2022 Golf Oklahoma October|November

Official publication of the Oklahoma Golf Association

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TABLE

The Goods

10 Our intrepid reviewer Tom Bedell picks the best of 12 years of The Bookshelf

12 Ed Travis chats with Oklahoma Titleist rep Joel Hounchell about the TRS drivers

14 Chip Shots; New greens at Oak Tree National, Jerry Cozby honored, Chickasha Pointe on move and Marty McCauley "resigns."

Features

20 Our 30-year anniversary celebration continues with the most recent 10 years, with an emphasis on how Oklahoma rose to prominence as a national junior golf power.

16 Art Stricklin explores the new PGA of America headquarters and resort in Frisco, Texas, and what it all will soon mean to golfers in Oklahoma.

Destinations

Gulf Shores is the home of many excellent courses and a great destination to combine beach, golf, great food and night time fun.

On the cover

The PGA of America headquarters has moved to Frisco, Texas, right across the border from Oklahoma, bringing many major championships in the near future.

Issue 2022

FROM THE PUBLISHER KEN M AC LEOD

A day with a legend

DaleMcNamara was a coaching legend long before I came to Tulsa in 1987 and I didn’t have long to wait to find out why. Less than a year later, with the University of Tulsa as my beat at the Tulsa Tribune, the 1988 Hurricane women’s golf team won the NCAA national championship.

Recently I had the honor of escorting Dale around the course at Cedar Ridge Country Club as she watched her beloved TU win the Dale McNamara Invitational. Watching the event, chatting with the girls and seeing some of her former players who re turned to spend time with her was a wonderful tonic for Dale, now 86 and in a battle with a rare form of cancer that affects her liver and other organs. She has been treated with radiation and other treat ments and has regained her appetite and vitality of late.

“I’ve always looked at life as 18 holes,” said the pioneer who started the TU pro gram and led the school to four national championships and five runner-up finish es. “I’ve had an amazing, wonderful life with a loving husband and two wonder ful daughters. I’m on the last three holes, and this cancer has been tough. But I’m getting better and not giving up. I’m going to make it to 95.”

Making it a special week for Dale was the return of former players Blue Kinander and Cathy Mockett along with the chance to hang with Maggie Roller –who played on that 1988 team along with Kinander – and watch Maggie’s daughter Jenni, now a freshman at TU.

Both Kinander and Mockett said they regard Dale as much more than a coach, indeed a second mother. Roller has been a devoted friend and protector of Dale’s legacy for decades.

Dale founded the program in 1974 and coached it until 2000, when daughter Me lissa, now the coach at Auburn, replaced her. She won early and often, in the re cruiting battles for players such as Nancy Lopez and 24 other first-team All-Ameri cans, and on the course, where her teams won 60 tournaments.

During the early years of covering her team’s exploits, Dale spoke to the me dia in mostly guarded glowing terms. It wasn’t until later that she let us in on what her players knew – she could be colorful, blunt, fun-loving and even a bit naughty to a point. She told us stories of late night card games and shenanigans at the colorful Waco Turner Open in Bur neyville back in the early 1960s.

The proudest I’ve been of Dale was not during her coaching career, but later as a member of the Tulsa Park Board. She did much to try to help a struggling Parks Depart ment as it was targeted for bud get cut after budget cut. She was the voice of science and reason when fundamentalists tried to force a creationism exhibit pur porting the earth to be 5,000 years old to be built next to the beautiful timeline of species de velopment at the Tulsa Zoo. She basically shut that nonsense down and has told me her work on the Park Board was some of the most rewarding of her career.

Rick Dickson, the University of Tulsa athletic director, has known Dale since he was 17 and a freshman at TU in 1974, the same year Dale started the program. She had to warn him to leave her girls alone back then, then to support them when he returned in 1988 at age 32.

“What a delightful human above every thing else that she’s been,” said Dickson, now in his second stint at the TU helm. “She’s so fun, but has so much resolve. All the things she is and has been to the university and the city, she has been even more to me and my wife Brenda. You can imagine when I came back here in 1988 then became AD in 1990, I didn’t know what I was doing. She was so helpful and such a guiding light.”

She’s been a staunch supporter of all of our endeavors with Golf Oklahoma and the Oklahoma Golf Hall of Fame, into which she was inducted in 2008. We can’t thank her enough for that. This year’s tournament that bears her name was a wonderful treat for her in so many ways. We only hope she has many more to come.

THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE OKLAHOMA GOLF ASSOCIATION

Volume 12, Number 5

Golf Oklahoma Offices Southern Hills Plaza 6218 S. Lewis Ave., Ste. 102 Tulsa, OK 74136 918-280-0787

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Reporter Sam Humphreys sam@golfoklahoma.org

Art & Technology Director Chris Swafford chris@golfoklahoma.org

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Subscriptions to Golf Oklahoma are $20 for one year (five issues) or $35 for two years (10 issues). Call 918-280-0787 or go to www.golfoklahoma.org

Contributing photographers Rip Stell, Bill Powell

Golf Oklahoma PGA Instructional Staff Jim Young Teaching Professional, River Oaks CC 405-630-8183

Ryan Rody Director of Instruction Southern Hills Country Club rrody@southernhilscc.org

Pat McTigue Director of Instruction, Meadowbrook CC pmtigue277@gmail.com

Maggie Roller Director of Instruction, Cedar Ridge CC maggie.roller@sbcglobal.net, 918-261-1441

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

Director of Rules Bob Phelps bphelps@okgolf.org

Copyright 2022 by Golf Oklahoma Magazine. All rights reserved. Contents may not be reprinted or otherwise re produced without written permission from Golf Oklahoma. Golf Oklahoma is published by South Central Golf, Inc.

WWW.GOLFOKLAHOMA.ORG

LIKE US!

Dale McNamara

FROM THE OGA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Thanks to all for a rewarding career

A few familiar themes as I write my final letter as Executive Director of the Oklahoma Golf Association to Golf Oklahoma readers. If you had not heard, I am retiring at the end of the calendar year after 21 years with the OGA, but will be around to help in any role needed for a while yet.

First off, I want to thank all of the OGA competitors who pro vided so many thrilling and memorable moments in all our events over the years. I watched many of you grow from sprouts into PGA Tour-caliber golfers and hundreds more into successes in all walks of life.

I’ve been touched by many of the cards and letters you have sent and you are cer tainly welcome for any role I’ve played in helping you achieve what you have. It’s been so gratifying to watch you mature into the fine people and golfers you are today.

I’ve been in the golf business for 50 years going back to 1973 when I was hired at 15 to flip burgers at Lake Hefner. I knew im mediately the golf course is where I wanted

to be. Any aspirations of playing at the high est level were dashed early when I had Jim Woodward and Robin Freeman on my high school team at John Marshall. Though I was a decent player, I could see there was another level that was going to be hard to reach.

Being a club professional and then the OGA Direc tor has given me a wonder ful life in the game. I need to thank all my fellow Oklahoma PGA pro fessionals who have been so great to us, allowing us to use their wonderful facilities for our events and making sure we were treated in a first-class manner each time.

Every year of my tenure we played the Oklahoma Open at Oak Tree Country Club on the East Course and I need to give a special thanks to Devin Davenport and everyone at Oak Tree. This year was won by Texan Chandler Phillips at 15-under.

Let me emphasize how good 15-under is at a course like Oak Tree CC East for 54 holes.

Also since our last missive we had Mike Gotcher edge Mike Hughett in the OGA Se nior Stroke Play Championship at Meadow brook Country Club in Tulsa. Mike Gotcher is a former club pro and has always been a great player. And of course Mike Hughett has been just incredible to watch through out my tenure. I’ve given him enough plates to have his own game at the state fair. Also Tim Rogers won his second consecutive Super Senior and Kate Strick land played great golf to win the OGA Women’s Stroke Play.

I want to particularly thank all the OGA volunteers and board members and the staff for your support and hard work on a daily basis, includ ing Jay Doudican, Bob Phelps and Morri Rose. What you have accomplished with the OJGT, State Junior, State Am ateur and all of our events is phenomenal.

I’m hoping to be able to pair up with a friend or two and start play ing some of these wonderful venues we have in Oklahoma. See you out there!

Looking forward to Fore State

WOGA looks forward to host ing the annual Fore State competition next year at Cedar Ridge Country Club in Broken Arrow.

This year’s event was won by host Kan sas at Canyon Farms Golf Club in Lenexa on Aug. 1-2. Oklahoma, which finished second, leads with 13 titles, followed by Missouri with eight while Arkansas and Kansas have three each.

The 2022 WOGA team consisted of ama teurs Maddi Kamas, Lilly Whitley, Jaiden Gregston and Olivia Coit; mid-amateurs LeeAnn Fairlie, Patty Coatney, Leigh Anne Fore and Jill Johnson; and masters Rebecca Davis, Teresa DeLarzelere, Connie Kelsey

and Tammy Fairchild. Louise B. Johnson captained the team with Pat McKamey as co-captain.

Participation in this prestigious annual event is based on points accumulated through the current and past year during

the fields of these events.

The event dates back to 1995 when Edell Wortz, a member of Hardscrabble CC in Fort Smith, Ark., originated the competi tion and donated the Wortz trophy in rec ognition of the state winning the champi onship.

play in WOGA championships. Exemp tions for the 2023 competition are given to the winners of the 2022 State Amateur and Junior Girls’ Championships, and the 2023 Stroke Play, Mid-Am and Senior Cham pionships. The team captain then makes selections based on points of placement in

Edell was a life-long supporter of women’s and girls golf, and hosted the first FourState Champi onship in Bella Vista, Ark. It is a two-day rivalry combining four-ball, foursomes and singles matches. Each state rotates as host. The field consists of a 12-member team with four amateurs (age 39 and un der), four (ages 40-59) and four masters (60 and older).

Lilly Whitley

Jay Doudican

Maddi Kamas

Devin Davenport

Felder announces the final pairing at the Oklahoma Open.

Jaiden Gregston

Morri Rose

Olivia Coit LeeAnn Fairlie Patty Coatney

Bob Phelps

WOMEN’S OKLAHOMA GOLF ASSOCIATION

LAURIE CAMPBELL

President WOGA

BOB PHELPS OGA Rules Director

Fans cool the green, not the player

Am I entitled to “line of play” relief for greenside fans?

By far, the most common misunder standing in OGA and OJGT events is play ers believing they are entitled to free relief from greenside fans located be tween the player’s ball and the flagstick. There are other items on the course too that many players believe they should get “line of play” relief from such as irrigation control boxes, re strooms, birdhouses, protective fences, etc.

And in all cases the answer is no, you are not entitled to “line of play” relief. If an immovable obstruction interferes with the lie of your ball, stance, or the area of your intended swing, you are entitled to free relief. But not when an Immovable obstruction is simply between your ball and the flagstick.

The rule that most players believe grants this relief is the Temporary Immov able Obstruction (TIO) local rule. This lo cal rule must be stated on the rule sheet and requires the committee to define such

items as TIOs.

The primary reason the OGA and OJGT do not define greenside fans as TIOs is be cause they do not meet the definition of a TIO. TIO’s are temporary structures that are temporarily added on or next to the course, usually for a particular competition. Exam ples include tents, grandstands, scoreboards and TV towers.

Greenside fans are more perma nent in nature, not brought in for a competition and are simply part of the course.

Secondly, if greenside fans were defined as TIOs, players could be entitled to relief from up to 250 yards away if the fan is on a direct line to the flag. Players could use this rule to escape a bad lie when from that distance the greenside fan is really a minor obstacle.

Lastly, the relief procedure for a TIO is difficult to understand and unfamiliar to most players.

So, the next time you are faced with a shot with a greenside fan between your ball and the flagstick, get creative and play hard.

Revisions effective Jan. 2023 to be announced in early November

With the release of the 2019 Rules of Golf, it was inevitable that situations would arise that would need clarifica tion or would result in unintended con sequences. As a result, the USGA began releasing “clarifications” each quarter to further explain the meaning and intent of the new rules.

And in some cases, new Model Local Rules (MLR) were written to modify how a rule was originally written. While I have no inside knowledge of what will be revised for 2023, I expect several of these MLRs and clarifications to be in corporated into the rule itself. Among others, look for MLR D-7 which limits when a stroke made from the putting green must be replayed under exception 2 to Rule 11.1b, MLR E-12 which modifies the relief area when using back-on-theline relief, and MLR G-9 which allows for the replacement of broken or signifi cantly damaged clubs to be written into the new rules, eliminating the need for these Local Rules.

A Dozen Years Between the Covers

by tom bedell

happily made my Golf Okla homa debut in its first issue, AprilMay 2011, with a piece on 10 books that would make up a good desert island golf library. It’s been an honor to have been in almost every issue since. I’ve written pieces on travel, beer, golf gambling, golf humor and golf movies.

But mainly I’ve set up shop here at The Bookshelf, reading and reviewing many a volume about the game we all love, when it isn’t driving us crazy. I’m not sure I have the exact count, but not including the original 10, I think I’ve reviewed 120 books over the years, along with a few instructional videos and golf movies.

Luckily, there haven’t been many real stinkers; there’s usually something of at least passing interest in most golf books that manage to get published. On the other hand, real gems can be fairly rare, too, books that strike me as at once compelling and exceed ingly well-written. Which leaves out almost all of the instructional books.

So, in the prevailing retrospective cel ebratory mood, I’ve combed the archives to come up with a Top 10 of the last 12 years — those books that came along that are still worth tracking down. And if they’re not still available for purchase, well, that’s what li braries are for.

