tional in Edmond. Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa has hosted seven major championships, most recently the 2007 PGA Championship, and is hunting for its fourth U.S. Open. The LPGA had a successful event from 2001 to 2008 that folded when title sponsor SemGroup collapsed. Fowler and Rooney have become good friends in recent
years, even hanging out and baking cookies at Rooney’s house during bad weather. Fowler said he didn’t think the Patriot logistically would stand up to the crowds at a PGA Tour event but would be fine for the senior circuit and said he would love to see golf in Oklahoma on a regular basis. “If Dan is behind it, it has a great chance,” Fowler said.
Dan Rooney lshares a augh with Ben Crane.
Center named for Adkisson by jim misunas
Long-time Oklahoma and Kansas golf instructor Dean Adkisson’s contribution as a golf pro at Hesston (Kan.) Golf Park is being honored. Hesston Golf Park is dedicating the construction of an indoor teaching facility called the Dean Adkisson Learning Center as a lasting memorial to Adkisson, who worked at Hesston after serving as head pro at Tulsa’s Southern Hills Country Club. Adkisson was Hesston’s first golf professional in 1976. He started Hesston’s junior program before his first official retirement in 1992. Atkisson has taught at Page Belcher in Tulsa since that time and continues to do so at age 85. Adkisson said he was humbled by the honor and admitted he had tears in his eyes when asked to speak at a ceremony earlier this year. “I was very honored,” he said. “They are good people in Hesston who appreciated what I’d done. I had a lot of compliments about what I’ve done for junior golf. There’s several players who have become golf professionals.” The idea of the Dean Adkisson Learning Center came out of discussions within a Hesston Golf Park committee that had been assembled to raise funds for the golf course. “The idea was brought up by Jim Brenneman, a former student of Dean,” said Floyd Sowers, Hesston golf committee chair. “He felt the facility would be a fitting tribute to Dean since he loved to teach the game — especially to juniors. It is great that junior golfers from Jim Brenneman’s era wanted to honor Dean in this way.” Once a teaching golf pro, always a teaching golf pro. “I love people and love to teach golf,” Ad-
kisson said. Adkisson has been teaching golf since 1945, dating to his first job at Sim Park under the director of Tex Consolver in Wichita, Kan. His golf instruction always starts with the basics. “You must have a good grip and proper posture before you can learn to swing the golf club,” he said. “The next important as-
pect would be your swing plane. I start the beginners the same way.” He was the host professional for the 1970 PGA Championship at Southern Hills. He qualified for the 1954 PGA Championship and was a three-time PGA Senior Championship qualifier. The Adkisson Learning Center will be a 26-by-26-foot facility with hitting mats and a putting surface for practice. Video and swing analysis equipment will be included for teaching purposes. A new putting and chipping green will be part of the center.
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