Lincoln Park is the first public course in

Celebrating a century!

Lincoln Park, state's oldest public course, turns 100

Lincoln Park is Oklahoma's oldest, and one of its best, public courses.

by ken macleod

When Steve Carson retired in 2021 after 31 years as the head professional at Lincoln Park Golf Course in Oklahoma City, he lowered the average tenure there of the head pro.

For a century now, Lincoln Park has been led by just three men: founder and original designer Art Jackson (1922-52), the legendary U.C. Ferguson (1952-91) and Carson (1991-2021).

Aaron Kristopeit, who replaced Carson, has a long way to go to get in the ballpark with those three gentlemen, whose steady and innovative guidance is one reason the 36-hole complex has not only the oldest public courses in Oklahoma but also is regarded as one of the finest in the country.

Jackson, known as the “father of Oklahoma City public golf,” designed two solid layouts, much of which has survived to this day. The course was reworked by Floyd Farley in 1961when the clubhouse was moved, which brought Arnold Palmer to the course to help celebrate the reopening.

There was no rerouting but much reimagining when Randy Heckenkemper redid the greens on the West Course in 1999. The East Course received a new irrigation system but is in need of new greens now.

The West Course is the bellwether for public tournament play in Oklahoma. In May, it hosted the NAIA Women’s National Championship, one of several collegiate events there each spring and fall. It frequently hosts high school state championships and this year will host the OGA Junior Boys and Girls Amateur while Kickingbird in Edmond is shut down.

Why? Because the city has long committed to maintaining conditions in which the ball can be played down, and a line of superintendents, notably Jim Woods who was there from 1998-2021, has executed that directive faithfully.

In 2015, Oklahoma City opened a 32,000 square foot clubhouse at Lincoln Park. Former Mayor Mick Cornett, now a member of the golf commission, grew up playing across town at Lake Hefner, but also worked for Ferguson in the Golf Inc. Junior Program, and recognized what a staple Lincoln Park was in the community.

“Everybody always acknowledges Lincoln Park as one of the best facilities in the state,” Cornett said. “It needed a clubhouse that reflected that.

“This is where U.C. Ferguson worked, where Susie Maxwell Berning played, Mark Hayes, Doug Tewell, a lot of really good golfers,” Cornett said. “And with U.C., it’s hard to overestimate his role and influence on public golf in Oklahoma City.”

Ferguson made sure Lincoln Park had a strong junior program and Carson expanded it from there. Carson was the head pro at Trosper Park from 1976-90, so when he took over at Lincoln Park he was intimately familiar with Ferguson’s operation. He worked closely with the Eastern Golf Club and later the First Tee of Oklahoma City to expand access and lessons for minority golfers.

Between the two courses, Lincoln Park was running close to or over 100,000 rounds annually until golf became overbuilt in the mid-1990s. Rounds fell off to