It wasn’t hard to find 10. It was hard to limit it to 10. So — something I would never do out on a golf course — I cheated, just a little. I’ve listed the books chronologically, noting the issue the review appears in.

Bill Pennington, On Par: The Everyday Golfer’s Survival Guide (Aug.-Sept. 2012)

Pennington just hung up his New York Times sports writing spikes in September. For a num ber of years he wrote the “On Par” column for the paper and this is a genial collection of the same. There are all sorts of intriguing observations on the game — emphasizing that it’s a game — such as the

Istatistics showing that the most effective way to play golf in terms of scoring, “is to walk with a pushcart, followed by playing with a caddie, following by taking a cart, and lastly carrying your own bag. Or the Swedish study showing that golfers outlive non-golfers by five years!”

Michael Bamberger, Men in Green (June-July 2015)

Veteran sportswrit er Bamberger goes on a road trip to visit nine Living Legends of the game (Palmer, Nick laus, et. al.) and nine he calls Secret Legends, including Mike Don ald, who almost, but not quite, won the U.S. Open in 1990. It’s a great ride that, “...casts a compelling spell as the stories pour forth, often reflecting one upon another, the past, the nature of time, life itself. It’s an episodic journey, but it flows like a stream.” Bam berger’s subsequent The Second Life of Ti ger Woods (April-May 2020) is also a great read about the GOAT in light of his remark able 2019 Masters victory.

Shane Ryan, Slaying the Tiger (Oct.-Nov. 2015)

Ryan is an admirable on-the-ground re searcher and story teller, who spent a year following the PGA Tour around to deliver juicy behindthe-ropes scenes of players striving to emerge in a (not quite) post-Tiger world. And his more recent The Cup They Couldn’t Lose (June-July 2022), about the 2021 Ryder Cup, is equally worth reading. Patrick Reed may disagree; he comes off poorly in both volumes, making it a bit of a surprise he didn’t add Ryan’s name to his recent defamation suit.

George Plimpton, The Bogey Man (June-July 2016)

It was thoughtful of Little, Brown and Company to reissue seven of the late George Plimpton’s sports books, including this classic, about his misadventures with

the PGA Tour, circa 1968. Plimpton was the master of participa tory journalism, and a felicitous prose stylist, both observant, hu morous and necessarily self-deprecating. And as long as we’re talk ing reissues, the twovolume P.G. Wodehouse collection called Golf from Overlook Press (Oct.-Nov. 2016) is a feast of fun not to be missed. It’s 19 tales of golf and comically complicated love affairs that all seem to turn out just right.

Tom Callahan, Arnie: The Life of Arnold Palmer (April-May 2017)

There was a distur bance in the golf force when Arnold Palmer died in 2016. I antici pated a mini-industry of biographies of the King to follow. That there hasn’t (so far) been a flood of them may be because Tom Callahan set an almost impossibly high standard with this one. A long-time newspa per man and Golf Digest contributor, Calla han knew Palmer well. He knew every ma jor sporting figure of his times well, which also makes his Gods at Play: An Eyewitness Account of Great Moments in American Sports (Travel Issue and Directory 2021) a terrific read.

James Dodson, The Range Bucket List (April-May 2017)

Ever since his 1996 best-seller, Final Rounds, Dodson has been a reliable chroni cler of the emotional attachments we bring to the game in a dozen books. This volume serves as a poi gnant memoir that limns what it has been like for him to spend so much of his time so wedded to the game and its participants, famous and otherwise. He’s good company, for those he meets up with, and for readers. An earlier, more journalistic approach about Hogan, Snead and Nelson, American Trium virate (June-July 2012) is also top-notch.

Tom Coyne, A Course Called America (April-May 2021)

What I call Coyne’s golfapaloozas — in which he plays tons of courses and manages through his fine prose to report on his stunts and not make us feel envi ous (well, not too envi ous) — reaches the tril ogy stage with his latest.

The earlier efforts, A Course Called Scot land (Aug.-Sept. 2018), and A Course Called Ireland are just as ingratiating, but the U.S. trek, playing usually more than one course in every state is, like the country, a broader effort, and more beguilingly familiar.

Dottie Pepper,  Lessons to a Future Champion (June-July 2021)

The story of the young Dottie Pepper striking up a studentteacher relationship with the older George Pulver becomes increas ingly irresistible as it goes on. Pepper relates

the saga through the actual correspon dence the two shared over the years. As she grows more talented with more suc cess, Pulver’s advice rarely wavers from basics packed with common sense, wis dom and encouragement. Time is inexo rable, so the tale by necessity turns poi gnant. As I wrote, “You’d have to have a cold heart not to be touched by this unique view of a mentorship suffused with mutual respect and love, one that came along at just the right time: when both needed it most.”

Alan Shipnuck, Phil! (April-May 2022)

Before anyone had teed off in an LIV event, an excerpt from Shipnuck’s book re vealed the Phil Mick elson maneuvers that eventually took him over to the LIV plat form. And golf as we know it may never be the same again. Shipnuck’s subti tle: The Rip-Roaring (and Unauthorized!) Biography of Golf’s Most Colorful Super star gives away some of the lively tone of the book, which presents plenty of Mick

elson warts, but on the whole seems an admiring portrait. One that now leaves many of us wondering if he has simply tossed his legacy away.

Rick Reilly, So Help Me Golf: Why We Love the Game (April-May 2022)

Reilly’s latest is 70 short takes on the ways golf weaves its way into our psyches, using his various life roles as its structure — Kid, Teen, (Golf) Addict, Writer, Caddy, Fan, Father, Grandfather and a few others.

Most are hilarious, as is Reilly’s wont, but some are poi gnant, such as an overall structure that has Reilly dealing with his once alcoholic and abusive father, one whom he’s only able to forgive years later during — what else? — a road trip to the Masters. And though fans of Le Grand Orange may de mur, Reilly was also brilliant in his takedown of the last President, Commander in Cheat (April-May 2019).

Read on!

Titleist TSR creates a buzz

by ed travis

he latest driver se ries from Titleist, the TSR, though it’s only been on the market for a few weeks, has created a stir amongst professionals and amateurs alike for its looks, feel and distance.

The TSR (Titleist Speed Redefined) series is composed of three models the game-improve ment TSR2, the TSR3 used by touring profes sionals and the TSR4 a smaller headed lower spin version. They all feature improved aero dynamic shaping with a crown extension or “boat tail” trailing edge that pro motes higher clubhead speed. It creates a more even air flow over the clubhead on the downswing not unlike the rear spoiler on a sports car while providing a low drag location to place the rear weights

found on each TSR model.

TThe TSR2 and TSR4 use a redesigned vari able thickness face constructed in layers to give similar rebound across the entire surface which can be a help when impact isn’t in the face cen ter. On the other hand, the TSR3 uses a different design called a Speed Ring since it is targeted for better play ers who usually hit close to the sweet spot every time. Perhaps best of all early re ports, purchasers often use the magical words, “better distance and more control.”

Joel Hounchell Titleist Sales Rep.

Titleist TSR

For an additional perspec tive Golf Oklahoma talk ed with Joel Hounchell the Titleist Sales Representative for Oklahoma and Kansas and he offered some insight for our readers.

Can you tell our readers a lit tle about your background in golf and your time with Titleist?

I stumbled upon the game in high school, and like many people, quickly fell in love with

it. I was at the golf course all the time, so I started working there to help reduce the cost and make some extra money. Initially I picked range balls and washed carts, then moved into a couple different roles at different facilities before becoming an Assistant Golf Profes sional, and eventually getting hired by Titleist. My initial role with Titleist was in Customer Service before moving to our Golf Ball Fit ting Van, then to Inside Sales and eventually to Field Sales. What started as part-time job to help pay for a golf membership has turned into a great career with the best company in golf.

How has the new TSR line of drivers been received by your retail customers?

Initial response has been excellent! We’re off to a record launch as golfers are seeing tremendous performance from TSR, and our retail partners are filling up their fitting ap pointments.

What has been the feedback from recre ational golfers who have played with the TSR?

The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, TSR is doing exactly what our R&D predicted, which is helping golfers gain club

head speed, hit longer distances and improve their accuracy. We try to keep it simple and the three words we focus on for TSR are Fast er, Longer, Straighter and that’s exactly what we’ve heard from golfers who have tried the product.

Can you briefly describe the difference be tween the three TSR models, TSR2, TSR3 and TSR4?

TSR2 is our “max” driver – it maximizes both distance and forgiveness. It is for the golfer who has a strike location that can vary all over the face. TSR3 is our most popular driver on Tour and is designed for a player who has a more consistent strike location. That strike won’t always be center but if they are consistently in the same general area of the face TSR3 allows us to dial in performance with moveable CG weighting. TSR4 is our ultra-low spin driver, so if you’re a player that generates over 3,000 RPMs of spin TSR4 is a great option to help you maximize your dis tance and control.

How have the TSR series been changed from the previous TSi models?

Our R&D team redesigned the shape of the TSR2 & TSR4 to significantly improve their aerodynamics, while all three drivers feature new face designs for added speed and more consistent spin numbers.

Some are saying driver technology has gone about as far as it can go particularly concerning distance. Would you agree?

As a tour authentic company we partner with the USGA and R&A on conformance testing, and we remain bullish that perfor mance enhancements with drivers are still possible.

Are drivers really all about distance or are there other factors golfers should consider when looking to buy a new one?

At Titleist we design a driver to be played on a golf course, which means hitting it upwards of 14 times a round in different conditions and on different designed holes. Because of this, golfers should look for total performance on a driver – one that provides long distance with accuracy that is repeatable shot after shot. The best way to find that is to work with a good fitter and dial your driver to your swing.

Is there any other message you would like to pass along to our readers?

We really believe we have a special product with the TSR driver and fairways. If you go into a golf shop and grab one off the rack it will be very good, but if you take the time to get fit it will be great! I know there are a va riety of reasons that golfers avoid fittings, but it really is a great process, and we see tremen dous results that translate to more enjoyable golf and lower scores. Please check out Title ist.com for fitters in your area.

Cuba

by laramie navrath

Every year a cigar is released into the market that stands head and shoulders above the competition. This year that cigar is Cuba Aliados origi nal blend, a storied cigar and brand with an historic background in the cigar indus try. The Cuba Aliados brand started in the 1970’s when Rolando Reyes Sr. left Cuba to start a business of his own in New Jersey. He previously made Cuba Aliados at his own factory in Cuba before Fidel Castro con fiscated his assets.

In 2021 Oliva Cigars decided to breathe new life into the brand that had lost its place on many retailer’s shelves since the cigar boom of the 90’s. Oliva decided Cuba Alia dos would be resurrected by two godfa thers in the cigar industry, Ernesto Carrillo Sr., owner of EPC Cigars and Julio Eiroa, owner of JRE Cigars. At this year’s annual PCA Tradeshow, Oliva released two new cigars to its portfolio: Cuba Aliados Clas sic Blend showcasing tobaccos from the Dominican Republic also billed as a limited edition; and Cuba Aliados Original Blend

as regular production using tobaccos from Honduras which mirror, as close as possi ble, Cuba Aliados of the 70’s which helped put Honduras on the map.

Rolando Reyes Sr.

Although the blend is different in each of these cigars, the quality and construct are setting industry standards which all manufactures strive to attain. Due to its ac cessibility, this review will focus on Cuba Aliados Original Blend crafted by Eiroa. The Original Blend is constructed using Habano and Corojo tobac cos as the fillers, a sturdy Corojo binder leaf and a beautiful golden Habano wrapper. With a strike of the match the journey begins. One’s first reactions off the light is a light and creamy smoke developing on the palate. The smooth, sweet retrohale is reminiscent of and pays tribute to Cuba’s historic H. Up mann, Romeo & Julieta and Montecristo cigars. The layered white ash and razorsharp burn gives credence to the cigar’s ex cellent construction. The cigar builds with the addition of sweet, toasted grains, mild cedar notes including subtle white pepper on the retrohale offering complexity and balance to the smoking experience.

New greens draw raves at OTN

The reaction to the new TifEagle ultradwarf Bermuda greens at Oak Tree National has been over whelmingly positive.

One caveat. Those who played on open ing day when the greens were heavily watered just may be in for a different experience when they return.

“The reaction has been awe some, everyone thinks they are unbelievable,” said Tom Jones, the president and CEO of Oak Tree National. “Now, those who played Saturday, well they’ve gotten a lot firmer since then. But boy are they gorgeous.”

Longtime member A.G. Mey ers confirmed the playing experi ence was tremendous.

“They are really, really good,” he said. “I’ve been out here for over 30 years and they have never been better. They putt ed true, were firm and yet held good shots.”

Jones said that has been the refrain he’s heard from the many professionals who play out of OTN, that the greens will not hold shots from the rough but will from the fairway.

The Oklahoma Golf Association course rating team has already been out and, from the back tees, assigned Oak Tree an updated

rating of 79.9 while the slope stayed at 155. That combination is one of the highest in the country. The slope rating of 155 is the maxi mum allowed by the USGA. The course rat ing of 79.9 passes another Pete Dye course,

course rating was not because of the new greens, according to Jay Doudican, the direc tor of course rating for the Oklahoma Golf Association. Rather it was more due to addi tional length from new tee boxes on holes 1, 5, 6 and 8. Still Oak Tree is just 7,463 yards from the tips.

the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island at 79.6.

Two courses in the United States have a course rating exceeding 80. They are the International Club – Pines Course, which plays to an 81.7 rating from its back tees of 8,052 yards. And The Blessings in northwest Arkansas, where Jones used to work and site of the 2019 NCAA Championship, has an 80.9 course rating from its back tees of 7,925 yards. Both have slope ratings of 155.

