee Wilson (RC) 74; 2, Maci Arrington (Hinton) 75; 3, Kailey Campbell (Oktaha) 76; 4, Andi McGill (Turner) 82; 6, Markie Hawkins (Fort Cobb) 83. GOLF INC. (OKLAHOMA CITY) SPRING FOUR-BALL At Hefner and Lincoln GC April 11-May 4 Championship flight:

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First round Jeff Coffman/Brian Birchell def. Allen Cook/Evan Milstead 8 and 6; Max Showalter/Ryan Munson def. Shannon Young/Kendall Young 5 and 4; Chris Goodwin/Connor Goodwin def. John Kuester/Kent Taylor 3 and 2; Blake Gibson.Stan Faudree def. Millard Pegram/Bill Steenburgh 4 and 3; Dryden Mitchell/Chris Strong def. Bob Lang/ Jim Jewell 5 and 4; Grant Raney/Bryce Newell def. Thad Davis/Billy Friesen 2-up. Quarterfinals Showalter/Munson def. Goodwin/Goodwin 7 and 6; Raney/Newell def. Mitchell/Strong 1-up; Coffman/Birchell bye; Gibson/Faudree bye. Semifinals Showalter/Munson def. Coffman/Birchell 2 and 1; Gibson/Faudree def. Raney/Newell 2 and 1. Final Showalter/Munson def. Gibson/Faudree 1-up. Championship consolation Final Young/Young def. Davis/Friesen 1-up. OKLAHOMA SPRING FOUR-BALL At Cedar Ridge CC, Broken Arrow (par-71) May 21-22, (Rain-shortened) 1, John Austin/Mark Austin 66; 2, Max Showalter/Tyler Hall 67; 3 (tie) Colton Staggs/Preston Wilkins and Alec Heinen/Austen Fuller 68; 5 (tie), Don Cochran/Rick Bell, Billy Lowry/Russell Lowry, Cody Wiederkehr/David Wiederkehr and Jackson Stuteville/Will McDonald 69; 9 (tie), Ryan Munson/Scott Verplank, Daniel Funk/Brett Myers and Vilhelm Bogstrand/Tylor Williams 70. Senior: 1, Jon Valuck/James Reid 67; 2, Ken Kee/ Richard Koenig 68; 3 (tie), Michael Alsup/Brad Nelligan and Eric Mueller/Michael Hughett 69; 5 (tie), David Wing/Lloyd Gilliam and Ronny Roberts/Rick Morales 70; 7 (tie), Rex Hughes/ William Lavender, John Walker/Bob Fouke and John Stansbury/Bob Sine 71. TULSA GOLF ASSOCIATION TWO-MAN CHALLENGE At Page Belcher GC (Stone Creek) May 18-19

Championship flight, Semifinals Draegen Majors/Karsten Majors def. Michael Koljack/Mark Robinson 5 and 4; Cameron Hamilton/ Matthew Willingham def. Conor Cummings/Jack Kasting 1-up. Final Hamilton/Willingham def. Majors/Majors 1-up. A flight Final Ryan Rainer/Mike Rainer def. Mike Fong/Bruce Lisooey 1-up (20). WOMEN’S OKLA. GOLF ASSOC. CUP At Stillwater CC May 13-14 1, Southern Chicks With Sticks 6.5-5.5 – 12; 2 (tie), Hillcrest Hackers 6-3 – 9 and Ponca Putters 3.55.5 – 9; 4 (tie), Sassy Sisters of Swing 5.5-3 – 8.5 and Chicks With Sticks 5-3.5 – 8.5. OKLAHOMA JUNIOR GOLT TOUR OKLAHOMA’S BEST At John Conrad GC, Midwest City (par-72) May 27 Boys 1, Nick Heinen 72-69 – 141; 2, Quade Cummins 6975 – 144; 3 (tie), Zac Schaefer 72-75 – 147, Tyson Reeder 72-75 – 147 and Mason Overstreet 72-75 –147; 6, Hayden Wood 78-70 – 148; 7, Thomas Johnson 78-71 – 149; 8, Clay Dobbins 71-79 – 150; 9, Cody Shore 74-77 – 151. Girls 1, Emma Allen 74-72 – 146; 2, Marla Souvannasing 76-72 – 148; 3 (tie), Baylee Price 75-75 – 150 and Caroline Goodin 76-74 – 150; 5, Anna Kim 84-72 – 156; 6, Hannah Ward 78-79 – 157; 7, Alexis Sadeghy 80-78 – 158; 8 (tie), Kailey Campbell 78-81 – 159, Kailey Collier 78-81 – 159 and Anna Mikish 80-79 – 159. GOLF CHANNEL TOUR BROKEN ARROW OPEN At Battle Creek GC (par-72) May 25 1, James Fowler 70; 2, Douglas Duke 77; 3, Bill Robinson 80.

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