However the jump from 79.3 to 79.9 in

Jerry Cozby Learning Center opens

A joyous gathering of members, family, friends and guests celebrated the official grand opening of the Jerry Cozby Learning Center at Hillcrest Country Club in Bartles ville on Sept. 22.

Giving remarks were Jim Curd and David Kedy, two of the mem bers who led the fun draising to build the beautiful two-bay center in honor of the late Jerry Cozby, head professional at Hillcrest for 41 years. Also speaking were head professional John Hron, Jerry’s son Cary, who is the head pro fessional at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, and wife Karole. All emphasized how Jerry would have loved the teaching center, as helping members enjoy golf was a pas sion of his throughout his career.

“It’s a great legacy,” said son Craig, who

drove in from Kansas City for the ceremony. “Dad was all about making sure people en joyed the game. Whether it was teaching, or just making sure everyone had a good time.”

“His deal was mak ing sure everyone who came through the gate could put aside their troubles and just have fun,” Cary said. “That’s his legacy. We were basically raised by everybody who is here tonight. They al ways embraced us and treated us so well. Dad would have loved this building.”

“He was more about learning than he was about teaching,” Karole said. “He taught the game of life. Every day.”

The center has a teaching bay featur ing Trackman and SwingCatalyst, which analyzes weight distribution and swing

Course ratings are deter mined from a probably anti quated standard of a scratch golfer hitting an average tee shot 250 yards. Many of the scratch or better golfers at OTN exceed that by 50 to 75 or more yards. When the course was closed, Jones asked Matthew Wolff to hit a tee shot as hard as possible from the range and it flew over the driving range net positioned 335 yards away at the back of the range, it was 50 feet in the air and cruising when it flashed by.

So much for 250 yards.

The eventual firmness of the new greens was not taken into account in the new rating. Doudican said only undula tion and speeds are taken into account on the greens. Increased firmness is not part of the equation, but it will be for those playing what is now reconfirmed as cer tainly one of the most difficult courses in the country.

force. A second bay with a simulator will be more for fun and inclement weather practice. The entry way is lined with pic tures and memorabilia of Jerry as well as a plaque recognizing all who donated to the building. Curd said it would have easily cost over $400,000 if not for all the in-kind donations received, including land leveling, grading and sodding by member Dale For rest, owner of United Golf, a golf construc tion firm. Others contributing include Dan Keleher, Gorman Construction, Randy Lawrence, golf architect Tripp Davis and Hillcrest Country Club itself.

PGA teaching professional Regina Good win came from Tulsa to attend. She said Jer ry was one of the few pros who encouraged her to go into the business when she started in the early 1990s.

Hron said that some lessons have already been taught in the center but now that it’s officially open it’s about to get busy, just as Jerry would have wanted it.

Jerry passed away Aug. 23, 2020. He is a member of both the Oklahoma Golf Hall of Fame and PGA of America Hall of Fame.

The Jerry Cozby Learning Center at Hillcrest CC.

One of the new TifEagle Bermuda greens at Oak Tree.

News around the state Sponsored by

Chickasaw Pointe development to pick up pace

Slowly, steadily, things are progress ing on the various housing and re sort components near Chickasha Pointe Golf Course on the shores of Lake Texoma near Kingston.

While the owner of Pointe Vista Develop ment is moving toward building town homes, condos and eventually a hotel and pool near the course, moving much more rapidly is a hotel and casino project owned by the Chicka saw Nation, which also owns WinStar Re sort and numerous other casinos.

The Lake Texoma Casino Resort will in clude a 9,600-square foot casino, a 40-room hotel and 10 rental cabins.

That could be a boon for Chickasaw Pointe Golf Course, which has always suf fered from a lack of quality lodging nearby. The Randy Heckenkemper design is con sistently rated one of the top public access courses in the state, and since the closings of Silverado and Durant Country Club in the area, it is the only golf course for miles.

PGA professional Ryan Chapman, point man for Chickasaw Pointe, the nearby ma rina and the development, said this winter the company hopes to be starting construc tion on the Bridge Point area, which will include 32 town homes along the Lake Texoma shoreline and 26 condos. Where the three holes that were removed from the shoreline used to be will be 84 single family home lots.

Plans even tually are for a Caribbean Bay Hotel and pool flanked by ad ditional condo towers.

Chickasaw Pointe was the first truly up scale golf course built by the State of Okla homa and was the flagship property in the State Parks Golf Course system until the Commissioners of Land Office sold it and surrounding real estate to developers. Fish er’s group purchased the land in 2005 after

an earlier group failed to develop it and has held it through drawn-out environmental studies, lack of action due to economic rea sons and lawsuits with the state and CLO, mostly resolved in 2015.

Lakefront holes 4 through 7 were removed from the course in 2017 and replaced by holes set back from the lake in anticipation of development beginning.

Once com plete, Chapman said it is expect ed up to 2,000 residents will live on the site at least part-time.

Artist's conception of a lakeside resort hotel, water park and marina village planned for Pointe Vista.

For those looking for a resort home for golf, boating, etc., the Carib bean Bay Hotel is years away, but the casi no hotel could be complete as soon as 2023.

The course is on schedule to do about 18,000 rounds in 2022, a number it is hoped will increase when there are stay-and-play options in the area.

OCU coach resigns, star transfers

Little has been clarified in the resig nation of formerly ultra-successful Oklahoma City University wom en’s golf coach Marty McCauley.

McCauley has not coached the team since its first event of the fall, a victory in the Southwestern Christian Invitational. Members of the administra tion have accompanied the team to its final three fall events, in which it registered two victories.

Athletic Director Corey Bray emailed the following statement to Golf Oklahoma when asked if McCauley had resigned or been fired.

“Marty McCauley resigned his position as head women’s golf coach at Oklahoma City University effective Sept. 13, 2022. As the university does not share in formation related to personnel matters, there will be no further comment at this time.”

McCauley told Golf Oklahoma he pre fers not to discuss what led to his resigna

tion at this time.

Star freshman golfer Reagan Chaney announced she was transferring to the University of Oklahoma shortly after the “resignation.”

In 10 years as Oklahoma City head coach, McCauley guided the Stars to the 2013, 2014 and 2017 NAIA championships, a runner-up finish in 2021 and seven Soon er Athletic Conference cham pionships. The Stars had five top-five finishes and eight top10 showings in the national tournament with McCauley’s guidance. Prior to this season OCU has 28 tournament wins in 104 events.

McCauley has been named NAIA coach of the year three times and SAC coach of the year six times. He has guided 35 All-Amer icans, three four-time All-Americans, the 2013 NAIA individual champion, the 2013 and 2014 NAIA individual runners-up, 25 all-conference performers, four SAC in dividual champions, four league player-

of-the-year award winners and four SAC freshmen of the year.

Prior to OCU, McCauley had spent the previous five years as men’s golf assistant coach to Greg Sands at Texas Tech. Mc Cauley previously served as assistant coach to Kyle Blaser on OCU’s successful men’s golf program for two seasons. McCauley aided the Stars to the 2003 and 2004 NAIA national championships as well as the 2003 and 2004 Sooner Athletic Conference titles.

Prior to his previous coaching stint at OCU, McCauley played at Wichita State for coach Grier Jones from 1999-2002. Mc Cauley helped the Shockers capture a pair of Missouri Valley Conference Champion ships prior to his graduation. In addition, he received Missouri Valley academic allconference honors.

As a player at Cushing High School, McCauley finished his career there with back-to-back Class 3A state individual championships in 1997 and 1998. Mc Cauley was an All-State selection as a se nior as well as being a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award that goes to the top senior athlete in the state.

Ryan Chapman

Marty McCauley

IT'S GOING TO BE

AWESOME

PGA FRISCO SHOWS OFF NEW COURSES, RESORT

by art stricklin

FRISCO, Texas

Oklahoma golfers and those just inter ested in the latest weekend entertain ment options should be getting ready to be amazed at the early 2023 opening on the PGA of America proj ect located in Frisco, available to all less than 60 miles from the Sooner State bor der.

“It’s going to be awesome, mate. There is going to be nothing like it any where. Just unbe lievable open to the general public,” said Northern Texas PGA Executive Director Mark Harrison of the onsite North Texas Golf Park, recently named for longtime local pro Ronny Glanton and open to the public when not being used for NTPGA programming.

“Welcome to our field of dreams,” PGA CEO Seth Waugh said during the recent PGA Headquarters grand opening.

“This is a rare project which has turned out better than we ever dreamed it would.”

The ambitious $550-million, 600-acre cam pus, will bring 26 major golf championships to the North Texas area starting with the PGA Senior Championship in May 2023. It will be the first men’s major golf championship there since the 1963 PGA Championship at Dallas Athletic Club, won by Jack Nicklaus.

But more importantly to out-of-state visi tors, and others, it will bring plenty of public golf, of all kinds, with 36 holes of champion ship golf, the East Course designed by Gil Hanse, and the West by Beau Welling, both scheduled to open to the public in March 2023.

“It was very important that we make every thing public here, that’s part of our charge as an organization and an innovator of golf,” said PGA of America president Jim Richerson.

Waugh added, “I really believe this will be the American St. Andrews of golf with the public coming from everywhere to experi ence it. It can be the Silicon Valley of golf for the innovation we are going to bring here.”

Also included will be a 10-hole short course, known as The Swing and a 72,000-square foot putting green (aka The Dance Floor), large inactive simulators, golf games, eating places, ice house and bars and retail shops.

“This gives us a great opportunity to re invent our game and gain interest in all parts of the public -- those who love the game and those who have never played it,” said former PGA of America president Suzy Whaley.

Why 10 holes on the public short course, from 45-to-120 yards, instead of the tradi tional 9 or 18? Because that’s the amount of land they had for the course designed by Welling and it just sounded like fun.

“Over the last 25 years, we’ve done a lot to try to kill golf. We’ve made it too hard, too expensive, too exclusive and taking too long,” said Waugh. “The one thing we haven’t done is made it too fun. We have a chance to push back on that here.”

While recently returned to his Austin-area

roots, former PGA Frisco Senior Golf Director Jimmy Terry often gave what is called, “the ice cream speech,” which he said still holds true to all visitors to the PGA Frisco facility.

“I really believe, while it may be long after I’m gone, that you will have some body take up the game and maybe win one of our tour naments one day, because they were having ice cream here at one of the shops, looked outside, saw what people were doing seemed like fun and decided to try it,” said Terry.

“This is not a place for golf. This is a place of golf. We want to set this up as a place to invite non-golfers to give it a try. There will be a golfthemed sports bar, a coffee and ice cream spot and an ice house with hitting bays.”

There is also room for 12 restaurants, including an ice house with plenty of hard drinks to celebrate or commiserate any round at PGA Frisco, a coffee stand, and sports bar with a golf simulator.

Thousands of citizens and visitors who have no current interest in golf whatsoever, will come for the shops, the stores, the soft ice cream, hard drinks and coffee bars, and may actually find the outdoor activity with balls and clubs is worth trying out.

“We wanted to do everything we can to pull people into the game any way possible from the putting course to the short course, the big courses or just walking on the trails and viewing the players,” said Richerson.

A 550-room Omni Resort, one of the larg est financial contributors to the project, will open in March, very much following the open to the public theme.

The resort was funded in part by Dallasbased Omni CEO Robert Rowling and Dal

The 13th hole on the Gil Hanse-designed East course at PGA Frisco.

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IN

CHIP SHOTS

las’ Stillwater Capital, led by local develop er Jonas Woods.

They were responsible for the resort along with a 127,000-square foot conven tion center, huge ballrooms, multiple pools, private villas, dining, tennis and event lawns, all overlooking the East golf course.

PGA Frisco has 26 chamipion ships slated over the next two decades, beginning with the Se nior PGA in 2023 on the Fields Ranch East Course.

After the PGA Senior, there will be the 2025 KPMG Wom en’s PGA, the first women’s major championship in the area since the 1991 U.S, Women’s Open at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, and the 2026 PGA Championship, the first of three scheduled for the Hanse course.

There will be a 30-acre public practice facility on site with the Frisco In

composed of indoor hitting bays for Cusick and his team along with a large turf putting green and a huge sand-filled bunker in the front picture window of the facility to al low players and teachers and even staff to practice their sand game during the week.

tees) along with the largest green on the course followed by the smallest, just to con fuse golfers’ already confused minds. Then a bunkerless par-4 16th hole which seems simple, but is anything but! Picking the cor rect tee box will be crucial.

For the closing act, there is the dangerous par-3 17th at 141 yards, the shortest hole on the course, followed by the par-5 18th hole with a large stream and a hard dogleg right plus a 10-foot earthen wall you’ll have to hit over to reach the fi nal green after crossing Panther Creek for the final time.

The 10th hole on the East Course.

HOW DOES IT PLAY?

The West Course by Welling,who did Bluejack Na tional with Tiger Woods outside of Houston, is the more playerfriendly layout with lots of wide open North Texas prairie spaces, elevated views and some truly funky greens.

The rise of a golf state

Junior stars thrust Oklahoma into spotlight

by ken mac leod

Completing our look back at the past 30 years of Golf Oklahoma begun in August issue, we recognize that nearly all competition stories and much other breaking news is now covered exclusively on our website, newsletters and social media, while the magazine took on a heavier emphasis on travel, opinion, features, book reviews, instruction and other top ics Yet still there was plenty of news in each issue not covered anywhere else. A sampling:

APRIL-MAY,

The cover story featured junior golfers Hayden Wood, Brendon Jelley and Taylor Moore with the headline, “How Oklahoma Became A Ju nior Golf Powerhouse.” Moore is now on the PGA Tour while Wood and Jelley are also pro fessional golfers and both past state amateur champions. We’ve basically spent the last 10 years writing about this top ic and it continues today.

This issue we covered the closing of the Sugar Creek Canyon GC in Hinton, the opening of a Golfsmith store in Oklahoma City and the welldeserved honoring of Rick Reed of the Oaks CC as PGA South Central Section Professional of the Year.

Ernie Vossler, a key member of the legendary team that founded Landmark Land Company and developed Oak Tree National and numer

Former Oklahoma State AllAmerican Jeff McMillian has made a career out of entertain ing corporate golf clients and he walks us through the details of a life he’s fashioned that has him landing at Pinehurst, Pebble Beach, Kiawah Island, Whistling Straits, etc., with regularity. And it’s work!

Doug Tewell introduced an instructional DVD, “Square to Square,” that brings in over $500,000 in sales in the first quarter of 2013, thanks to large overseas sales in particular. It seems Tewell was soon the most popular instructor in Belgium, for which he could thank Tim Oyler, CEO of Golf Tailer, an Edmond-based com pany that was creat ing and marketing the videos online.

Blanchard reopened after a three-month hiatus. We profiled Bill Warren Jr. and his huge impact on Southern Hills and golf in general and took a close look into the new greens at Shan gri-La Resort, which included a Biarritz, a Redan, a Punch Bowl and other influences from around the world brought to life by ar chitect Tom Clark.

ous other properties, passed away at his home in La Quinta, Calif., at the age of 84.

The Patriot Cup was becoming a big thing at The Patriot in Owasso, numerous PGA Tour, PGA Tour Champi ons, singers, actors and other celeb rities taking part and we previewed the 2013 edition.

Profiles included Brendon Jelley, Taylor Moore, Jim Wood ward and Oklahoma Supreme Court Jus tice Joseph Watt, an avid golfer.

Just another sales notch in the belt of the man his Oak Tree Gang counterparts already referred to as Monty, after the original “Let’s Make A Deal” host Monty Hall. Ground breaking takes place on a new clubhouse for Lincoln Park Golf Course in Oklahoma City. The spectacu lar clubhouse is still one of the best for any public venue in the state and the model for upcom ing clubhouses at Earlywine and Lake Hefner.

Tom Jones returned to Okla homa to guide Oak Tree Na tional as COO just as tickets for the 2014 U.S. Senior Open there went on sale. Across the street it was announced that ClubCorp had purchased Oak Tree Country Club from Oak Tree Partners, LLC, which had owned it since 2004. Director of Golf, the late Mark Fuller, was a casualty of the move. Winter Creek Golf Course in

One of our favor ite venues, Hillcrest Country Club in Bartlesville, reopened the front nine greens after a renovation by Tripp Da vis, himself a huge Perry Maxwell fan. Davis did the grading himself and the greens, a mixture of A-1 and 007 bent grass, were in perfect con dition. Also that issue we pre viewed the new greens Davis designed at Battle Creek GC in Broken Arrow, adding a bit of a rectangular Seth Raynor touch to the remaining bunkers while eliminating many.

Profiles that issue included Morgan Hoffmann, David Char ney and David Feherty. Edmond North won its ninth consecu tive Class 6A team title led by Griffin Pierce, Nick Heinen, Hayden Wood, Tyson Reeder and Eli Armstrong, while Max McGreevy of Edmond Memo rial won his second individual crown and headed to Norman. He is now on the PGA Tour.

Tom Jones

Ben Crenshaw and Bill Warren

Taylor Moore

Rick Reed

We discover that OGA Execu tive Director Mark Felder is also rising in the national ratings as a team roper. Nathan Hughes of Bartlesville upset Talor Gooch of Midwest City in the OGA State Amateur championship match. Kirk Wright held off Mike Hughett to win the OGA Senior State Amateur while the late James Reid won his ninth OGA title with a victory in the Senior Stroke Play Championship. Jade Staggs won the Women’s State Amateur Championship over Taylor Neidy.

In course news, Stillwater Country Club showed off a major clubhouse renovation, while Cotton Creek in Sapulpa got a brief reprieve after an auction trying to sell the course in 16 par cels failed to yield desired results. A derecho with hur ricane force winds hit Tulsa, knock ing down 68 trees at Cedar Ridge Country Club, 24 more at Tulsa Country Club and numerous others around the city. TCC an nounced it would host the 2015 U.S. Girls Junior Championship.

Big news was Alan Bratton being named to replace Mike McGraw as head men’s coach

at Oklahoma State. McGraw was released by Mike Holder. Bratton said one of his priorities would be getting players to com mit to staying four years, as early departures by Charles Howell III, Casey Wittenberg, Hunter Mahan, Rickie Fowler, Peter Ui hlein and Morgan Hoffman had made it tougher to add to the school’s collection of na tional champion ships. Courtney Jones was named to replace Bratton as OSU’s women’s coach.

We profiled Hunter Sparks, Keith Bailey and Brandon Weeden. In competition, Alexis Sadeghy wins the WOGA Girls Junior while Hayden Wood repeats in the OGA Junior, winning 3 and 2 over Quade Cummins.

Our cover story is on the imminent retirement of Stacy Prammanasudh, at age 34, from the LPGA Tour. We start ed covering her remarkable career in 1993 when she won the first of five consecutive WOGA Junior Girls Cham pionships, watched her star at TU be ginning in 2000 and suddenly she was a young mother with a child who no longer wanted to be chasing cuts from coast to coast every week.

Stacy P made a brief return from retirement earlier this summer when the All Pro Tour came to Tulsa, just to show her children that mom still has it. She played very well for someone who plays tennis, not golf. Where she ranks among the best female golf ers ever to come out of Oklahoma is a good debate, but behind Susie Maxwell Berning and Betty Jameson, who though

she was born in Norman grew up and learned to play in Dal las, you could argue that she is the third best female golfer in the state’s his tory. She won twice, had 30 top-10 finishes, won more than $3.5 million and played on the 2007 U.S. Solheim Cup Team.

A legend in her hometown of Enid, Stacy P should prob ably start working on her Okla homa Golf Hall of Fame induc tion speech.

Profiles in this issue include Nancy Lopez, clubhouse archi tect Tom Hoch of Oklahoma City and Kevin Tway. We also chroni cled the amazing round of 62 shot by rising Nor man High School junior Thomas Johnson in the Oklahoma Open. Johnson, who had already verbally committed to OU, went on to play five years for Ryan Hybl and is now a profes sional golfer.

Our cover story was on the unique friendship of OSU golf ers Jordan Niebrugge and Wyn dham Clark. Not that it really mattered, but Clark was soon to transfer to Oregon, where in 2016 he was Golfweek’s Player of the Year and is now on the PGA Tour.

Sharing the cover was a pre view of the 2014 NCAA Women’s Champi onship that May at Tulsa Country Club and the prospects that the Oklahoma Sooners, led by Chirapet Jao-Javanil, Emily Collins and Anne-Catherine Tanguay, could make a run at the heavily favored USC Trojans. Also announced in that issue, plans for a $22-million development at Emerald Falls

GC in Broken Arrow to include a 140-room resort, cabins, game bird hunting, fishing ponds, pools, a spa, tennis courts and more.

There was also much

talk of redoing the Jerry Slackdesigned course by Jack Nicklaus, Greg Norman, Ernie Els or another name architect to help lure investment dol lars for the resort and/or to sell more lots in the real estate component which had been struggling since the course was built in 2007, right at the outset of a nationwide

housing crash.

For various reasons, none of it got off the ground and Emerald Falls, after closing for the announced development, never reopened. Today the course has been repur posed as a park for residents and housing is still be ing slowly added.

Profiles in this issue include Edmond North product Rob ert Streb beginning his second season on the PGA Tour and Oak Tree National own er Everett Dobson, who that year founded the Oklahoma Golf Hall of Fame.

Nancy Lopez

Left to right, Jordan Niebrug ge, Wyndham Clark, Alan Bratton and Chris Tidland

Mark Felder

Scott Verplank, who had recently turned 50, graced our cover as we previewed the 2014 U.S. Senior Open at Oak Tree National.

Alabama, with assistant Mike McGraw helping, held off Oklahoma State in match play to win the NCAA Championship at Prairie Dunes in Hutchin son, Kan. It was a crushing day for OSU seniors such as Ian Davis and Talor Gooch, both of whom had been re cruited by McGraw.

The OU Sooners held the lead after 36 holes but eventually faded to fourth in the NCAA

AUG-SEPT, 2014

After years of con struction and delays, Johnny Morris opened the Jack Nicklaus-de signed Top of the Rock par-3 course in Bran son, along with a cave trail, natural history museum, the spectacu lar Osage restaurant, the Arnold Palmerdesigned driving range and a Tom Watson-designed Hi malaya putting course.

Soon known as the Over The Top of the Rock course, it was spectacular and led Morris to go on to create one of the best and busiest golf destinations in the country, with courses by Nicklaus, Gary Player, Ben Crenshaw and Bill Coore, Tom Fazio and Ti ger Woods.

Top of the Rock has undergone major changes. First, much of the putting green disappeared into a massive sinkhole, which Morris of course started expanding and turning into a major new tourist destination. The driving range had to be sacrificed due to its proxim ity to the cave.

We looked back at Colin Mont gomerie’s U.S. Senior Open vic tory at Oak Tree National. Monty was extremely gracious in victory

Women’s Championship at Tulsa Country Club. Duke held on for the victory over top-ranked USC.

Some young 14-year-old named Austin Eckroat sur prised his college-bound Ed mond North teammates and the entire field by winning the Class 6A state cham pionship at Karsten Creek. Eckroat this fall earned his PGA Tour card for 2022-23 by finishing third in the Korn Ferry Tour Finals. Edmond North, meanwhile, won its 10th consecutive state title, this time by 57 strokes.

Oklahoma City University won the NAIA

national women’s championship while James Marchesani won the individual title for the OCU men.

and ladled the praise on Oak Tree Nation al. Looking ahead, Oak Tree leaders Tom Jones and Everett Dobson said the club was pleased and looking for ward to its next big event. That may turn out to be a return of the U.S. Senior Open lat er this decade.

Jimmie Austin University of Okla homa Golf Course announced a contin ued series of improve ments, including bunker renovation, a par-3 course and com pletion of its turf care research facility, one of the finest of its kind in the nation.

We journey to Poteau to see how the members of Wolf Ridge Coun try Club were faring in their ef fort to save one of the most scenic courses in Oklahoma. And then further to see the new practice fa cilities at The Blessings, and then north to see a new ledge under construction at Old Kinderhook at Lake of the Ozarks.

Profiles that issue include Dillon Rust, Luke Phillips and TU coach Emilee Klein-Gille.

Dierks Bentley, David Feherty and Kid Rock at the Patriot Cup.

OCT-NOV, 2014

Many know Oral Rob erts Athletic Director Mike Carter has dealt with more than his share of tragedy, particularly losing son Scott Carter to cancer. But Carter also has a treasure trove of fun and sometimes hilarious sto ries related to golf and he sat down to share a bunch of those with us.

We also took this issue to credit Dave Bryan for his long run and many accomplishments at Southern Hills and to welcome new head professional Cary Cozby, who turned out to be the perfect re placement.

The Oaks Country Club brought in architect Bill Bergin to oversee a reno vation that includes all new greens and Bergin said he was determined to add some touches that original architect A.W. Tillinghast would have favored. We also ventured south to look at the new holes being added at Chickasaw Pointe, which had sacrificed some of its original lakeside holes for future housing.

Also in course news, Riverbend in Chickasha closed 18 of its 27 holes (the other nine was not far behind), Silverado in Durant closed and Scissortail in Verdigris was scheduled to be auctioned off. The overbuilt golf course market was correcting both na tionally and locally.

Yujeong Son

Mike Carter

Dave Bryan

Bill Bergin

Our cover story is on the popular Robert Streb, who had a great start to the 2015 PGA Tour sea son, including his first PGA Tour victory.

We were on hand for the grant opening of the new clubhouse at Lincoln Park and it was and is fantastic. Top Golf announced a June opening in Okla homa City and The Flying Tee revealed its plans for a Tulsa facility. Ben Cren shaw and Bill Coore announced they were building a new course for Johnny Morris to be called Ozarks National.

The big news that issue was the an nouncement of the first class of the Oklahoma Golf Hall of Fame and quite a

lineup it was. Charlie Coe, Perry Maxwell, Bob Dickson, Mike Holder, Gil Morgan and Bill Spill er were to be honored in a ceremony at the National Cowboy & Western Heri tage Museum in Oklahoma City on Oct. 25.

Spiller may have been the least known member of the first class but his pick showed the selection com mittee was on its toes. The Tishomingo native and one-time Tulsan broke racial barriers in golf that paved

AUG-SEPT, 2015

the way for Charlie Sifford and others who came after. He sued the PGA of America over its Caucasians only policies and finally won his case in 1961 after he was past his prime as a player.

Our pro files that issue include Rhein Gibson, Mi chael Hearne and UCO professor Neil Metz, who had written a paper calculat ing the odds of choking. Turns out pros gag just like we do.

The Women’s Oklahoma Golf Association prepares to celebrate its centennial at Oklahoma City Golf & Country Club, where the event was first held in 1915 and we take a look back at some of the milestone events in the first 100 years.

Our first in-depth Hall of Fame feature is on Perry Maxwell, the Ardmore banker who designed Southern Hills, Oklahoma City Golf & CC, Dornick Hills, Hill crest, Oakwood, Twin Hills CC, Ponca City CC and many other great Oklahoma courses. Else where he is most noted for Prai

rie Dunes in Hutchinson, Kan., Crystal Downs on Lake Michi gan and Old Town Club in Winston Salem, N.C. Our profiles that issue include Jimmy Walker, Dave Davenport, a found ing member of Quail Creek Bank and avid golfer who was an origi nal partner of Landmark founder Jerry Barton, and ar chitect Tripp Davis of Norman.

Brendon Jelley won his sec ond consecutive OGA State Amateur with a 3 and 2 vic tory over Jeff Coffman, while 14-year-old Yujeong Son won both the WOGA State Amateur and the WOGA Ju nior. She beat Megan Blonien of Altus 5 and 3 in the State Amateur and won the Junior by seven shots over Kaitlin Milligan and seven over Sydney Youngblood of Durant.

Mike Hughett won his 17th OGA Championship with a 5 and 4 vic tory over Kirk Wright in the Se nior State Amateur at Hillcrest Coun try Club. Our lead on the story noted it was a good thing the Oklahoma Golf Hall of Fame was launching. Hughett now is at 24 OGA wins and counting. Hmmm.

Features on upcoming Hall of Fame inductees Gil Morgan and Bob Dickson take up a good portion of the book. Could you find two nicer, more accom plished gentle men to grace your first class? Dickson was a three-time high school cham pion at Musk ogee, two-time All-American at OSU, OGA State Am champ in 1965, winner of the British Amateur and U.S. Amateur in 1967, spent 10 years on the PGA Tour, eight years on the Champions Tour and many more in administrative jobs for the PGA Tour.

Morgan, one of the original Oak Tree Gang mem bers, won seven times on the PGA Tour and 25 times, including three ma jors on the Champi ons Tour. And he couldn’t have been any more humble about it.

JUNE-JULY, 2015

Charlie Coe

Perry Maxwell

Bob Dickson

Gil Morgan

Mike Holder

Bill Spiller

Dave Davenport

Jimmy Walker

1915 WOGA founding members.

Brendon Jelley

This issue featured the ca reers of Mike Holder and Char lie Coe, two ultra competitive individuals whose accomplish ments were staggering.

All Holder did was coach OSU to eight national championships, 10 runner-up finishes and 25 conference championships in 32 seasons. And all that was before going on to a hugely influential and successful career as the Oklahoma State athletic director.

He’s not done either. Look for one more major renovation of Karsten Creek, the course he willed into existence, before long.

Coe, equally as lean and lanky as Holder, also successfully combined golf and busi ness. He remained one of the nation’s top

APR-MAY, 2016

Our cover story is on the attempt by former University of Tulsa play ers to save the TU men’s golf team, which the uni versity had recently axed as a cost-saving measure. The University told the players they would have to come up with a $6-million endowment to bring back men’s golf and that has not happened in the six years since.

It may have been a petty move to shat ter a program that could easily have been turned into a money maker for the school. If you’re essentially splitting 4.5 scholarships among eight or nine players, the remainder they are paying adds up to a considerable sum. Fund-raising tournaments could have covered most of the rest of the travel and coaches’ salaries.

TU Athletic Di rector Rick Dickson said recently that the climate for non-rev enue sports with the NCAA fading is not conducive to bringing back golf at this point. With the program gone, Bill Brogden ended his 47-year coaching career, the last 30 of those at TU. Then 73, he eventually went on to lend his talents as an assistant at Oral Roberts, where he coached from 1976-86, leading the Titans

amateurs throughout his career, which included U.S. Amateur victories in 1949 and 1958. He set nu merous amateur scoring records at The Masters. including nine top-24 finishes. A three-time Big Seven champion at Okla homa, he is still known as one of the finest amateur golfers in history.

Also in this issue, we visited with Jim Ramsey at the newly renovated Arrowhead State Park Golf Course, took a look at mas sive renovations at Buffalo Rock in Cushing and Henryetta Country Club and previewed the Long Drivers Association championship coming to WinStar Golf Resort.

We also met the team be

to a runner-up finish in the 1981 NCAA Champion ship, finishing two shots shy of Brigham Young.

Also in that issue, the second class of the Okla homa Golf Hall of Fame was announced, including Jerry Cozby, Tommy Bolt, Labron Harris Sr., along with W.K. Warren Sr. and W.K. Warren Jr.

In our preview of the college spring sea son we took a look at the Sooners and the strong connection Ryan Hybl was build ing with top in-state talent, including Max McGreevy, Brad Dalke, Quade Cummins, Thomas Johnson and Griffin Pierce. Hybl also had verbal commitments from Lane Wallace and Logan McAllister.

Looking back now, McGreevy is on the PGA Tour, Cummins and McAllister on the Korn Ferry Tour while Dalke and Johnson are also pro golfers. Wallace is finishing up his col legiate career at Oral Roberts while Pierce has gone into private business.

Tripp Davis re mained busy in state with major renova tions of Cedar Ridge and Jimmie Austin. We also caught up with Rhein Gibson for a Q&A on his new life on the PGA Tour.

hind the FlyingTee in Jenks, including broth ers John and James Vollbrecht and food and beverage specialist Ryan Tawwater. The excitement was high at that time that they had hit on a concept that would equal or exceed the popularity of TopGolf. For many reasons this nev er quite happened, though the facility remains open and fun and has fully tran sitioned the original threerestaurant concept to bar food and cold beer through out. A new ownership group now leases the facility from the Creek Nation and the Vollbrechts have moved on to other ventures combining technology and driving ranges.

JUNE-JULY, 2016

In addition to playing tremendous golf, Nancy Lopez had a really good time during her two years at Tulsa, as readers of our fea tures on Oklahoma Golf Hall of Fame induct ees Lopez, Jer ry Cozby and Tommy Bolt found out in this issue.

As for Cozby, who had recently retired after a 41-year ca reer as head professional at Hillcrest Country Club in Bartlesville, we only had space to print a fraction of the testimonials that came in on the impact he had on other young professionals.

In high school golf, we honored state champions, including Durant’s Sydney Youngblood, who completed a four-peat as state champion in Class 5A. Other notable winners included Yujeong Son of Norman in her one season of playing high school golf she won Class 6A by three shots over Tay lor Dobson of Broken Arrow. Logan McAl lister of Christian Heritage won the boys 3A crown and went on to be an All-American at OU. ShaeBug Scarberry won the girls 3A as a sophomore, she is finishing up her season this year at Troy after starting at TU.

In college golf, Oklahoma City won the men’s NAIA championship; it’s 10th since 1982. OU lost in the NCAA match play quar terfinals while OSU missed out by finishing 10th in stroke play,

John Vollbrecht

James Vollbrecht

Tommy Bolt

LaBron Harris

Nancy Lopez

W.K. Warren

Jerry Cozby

W.K. Warren Jr.

We wrote our first feature on Traden Karch and his remark able recovery from a near fatal auto accident that robbed him of his childhood memories and much of his speech and language skills. Traden graduated from Broken Arrow High School in the spring and is to attend Rog ers State University this fall. He is a remarkable young man and wants to give back to those who saved his life with a possible career as an EMT or related field.

In course news, PGA professional Michael Henderson purchased the for mer Fairfax Golf Course in Ed mond and rebranded it as The Golf Club of Edmond. Good move. Since that time both Cof fee Creek and Silverhorn have closed. This summer Kicking bird was closed for major reno vations, as was Oak Tree Na tional. If you wanted to play in golf crazy Edmond, it was a great option.

Southern Hills professional Cary Cozby was named the PGA of America Golf Pro fessional of the Year, the same award father

OCT-NOV, 2016

The enigmatic Brad Dalke struggles might ily in the spring for OU, then nearly wins the U.S. Amateur. Emilee Klein-Gille goes in-depth on her efforts to revitalize the TU women’s program.

Jerry was awarded in 1985, the first fatherson duo to be so hon ored.

In competition, Quade Cummins held off Tate Wil liamson to win the OGA State Ama teur, while Yujeong Son won her third consecutive WOGA State Am, making seven birdies in a 3 and 2 victory over Nadia Majidi zadeh. Alexis Sadeghy won the WOGA Stroke Play title by three shots over Majidizadeh.

ShaeBug Scarberry swept the OGA Ju nior Girls and the WOGA Junior Girls titles, while Mike Hughett moved up to 19 OGA plates in his cupboard with a three-shot victory in the OGA Senior Stroke Play at Meadowbrook

APR-MAY, 2017

CC. Kirk Wright won the OGA Senior State Amateur and Jarod Lundy claimed the PGA SCS Match Play Championship.

Hall of Fame features in this issue includ ed the legacy of W.K. Warren Sr. and W.K. Warren Jr. on the building of Southern Hills, and in the case of Jr., the building of the West Nine and the landing of the 2001 U.S. Open.

Labron Harris, the godfather of Okla homa State’s golf program, was re membered by Doug Tewell, Mike Hold er, Bob Dickson and other greats as the first teacher-coach in college golf, rather than just someone to drive the bus. Holder also picked up some good wrestling tips that he would later use on his own players.

Our cover story was on the bold bunker renovation project by architect Tripp Da vis at Jimmie Austin, which has gone on to host numerous top events since and now will be the site of an annual Korn Ferry Tour event.

In a story still apt to day, some of Oklaho ma’s young pros discuss with Scott Wright on when is the right time to admit that you are not PGA Tour material and get a job. With the increased purses on the Korn Ferry Tour, chasing a dream of professional golf has turned into more t a decade pursuit for many today and the margin between the players seems to be razor thin. Yet the cream usually rises and if you are still being described as some one with potential after your 25th birthday it’s probably time to explore other ways to make a living.

White Hawk Golf Course in Bixby and Winter Creek in Blanchard reopen with Champion Bermuda greens. It would be a short-lived reprieve for White Hawk .

Mike McGraw’s new book, “Better Than I Found It,” is reviewed. It was an honest look by one of Oklahoma’s favorite sons at how he strug gled in replacing Mike Holder at Oklahoma State and the lessons he learned to become a better person and coach.

We profiled T.J. Eckert as he tran sitioned from quarterback to aspir ing golfer for UCO. Eckert is now the sports anchor for KTUL, the ABC af filiate in Tul sa, and still an enthusi astic and tal ented golfer.

The Oklahoma Golf Hall of Fame announced its 2017 class would in clude an Oak Tree National heavy

lineup of founders Joe Walser and Er nie Vossler along with Oak Tree Gang members Bob Tway, Doug Tewell and Mark Hayes. There will be other great classes in the fu ture, but not one as decorated on the course as this one until some of our young prodigies play out their careers.

We profile OU’s Max McGreevy as he gets set to lead the Sooners into the NCAA Champion ship in his senior sea son. Guess what?

The new clubhouse and lodge at Lake

Murray State Park Golf Course is a huge improvement.

Traden Karch and mother Manda Karch

Quade Cummins Mike Hughett

The sixth green at White Hawk Golf Course.

T.J. Eckert

Boomer! That’s the cover as Ryan Hybl and the Sooners win the school’s first national cham pionship since 1989. Led by Max McGreevy, Brad Dalke, Rylee Reinerston, Blaine Hale and Grant Hirschman, the Sooners took down defending champion Ore gan 3-2, with Hale, McGreevy and Dalke winning finals matches.

Also winning a national title that spring, the Oklahoma City University women’s team, coached by Marty McCauley and led by Anna Mikish, Savannah Moody, Melissa Eldredge, Carolina Goodin and Kailey Campbell.

Logan McAllister fired a 62 in the opening round and cruised to his second straight Class 3A state championship. Freshman Jaxon Dowell finished second and led Oklahoma Christian to the team title. Austin Eckroat won the Class 6A title at Golf Club of Edmond as Edmond North won its 12th title in the past 13 years. Kaitlin Milli gan won the girls 6A crown at Ponca City CC without once pulling her driver from the bag.

Kyle Hudelson and Clark Collier made it to the finals of the USGA Four-Ball Champion ship at Pinehurst.

We profiled Kevin Tway as he went on a torrid run on the PGA Tour and Hayden Wood as he moved into the starting lineup for OSU.

Doug Tewell and Mark Hayes, childhood friends and two of Oklahoma’s great juniors, were profiled, as they got ready to enter the Hall of Fame together.

ShangriLa Resort opened its new 119room ho tel to rave reviews. It’s been a series of won ders there since Eddy Gibbs took control.

Johnny Morris and Tiger Woods

We took a look at five new holes added to The Woods in Coweta. Though JonesPlan did a great job on the holes, it wasn’t enough to keep the course open as the rate of closures began to peak over the next few years.

We took a closer look at the emergence of Johnny Morris’ Big Cedar Golf Desti nation and a look back at 60 years of the Texas-Oklahoma Junior.

We finished up our Hall of Fame pre views with an extensive feature on Bob Tway by John Rohde and a histori cal piece on the impact of Joe Walser Jr. and Ernie Vossler not just on Landmark Land Co. but on Oklahoma. Those two showed just what is possible in the game with the right combination of dedication, moxie and business acumen.

Firelake Golf Course in Shawnee re opened after two years of drainage work to rave reviews.

The final nine holes of the Scissortail Course at WinStar Resort & Casino in

Thackerville opened. This pleasing nine has a North Carolina feel with tree-lined fairways gently bending or sloping.

Also, this writer takes his first trip to Scotland and goes on a dream links for ay that begins in the Highlands at Brora and works steadily south to Royal Dor noch, Castle Stuart, Cruden Bay, Royal Aberdeen, Carnoustie, Kingsbarns, St. Andrews, Gullane and North Berwick. Spectacular!

however, in that the golf courses have to be included in the next bond issue to effect improvements that are not coming from a Covid surge or even from the current $1 million in ARPA funds the city council has offered if a private match is successful.

Bob Tway

OCT-NOV, 2017

The publisher’s column was titled, “City of Tulsa Courses in Need of a Champion.” It detailed how the courses were slowly disintegrating as Tulsa refused to put any capital improvement dollars toward neces sary projects. Nothing really changed until the Covid golf boom gave the city some extra money, which fortunately it allowed the golf committee to direct this spring to improvements at Stone Creek and Olde Page. The point of the column remains

The cover story detailed the woes of other courses as developers purchased White Hawk in Bixby and Mead owbrook Country Club in Tulsa with the idea of turn ing both into housing devel opments. White Hawk did close though no houses have been built amid a legal battle, while Meadowbrook’s new owners soon figured out there were several huge political and physi cal obstacles to turn ing Meadowbrook into housing. Now Mead owbrook’s membership has rebounded to where the course has elimi nated the public access through tee time services that helped bring in additional revenue.

by, Clary Fields in Sapulpa, Cotton Creek in Sapulpa, Okmulgee CC, Emerald Falls in Broken Arrow, Scissor tail in Verdigris and The Woods in Coweta, remain ing course operators in northeast Oklahoma were poised for success if only something could spark the public’s interest in golf again. No one would have ever guessed what that would be or the horrible toll it would take on most everything but golf.

The new clubhouse at The Patriot

With the closings of White Hawk in Bix

Other course news: The Greens CC in OKC opened its new Cham pion Bermuda greens, Forest Ridge launched plans for a major new fitness, tennis and pickle ball facility, Tim Johnson announced ag gressive new plans for improvements at The Golf Club of Oklaho ma, Oklahoma City an nounced it would build major new clubhouses at Earlywine and Lake Hefner and The Patri ot continued work on a 24,000-square foot clubhouse that today is the pride of the club.

OU, OSU TAKE OVER COLLEGE GOLF

OJGT PRODUCES FLOOD OF TALENT

APR-MAY, 2018

One of the best covers ever in 30 years of the magazine was this illustration by our own Chris Swafford of the battle expected at the NCAA Cham pionship at Karsten Creek be tween defending champion Oklahoma and stacked Okla homa State, led by player-ofthe-year rivals Viktor Hovland and Matthew Wolff.

Besides previewing the NCAA Championship, we took a look at the upcoming restoration of Southern Hills CC by architect Gil Hanse and the redesign of the par-3 course at LaFortune Park by architect Randy Heckenkemper. Al though the grow-in of the par-3 hasn’t been flawless, that course has been one of the most popular in the state since the Covid pandemic began. It became the date night spot for youngsters who would previously have been crowding into a mall, movie theater or bar.

JUNE-JULY, 2018

We updated the situation at White Hawk Golf Course in Bixby, with new owner Roger Rodich announcing plans to keep the course open after the disastrous years under American Golf management. Rodich said in that story:

“We’re going to give it ev ery chance. We’re going to capitalize it and improve it. If it doesn’t work, then we’re not going down with Titanic. If it can’t be profitable, we will then move to development.”

New owner of White House Golf Course, Roger Rodich

Quail Creek Golf & Country Club hired architect Bill Bergin, who had overseen a successful renovation at The Oaks CC in Tulsa, to oversee the build ing of new Tif-Eagle Bermuda greens, rebuilt bunkers and other updates.

A story evaluated the impact the closing of SilverHorn in Oklahoma City would have on the remaining courses in Edmond and Oklahoma City. Most course operators said it would be minimal, because the discount hunters used to paying below market rates

would just pursue whatever course moved to fill that gap. However with the contract ing markets in both OKC and Tulsa, the in centive to offer the deep discounts that de stroyed maintenance budgets was lessening.

Our annual high school preview top 10 featured in order: Logan McAllister, Carson Griggs, Jared Strathe, Brock Polhill, Jaxon Dowell, James Roller, Andrew Goodman, Jordan Wilson, Matthew Braley and Gray son Wallace. All are now either pros or play ing Division I collegiate golf.

Oklahoma State put on a dominant display with one of the best collegiate teams of all time, succeeding Okla homa as NCAA cham pions with a 5-0 beat down of Alabama in the championship match. How good was that team? Reserve Sam Stevens just earned his PGA Tour card, as did Austin Eckroat. They will join Viktor Hovland on the PGA Tour, while Matthew Wolff plays LIV Golf. Kristoffer Ventura is qualified for Korn Fer ry Tour while Zack Bauchou and Brendon Jelley are trying to get there.

Also winning a national championship that spring were the Oklahoma City Stars, who won their 11th crown and second in three years, this one by 13 shots over Dal ton State as Rupert Kaminsky tied for sixth individually.

Jeff Doherty stepped down as head coach at Edmond North after winning 12 state championships and sending 25 play

ers on to Division I schools, including three on the PGA Tour. It was announced that legendary former TU women’s coach Dale McNamara and her daughter Melissa Luellen would be co-winners of the prestigious IBA Award, which celebrates sportsmanship and community involvement as well as ath letic accomplishment.

Boys high school cham pions that spring included Brock Polhill in 6A, Gray son Wallace in 5A, Mat thew Braley in 4A, Jaxon Dowell in 3A and James Roller in 2A. Polhill has now begun a professional career, while the oth ers play respectively for Wichita State, Grand Can yon State, Oklahoma and Texas Tech.

Among the girls, ShaeBug

Scarberry won her third title in Class 3A at Purcell. Other winners included Faith Hop kins in 6A, Nina Lee in 5A, Chloe Black in 4A and Sydney Manning in 2A.

In course news, Winter Creek completed renovations in Blanchard and the Ransom Short Course, designed by Tripp Davis, opened at Jimmie Austin in Norman.

From left, Matthew Wolff, Zach Bauchou, Viktor Hovland, Kristoffer Ventura, Austin Eckroat and Brendon Jelley.

Oklahoma mourned the death of Mark Hayes, a legendary player, a 2017 inductee into the Oklaho ma Golf Hall of Fame and a respected golf course ar chitect later in his career.

Also passing away in a short time frame were Gerald Barton, the finan cial wizard in the Land mark Land Company partnership with pros Ernie Vossler and Joe Walser Jr.; Bruce Lietzke, a 13-time PGA Tour winner who kept a house on Grand Lake and was a long-time member at Shangri-La; and Larry Flesner, for 23 years the head professional at John Conrad Golf Course in Midwest City. Larry would have loved the restoration of John Conrad that reopened this summer.

In less depressing people news, longtime Titleist rep Pat Moriarty left the section to take care of the power brokers, includ ing President Barack Obama, who plays all Titleist clubs, in Washington, D.C., He was replaced by Joel Hounchell, a Ball State grad, but more importantly a Buckeye fan (full disclosure, 1981 Ohio State grad here).

OCT-NOV, 2018

Photographer Von Castor captured one of the best pictures ever run in Golf Oklahoma with his shot of The Club at Indian Springs’ PGA Jr. League team and the sheer joy of the participants.

We detailed the dou ble bogey by legislators writing the new alco hol sales regulations and how they prevented beer sales at public golf courses that depend on that revenue to make ends meet.

Chi Chi Rodri guez visited Quail Creek Golf & Coun try Club in Okla homa City to help commemorate its reopening after ex tensive renovations.

The course had a plaque dedicated to him installed on the sixth tee box, which is where Rodriguez be gan a run of eight consecutive birdies during the 1987 Silver Pages Classic, which he led

Former Oklahoma State All-American Annie Young became the latest coach named to try to re store the Tulsa women’s program. The days when TU dominated the col lege landscape are over but being competi tive in the American Athletic Conference

with regular appearances in an NCAA Regional would be a good start. TU has improved steadily since Young’s hiring and this fall she may have her deepest team yet with the additions of freshmen Maggie Roller and Grace Kilcrease to a solid lineup anchored by Lilly Thomas.

We announced the return of the Oklahoma Golf Expo for Jan. 25-26 in Tulsa. This was to be the final one we produced, having put on more than 20 expos in Tulsa, Oklahoma City, Northwest Arkansas, Little Rock and Lincoln, Neb. They were a lot of work, a lot of fun and a lot of stress,. Th still going strong in some places we were unable to get the amount

wire-to-wire.

In other course news, Oklahoma City Golf & Country Club prepared for a major restoration by spraying out its common Bermuda fairways in an ticipation of a conversion to Latitude 36, a Bermuda selection developed by Oklahoma State Univer sity. The $9-million reno vation overseen by architect Tripp Davis would also see the greens converted to 007 bent grass.

This would be the eighth time Davis has helped renovate or restore a course originally designed by Perry Maxwell.

“We had a search firm and looked at course architects from the east coast to the west coast and just felt Tripp was better suited for the project,” said GM Oliver Boudin.

of participation we needed from the equip ment side to make them viable in the Inter net age. The first one was held in the Cox Expo Center in 2003 and, de spite a snowstorm on Sunday, was very successful. Over the years we had some wonderful speakers and demonstrations, including regulars Sean “The Beast” Pfister, Marshall Smith, David Edwards, Ron Streck, Jim Woodward, Bill Glasson, Tra cy Phillips, Janice Gibson, Holley Hair, Dan Rooney and many more. Thanks to my expoo crew of Ste phen and Derek Hillman, Craig Raguse, Pat McTigue, Vicki Tramel, Adam Bode, Whitney Miller, Lou ise Schlosser and Tim Landes. I have some expo stories about each. Ask me sometime.

Our cover story that issue showed Gil Hanse working on one of the greens at Southern Hills. Hanse is de tailed and meticulous about getting the grade right on a green and does it himself many times, though his crew including partner Jim Wagner are great as well. Hanse is the hottest commodity in golf course architecture for good reason and dtid a masterful job at Southern Hills in restoring the original brilliance of the Perry Maxwell design.

“He has a true passion for Perry Maxwell de sign and helping us keep the integrity of the course.”

The cover story was on the new Ozarks National course designed by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw opening in Branson as Johnny Morris continued to turn the Ozark town into a national golf destination.

The college package in that issue includ ed a story by John Rohde on the relation ship between Willie and Hayden Wood, a feature by Scott Wright on the Burly Boys at Oklahoma, a story on Viktor Hovland’s run to the U.S. Amateur championship and a story on Casey Fernandez of McAlester winning the Oklahoma Open.

Gil Hanse

Sean “The Beast” Fister

Mark Hayes

Willie Wood and son Hayden.

PGA Junior League

Chi Chi Rodriquez and Quail Creek head professional Kye Flinton

Our incisive book re viewer Tom Bedell tack les two tough subjects in this issue, how to proper ly memorialize Dan Jen kins, one of the greatest sportswriters ever, and also his take on Rick Reil ly’s book, “Commander In Cheat,” about the near pathological lying and cheating by the thenpresident when it came to golf and most of his other endeavors. But we should take a moment to thank Donald Trump for his decisive role in bringing the 2022 PGA Champion ship to Tulsa eight years ahead of schedule.

This issue featured the great works being done at the First Tee of Tulsa and the First Tee of Oklahoma City. And the 2019 class for the Oklahoma Golf Hall of Fame was announced as Orville Moody, Jim Awtrey, Melissa McNamara Luellen, William Nichols and Bill Glasson. It was a class that won a major championship (Moody in the 1969 U.S. Open), won on the

LPGA (Luellen) and PGA Tours (Moody and Glasson), directed one of the fore most organizations in golf (Awtrey as CEO of the PGA of America) and the founder of the Oklahoma Golf Association and one of the first pros in Oklahoma (Nichols).

John Rohde wrote a nice story about Sam Humphreys and his return to the team at UMKC after undergoing treatment for testicular

The Gil Hanse resto ration of Southern Hills Country Club is com plete and just in time for the 2021 Senior PGA Championship and the 2022 PGA Champion ship. Superintendent Russ Myers loves the new hydronics system to keep all the greens chilled out in the sum mer heat. The new greens are certainly more difficult to hold than their previous

cancer. Sam now is the driving force be hind the 73rd Hole Podcast, does a radio show and a lot of producing work for The Sports Animal in Oklahoma City and helps Golf Oklahoma with sales and stories.

incarnations and handicaps among the membership get set to soar. But the course proves a great test in the two majors and visually spectacular as well.

Our Hall of Fame features this issue include the great playing and coaching career of Melissa Luellen and the remarkable ball striking of James Orville Moody.

Among the high school stars to win ti tles that spring were Owasso’s Ben Stoller

Our NCAA preview story looked forward to the possibility of a Bedlam encounter at the NCAA Championship. Since OU won in 2017 and OSU in 2018 and both teams were still loaded with talent, it seemed inevitable it would happen that year or soon. Here we are going into 2023 and though both teams consistently reach match play they have yet to meet in the NCAA. We also pro filed the top players for each, OU’s Quade Cum mins and OSU’s Aus tin Eckroat, who have become fast friends. And we looked at The Blessings, near Spring dale, Ark., the beautiful but unforgiving torture chamber where the NCAA Championship would be decided.

Our top-10 high school list is headed by William McDonald of Heritage Hall on the boys side and Taylor Towers of Re joice Christian for the girls. Both lists are stacked with future collegiate stars.

in Class 6A, Guthrie’s Luke Morgan in 5A, Ada’s Max Roberts in 4A, Oklahoma Christian’s Jaxon Dowell edging Heritage Halls Drew Good man in a playoff in 3A and Connor Boydson of Big Pas ture winning 2A. Sydney Her mann of Ponca City won the girls Class 6A, while Blayne Barker of Durant took 5A, Kenzie Kirkhart of Hilldale won 4A, Rea gan Chaney of Plainview took 3A and freshman Jenni Roller of Regent Prep won her first of three state titles in Class 2A.

Orville Moody Melissa Luellen

Orville Moody Jim Awtrey Melissa Luellen

William Nichols Bill Glasson

Sam Humphreys

Jordan Wilson Luke Morgan Sydney Hermann

Kenzie Kirkhart

Ben Stoller

Jaxon Dowell Blayne Barker

Mississippi is famous for the blues. But our greensare pretty spectacular, too.

If you’re looking for challenging play and beautiful scenery, you’ll find both in abundance in Mississippi. Our state boasts true destination courses designed by Nicklaus, Palmer, Fazio, and other luminaries, with a number of stunning courses located at our casino resorts. Learn more at VisitMississippi.org/Golf.

#WanderMS

Mossy Oak Golf Course | West Point, Mississippi

Our publisher’s col umn expressed the frustration I and many golfers in Tulsa were feeling with the City of Tulsa, which was again leaving the city courses adrift with no goal beyond avoiding a subsidy and seemingly indifferent to whether they remained open or not. The courses eventually fell into disgraceful condition before repairs finally began this spring. Hopefully we are setting a course for

long-term success but much remains to be done.

We observed the passing of Joey Dills, former PGA Tour and Brigham Young golfer who was a junior golf legend growing up in Muskogee. Dills, who was married to champion golfer and future state leg islator Sheila Dills, fought a long battle with prostate cancer. Hall of Fame profiles this issue in cluded Jim Awtrey, who rose from as assistant at Lake Hefner to be the first

CEO of the PGA of America. Due to his Oklahoma roots, Awtrey trusted Pete Dye to complete the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island in time for the 1991 Ryder Cup. It was a bold and risky move and re sulted in a ven ue that sparked a flame of in terest in the Ryder Cup that has grown to a massive in ferno today. We profiled The Coves Golf Course off Grand Lake and Cowboys Golf Club in Arlington. Our cover story was on our collegiate preview, with a close look at the Sooners and Cowboys men’s and women’s teams. Murray Evans profiled Rhein Gibson as he earned a second chance on the PGA Tour by winning on the Korn Ferry Tour.

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The 2019 OGA State Amateur Champi onship was won by Jordan Wil son of Edmond in an upset of future OSU teammate Aus tin Eckroat. Syd ney Youngblood won the WOGA State Amateur in an exciting match with ShaeBug Scar berry. Heath Myers won the OGA Stroke Play title, Mike Hughett the Se nior Stroke Play, Blake Gibson the OGA Senior State Amateur, Maddi Kamas the WOGA Junior and Scarberry the WOGA Stroke Play title.

Joey and Sheila Dills

Oklahoma Golf Hall of Fame inductee Jim Awtrey, right, with wife Jeanne and Barbara and George Bush

Sydney Youngblood

Heath Myers

A feature on OGA rules officials Gene Mortensen and Da vid Thompson proved timely, as Mortensen passed away the fol lowing year. Gene had authored our rules col umns for years and he was a great benefactor to the OGA and the scourge of slow play throughout the state. As I wrote in the story, I loved to see Gene at a tournament I was covering because I knew deadlines could then be met.

Amid stories on Oklahoma City Golf & Country Club and Tiger Woods' design Payne’s Valley in Branson, we ran a piece on the city of Sand Springs in vesting in a new club house, new

maybe just to stay sharp for the PGA Tour Champions ahead.

A look at players from Oklahoma or who played collegiate golf here found 17 with PGA Tour status for 2019-20. That will be the peak for a while, as Charles Howell III, Peter Ui hlein, Matthew Wolff, Talor Gooch and Abraham Ancer have all joined LIV Golf, while Rhein Gib son, Michael Gellerman and Morgan Hoff mann no longer have status and Hunter Mahan is mostly retired. Still there have been others to join since, including Taylor Moore, Max McGreevy, Austin Eckroat, Sam Stevens and Josh Creel, and more are in the pipeline. Having the Compliance Solutions Championship on the Korn Fer ry Tour in state for the next five years will be a showcase for Oklahoma talent.

Speaking of McGreevy, he won his sec ond Oklahoma Open that August.

Our Hall of Fame feature this issue pro filed Bill Glasson and the many injuries and obstacles he’s overcome in his life.

tailed all the physical issues that had kept Bo Van Pelt on the sidelines for more than three years and his hope that the latest surgery, in which a rib had been removed to alleviate thoracic outlet syndrome, would allow him to resume what had been a very successful PGA Tour career. Since his return, Van Pelt has had three years of mixed results culminating with not retaining his PGA Tour card follow ing the 2022 season. We will see if he returns to the Korn Ferry Tour at age 47,

Gene Mortensen

David Thompson

One of our better issues, not so much because of the outstanding content, but because we published. With advertisers pulling out and the country basically going dark, almost none of our fellow regional publishers went to press that spring, though some did digitalonly issues.

With courses closing, high school and college seasons cancelled and the pro game in a state of flux, we did our best to bring everyone the latest information, balancing breaking news on the website with features on the lost seasons in print. We went ahead with our top-10 prep stars annual feature. It’s a phenomenal boys list, with Andrew Good man, Jaxon Dowell, Jordan Wilson, James Roller, Luke Morgan,

JUNE-JULY, 2020

One of the first tour naments back was the OGA Junior at Kicking bird and we dedicated our cover to the winners, Emily Miller of Edmond and J.P. Roller of Jenks.

The PGA of America announced that the PGA Championship would be coming to Tulsa in 2030, at the far end of the range it had indicated earlier. But stay tuned, that was about to change.

Our travel section featured some great destinations within a short drive for those

Charlie Jackson, Will Sides, Jake Hopper, Bo Rob bins and Tres Hill. Girls were great as well with Maddi Kamas, Jenni Roller, Ray chel Nelke, Emily Miller, Brooklyn Benn, Reagan Chaney, Lilly

As more was learned about Covid 19 and the unlikelihood of outdoor transmission, we lobbied both pub licly and privately with key decision makers for courses to remain open using precautions. Golf soon became one of the key outlets for an other wise cooped-up country and millions discovered or rediscovered the joys of the game during the pandemic.

loath to get on a plane. It was announced that college athletes would be granted an extra year of eli gibility to make up for the Covid year. That has since re sulted in freshmen competing for play ing time against

players six years older or more. We should begin to see all the Covid backlog begin to clear out in the next two years and college return to a semblance

of normalcy in terms of athletes competing for four or five years instead of six or seven.

The PGA Tour left the Oklahomans on the Korn Ferry Tour in limbo with nowhere to advance for a year, affecting players such as Max McGreevy, Taylor Moore, Grant Hirschman and Charlie Saxon.

Talor

Gooch sat down with us for a Q&A, as did the Black Knight, Gary Player.

We had a nice feature by Patrick Prince on Olive High School coach Matt Warwick and how much he gives back to the program there.

In course news, we updated the ongoing renovations of Her itage Hills in Claremore and the Canyons at Blackjack Ridge in Sand Springs.

Matt Warwick

Max McGreevy

Taylor Moore

Grant Hirschman

Charlie Saxon

Whitley, Olivia Coit, Sarah Sherrard and Kaitlyn Kennedy.

Andrew Goodman

Raychel Nelke

Jaxon

Kamas

Luke Morgan Reagan Chaney

William Sides

Olivia Coit

Charlie Jackson Lilly Whitley

James Roller Emily Miller

Jordan Wilson Jenni Roller

Talor Gooch

Under a cloud of Covid uncer tainty, OSU’s Austin Eckroat and OU’s Quade Cummins returned to school, delaying plans to turn professional until the following summer. Of course, this boosted the state schools in their pursuit of a spring 2021 NCAA title.

With no one graduating, OU suddenly found its roster flush with 15 collegians as coach Ryan Hybl continued to recruit and four seniors in Cummins, Garret Reband, Thomas Johnson and Riley Casey, each came back for another year.

“Everyone is looking at this as a negative but this is the big gest positive you could have,” said Hybl, who had been planning on a 10-man roster. “It’s exciting that all these guys said they wanted to come back and had something to prove.”

We ran a story pointing out the discon nect between all the young black golfers being touched by the First Tee programs and the very few were competing at any level in Oklahoma’s state championships or on the OJGT. The issue is that while they may enjoy the game in

OCT-NOV, 2020

It was a heavy-heart issue as two legends and also friends passed in Jerry Cozby of Hill crest Country Club and Buddy Phillips of Cedar Ridge Country Club.

I was fortunate to know both and equally so their sons who are carrying on their lega cies in golf. Cary, Craig and Chance Coz by and Tracy Phillips. The online tributes to both from those they touched were heartwarming to read.

Profiles in this issue in cluded Charlie Saxon on the

elementary school, there were virtu ally no junior high teams in inner-city schools in Tulsa and Oklahoma City and very few high schools had a team. In mostly white suburbs, there are usually both a ju nior high and high school team.

The First Tee of Tulsa along with Tulsa Public Schools is trying to change that scenario with the addi tion of junior high teams at various schools in TPS, includ ing Webster, Memorial, Hale, Booker T Washington and others.

Players:

Jamie Voegeli, a 31-year-old member of Meadowbrook Country Club, won the OGA State Amateur at The Pa triot. Voegeli put an end to a long string of high school and college players win ning the State Am dating back to 2006.

Golfers from Burroughs Elemen tary at the First Tee of Tulsa.

We featured Logan Allen of Perkins, who had earned a college scholarship despite undergoing three heart surgeries. And Pat Wheeler took us on a trip back in time to the day that Arnold Palmer showed up at the Texas-Oklahoma Junior back in 1970.

Korn Ferry Tour and long time retail expert Mickey Botkin of Golf USA.

Tiger Woods, Justin Thomas, Rory McIlroy and Justin Rose paid a visit up the road in Branson for the opening of Tiger’s Payne’s Valley Golf Course. It’s been hard to get a tee time ever since. Amazing how

Tulsa coach An nie Young rolled to a 6 and 4 victory over Syd ney Her mann of Ponca City to win the WOGA State Ama teur. Kyle Hudelson repeated as cham pion in the OGA MidAm, while Todd Raffensperger won the OGA Senior Stroke Play and Raychel Nelke cap tured the WOGA Junior.

Tiger Woods and friends Justin Thomas, Rory McIlroy and Justin Rose at Payne’s Valley Cup.

much foresight Johnny Morris had in se curing a course from Tiger. Even though his architectural skills may not be on the level with Ben Crenshaw, Bill Coore, Jack Nicklaus, Tom Fazio and Gary Play er, his name elevated the destination to must-see, must-play status immediately upon opening.

Ryan Hybl

Jamie Voegeli

Kyle Hudelson

Mickey Botkin

Buddy and Tracy Phillips. Jerry and Karole Cozby.

2021 DIRECTORY

We haven’t included the Direc tory Issue in this look back most years but this one was notable for three rea sons: the feature on the re markable work go ing on at Boiling Springs Golf Course in Woodward; the story on David Jones, the su perintendent at

APR-MAY, 2021

A special preview is sue for the 2021 Kitche naid Senior PGA Cham pionship at Southern Hills had plenty of oth er news as well.

OGA Executive Di rector Mark Felder used his column to laud Quade Cummins and Austin Eckroat for representing Oklahoma on the Walker Cup team. It was also announced that Felder would be inducted that year into the South Central Section Hall of Fame.

Chris Tidland gave up his pro golf career and became the head pro fessional at Stillwa ter Country Club, replac ing Chuck Coatney, who retired.

The 2021 Oklahoma Golf Hall of Fame Class was announced. Scott Verplank, Danny Ed wards, David Edwards, Art Proctor and architect Floyd Farley comprised an outstanding class that had won 14 PGA Tour events and designed and run the state’s busi est golf course at Kick ingbird in Edmond.

The Club at In dian Springs, on his quest to play every course in Oklahoma; and the story on the 2022 PGA Champion ship being moved up from 2030 at Southern Hills in Tulsa follow ing the Jan. 6 storming of the U.S. Capitol and the subsequent second impeachment of President Donald Trump.

Southern Hills and the PGA of America

worked together at an accelerated pace to make it a near flawless championship, meeting or exceeding goals in corporate, ticket and merchandise sales. It was a boon for the course, city and state.

The 18th hole at Southern Hills Country Club.

Verplank’s career was ex amined in depth by John Ro hde in an extensive feature with the always frank and entertaining Oak Tree National member.

We had a sta tus report on the building on the new PGA of America head quarters in Frisco, Texas. The first of many major champi onships, the 2023 Senior PGA Championship, is scheduled there next spring and the 500-room hotel will open about then as well.

We took a detailed look at the Covid-in duced golf boom that meant record rounds, equipment company backlogs and travel delays. The upcoming years will tell how well golf is able to sustain and better manage the new and returned golfers who flooded to the game during the pandemic.

Left to right, Scott Verplank, Art Proctor, Floyd Farley, Danny Edwards and David Edwards

(Oklahoma), Reagan Chaney of Plainview (Oklahoma City University), Lilly Whitley of Edmond Memorial (Missouri State), Brooklyn Benn (Wichita State), Ol ivia Coit (Arkansas State), Em ily Vang of Catoosa, Sarah Sher rard of Chris tian Heritage Academy (Okla homa Chris tian) and Jaid en Gregston of Duncan.

Our an nual high school pre view was again loaded with talent.

The girls list was topped by Jenni Roller of Regent Prep, now playing for TU. She was followed by Raychel Nelke of Pocola

The boys list included Andrew Good man of Christian Heritage (Oklahoma), Jordan Wilson of Edmond North (Okla homa State), William Sides of Cascia Hall (Southern Methodist), Jake Hopper of Norman North (Oklahoma), Ben Stoller of Owas so (Kansas State), Ry der Cowan of Oklahoma Christian (OU Commit), Dylan Tee ter of Bixby (OCU), Drew Mabrey of Holland Hall and Tres Hill of Elk City (OCU).

Austin Eckroat

Quade Cummins

Chris Tidland

Jordan Wilson

William Sides

Raychel Nelke

Reagan Chaney

David Jones Superintendent at The Club at Indian Springs

Oklahoma’s Logan McAllister and his love for golf course architecture was our cover story. We ex pected to be writing about either OU or OSU winning the national championship, but Pepperdine took care of that, knocking off OSU in the semifinals and OU in the championship match.

Andrew Good man and Jenni Roller won the OGA Junior titles at Kickingbird. Among the high school winners were Ben Stoller of Owasso in Class 6A, Parker Payne of Noble in 5A, Tres Hill of Elk City in 4A, Drew Goodman in 3A and Dominic Stevens of Crescent in 2A. Girls winners were Haley Blevins of Edmond North in

6A, Mikaela Karanja of Durant in 5A, Maddi Kamas of Kingfisher in 4A, Brooklyn Benn of Okla homa Chris tian in 3A and Jenni Roller of Regent Prep in 2A.

I took my son to the opening of The Anchor at Shangri-La so

I would get a better appreciation of all the high tech gadgetry in the game center. The state of the art indoor arcade of fers just about everything, including Trackman. Out side are tennis courts, pickleball courts, basket ball, whiffle ball, sand volleyball, a fishing pond, firepits and more. Did I mention bars with huge televisions!

Andrew Goodman

Jenni Roller

Shangri-La owner Eddy Gibbs

The Anchor is a wonderland of fun for visitors to Shangri-La Resort.

Golf pros Steve Car son of Lincoln Park and Alsie Hyden of Lake He fner graced the cover. The accomplishments in promoting public golf of those two would take a larger magazine than this to list. Both are now retired and should be thanked profusely by every golfer at their course, their city and throughout the state.

We took a look at how NIL (Name, Im age and Likeness) deals may affect collegiate golfers. It seems throughout collegiate sports that NIL has turned into a way just to fun nel money to foot ball and basketball players and you see very little if any ac tual name, image and likeness being used to peddle products.

We went to Dornick Hills in Ardmore to meet Tom Doak and get a handle on his restoration project for which he graciously donat ed his time.

Our Hall of Fame pro files in this issue were on David Edwards and Floyd Farley, two very interest ing and accomplished men. Edwards was one of the hardest working players ever at Oklahoma State, while Farley designed courses that have hosted more rounds of public golf in Oklahoma than probably any other five architects combined.

Sam Humphreys went to WinStar to check out the incred ible golf academy which is open to the public. Trackman, SAM putting labs, all the custom fitting equipment one could want. It’s definitely worth checking out on your next visit to one of the nation’s best

golf and gambling resorts.

We took a look around the state at the

massive devastation to turf grass caused by one of the worst winter storms in state history. Even covers couldn’t protect many Bermuda greens from losing turf. The Canyons at Blackjack Ridge, which had just opened with new greens, was forced to resprig and six of the new greens at Her itage Hills in Claremore had to be replant ed. Quail Creek G&CC in Oklahoma City resprigged 10 new Bermuda greens. South

WWW.GOLFOKLAHOMA.ORG

Tom Doak on site at Dornick Hills

Floyd Farley

David Edwards with Jack Nicklaus after winning The Memorial.

MASTER YOUR SWING ACE OUR GREENS

ern Hills sod ded acres of fairway just prior to the 2021 Senior PGA, while Gaillardia in Oklahoma City used the damage o its fairways to opt for a near-complete replacement with the new Tahoma Bermuda developed by OSU.

Tres Hill of Elk City won the OGA State Amateur at Cedar Ridge CC in Broken Arrow, while ShaeBug Scarberry took home the WOGA State Amateur at The Ter ritory Golf & Coun try Club in Duncan, defeating 59-year-old Janet Miller 4 and 3 in the final. Scarberry backed up her championship this summer, winning at Gaillardia.

OCT-NOV, 2021

Austin Quinten of the First Tee of Tulsa and student Anthony Taylor pre pare for the Special Olympics National Championships. Taylor, who is le gally blind as well as a special needs stu dent, is quite a com petitor and the two eventually placed third this spring at the championships in Florida.

We looked back at the great career of longtime Oaks CC head professional Rick Reed as he got set to retire, making way for Derrick Vest to move over from The Patriot.

Our cover story was on the hopes of three Oklaho ma-based PGA Tour rookies in Josh Creel, Max McGreevy and Taylor Moore. Two of the three – McGreevy and Moore – played well

enough in 2021-22 to keep their cards, while Creel will have to return to the Korn Ferry Tour.

The Hall of Fame feature this issue was on Danny Ed wards and his unique life as both a champion golfer and race car driver, as well as owner of one of the nation’s top grip companies.

Zach James won the Okla homa Open when he overcame Sam Stevens with a four-shot swing on the par-3 13th hole. James made a long bird ie while Stevens made a triple bo gey, going from three shots be hind to a shot ahead.

Rick Reed

Danny Edwards

Michael Hughett sets a record with 23 OGA victories.

ShaeBug Scarberry

Ranked one of the “Best Par 3 Courses” in the world by GOLF Magazine: Top of the Rock at Big Cedar Lodge golfbigcedar.com

Gulf Shores:

Unwind with Great golf, grub and sand in your toes

by ken mac leod

Whether a family trip divided between white sand beaches, golf, deep sea or shore fishing, sunset cruises, great seafood and a lively nightlife, or a full-on golf trip with buds, it’s hard to beat Gulf Shores, Ala., as a great destination for Oklahomans.

Whether you stay in Gulf Shores, Or ange Beach or the quieter Fort Morgan area, it’s a short drive to all the courses, restaurants and attractions. Getting there is an easy jaunt over from airports in Mo bile, Ala., or Pensacola, Fla. Hopefully di

rect flights from Dallas to Gulf Shores are coming soon.

Driving there is also not a bad way to go, as you can wind through Memphis, Lafayette and New Orleans, making a cultural and culinary excursion adventure out of the trip.

On a recent trip we ensconced in The Lodge at Gulf State Park, a Hilton Hotel and one of the best state park facilities we’ve visited in all of our travels. Completely rebuilt after being damaged by Hurricane Ivan in 2004, it reopened in 2018 as a model of sound environmental practices and land stewardship, which you can read about in

detail at www.thelodgeatgulfstatepark. com. It also has a great pool, easy beach ac cess and several fine restaurants and bars

A good starting point for forays for golf, food and fun.

Let’s get to the golf and let’s start with Kiva Dunes. Long a favorite of traveling Oklahomans, this Jerry Pate creation on the Fort Morgan peninsula has a less claus trophobic look after Hurricane Sally and course crews combined to remove a couple of thousand trees, mostly pine, in 2018. And yet, as someone who has played the course plenty before and after, it’s not that noticeable. Errant shots still spill into the

The Lake Course hole 8 at Peninsula Golf and Racquet Club, located in Gulf Shores, Ala.

The 18th Hole at Kiva Dunes, located in Gulf Shores, Ala.

...like teeing up on a quiet morning at a luscious green course and feeling the cool coastal breeze as you line up your shot. Putt, drive, swing, and dine all year long at one of the 15 beautiful golf courses in and around Gulf Shores and Orange Beach.

ravines where the cart path winds through scrub oaks. All of the rolling terrain Page incorporated is still there to challenge drives and ap proaches.

Reactions to Kiva Dunes can vary widely depending on how consistently you keep your tee shot in play, but I’ve always found it to be hugely entertaining, one of the best courses in the state.

As long-time head pro Mark Stillings notes, Kiva Dunes has long been a favorite of Oklahomans. Some purchase condos and stay on-site for months at a time, many others go through Kiva for its custom stay & play packages including condos, cottages or beach homes.

Probably the second most popular desti nation for golfers is the three nines at The Peninsula Golf & Racquet Club, also located on the Fort Morgan peninsula. Located next to the Bon Secour Wildlife Preserve, the nines wind through live oaks, cypress, with marshes and lagoons teeming with wildlife. Turf conditions are lush, almost too much so the day we played as there was little roll and balls were picking up mud in the fairways.

trip and Cypress Bend. Both courses are also more open than in the past thanks to Sally but as most superintendents will tell you that only helps with turf conditions.

For resort golf that is fun and afford able and won’t send you home shooting 10 shots above your average despite the

than that oddity is a very interesting lay out. Some holes really require precision off the tee and the closing stretch is particu larly challenging. The finishing hole is a par-5 lined with water left and in front of the green, not to mention a large bunker in the landing area. Our foursome combined for a score of probably 32.

But it was our final hole of the trip and we were racing for the airport after, so maybe we just waned to make it last.

Gulf Shores combines fresh seafood, southern fare and often a touch of Cajun for a wide range of deliciousness.

The three nines were designed by Earl Stone, Alabama’s answer to Floyd Farley who designed so many quality public and private courses in Oklahoma. Stone also designed the enjoyable Rock Creek further up the coast toward Mobile.

Two of the first courses that began pull ing visitors to Gulf Shores were the Arnold Palmer-designed layouts at Craft Farms, both Cotton Creek which we played on this

unfamiliarity, the courses at Craft Farms are ideal. Friendly and welcoming, like their designer.

This trip included a visit to a new venue for us, the Gulf Shores Golf Club. Designed by the father-son team of Jay and Carter Morrish, the course was built in the 1960s and renovated in 2005. It greets you with a single large tree in the middle of the fair way on the first and 10th holes, but other

Besides the golf, we enjoyed won derful dinners in the party atmo spheres at the beach favorite LuLu’s and at the Flora-Bama Yacht Club, directly across the road from the fa mous Flora-Bama bar, which strad dles the state lines. We also had a wonder ful meal at Big Fish in Orange Beach and at The Perch at our hotel.

The Flora-Bama, for the uninitiated, is one of the legendary venues on the coast, with multiple stages, outdoor venues and is reputed to be the home of the Bushwacker, which may look and taste like a milkshake but contains rum, vodka and lots of other goodies. Handle with care.

A tree blocks part of the fairway on the 10th hole at Gulf Shores Golf Club.

The sixth hole on the Cotton Creek course at Craft Farms.

Award-winning dining, a booming craft beer scene, luxurious resorts, and exceptional year-round golf on courses along the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail await you in Alabama. Plus, with Jerry Pate’s Kiva Dunes and Arnold Palmer’s Craft Farms in Gulf Shores, from the Mountain Lakes to the Gulf Coast, you can take it all in.

Kiva Dunes Golf & Beach Resort, Gulf Shores

Work on your putting this winter

It’s fall, the weather is finally changing a bit and I am so grateful for some cooler tem peratures.

The leaves will change, we will be wear ing more clothing, and there is no better time to practice your golf game more than when it cools off.

As an instructor, I see most people put their sticks up from November -February. I want to give you some good solid advice on staying after this crazy game even when it is too cold outside. The one thing I recommend you do all winter is continue to putt. You might wonder how will I do that when it is so cold outside? But you can putt with lots more layers on, where

as swinging a full swing is much more difficult and cumbersome with jackets and more layers. The scratch golfer aver ages 31.5 putts per round while the 16-20 handicapper averages 35.8. You can lower your score the fastest by becoming a bet ter putter.

cal things.

1) Buy a putting tool. And, use it! Don’t just keep it in the garage or in the trunk. Eye line has great putting mirrors, Dave Pelz tools, putting tracks, chalk line, gate sys tems, etc. I go to about two PGA/LPGA events each year and the putting greens are filled with tools and gadgets to aid in the pros putting. If the best golfers in the world use tools, how much more should the average amateur use them?

Putting tools are used by the pros, you should try one too, Roller says.

Here are five tips to improve your put ting. Putt all winter with these five practi

2) Do basic putting drills and games. I teach a standard 3-45-foot game around the hole so you are not putting the same putt in a row. Make 12 from 3 feet, eight from 4 feet, and four from 5 feet in a row. Another fun one, 85 total putts. Putt 30 3-footers, 25 4-footers, 10 5-footers, 10-6-footers, and 10 10-footers. Count how many you make and the PGA average is 74. Play nine holes keeping score, each first putt 35 feet or more. Goal is 18.

3) Lag putt a lot to work on speed. Start with a cross country putt of 40 feet or more. Try to get yourself within the 3-foot range for the second putt, I call those the “no pressure” second putts. If you lag it a lot across the green your speed will improve and your number of three-putts will be fewer. If you are continually leaving your self a second putt of 7 to 8 feet, the pres sure will get to you and those are difficult to make all day long. The 8-foot make on the PGA Tour is 50 percent. Lag it often to have no pressure second putts.

4) Have a practice plan and purpose when you putt. Write out what you want to accomplish each session. Example: 20 minutes mirror work, two drills, one ninehole lag game.

5) Keep a record of your results on the games. Write down your score on the 85putt game, the nine-hole lag game, time yourself on the 3-4-5-foot game around the world. Keep a log of it, practice with purpose and watch your putting improve.

So, bundle up, work on your putting and I bet you shave 5-6 strokes by next spring.

LPGA teaching professional Maggie Roller is the director of instruction at Ce dar Ridge Country Club in Broken Arrow.

Maggie Roller is the director of instruction at Cedar Ridge Country Club in Broken Arrow.

Maggie Roller

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