2021 Golf Oklahoma August|September

Official publication of the Oklahoma Golf Association

BY TIGER WOODS & TGR DESIGN BOOK YOUR STAY & PLAY PACKAGE AT BIGCEDAR.COM

TABLE OF CONTENTS AUG/SEPT 2021

VOLUME 11 ISSUE 4

10 The Bookshelf Tom Bedell finds his bookshelf overflowing with new golf tomes.

12 Equipment Ed Travis details all the new golf ball offerings, which one should fit your game and why.

Features 14 16

NIL, what's it all mean for college golfers?

19

Shangri-La to add new Par-3 course, The Battlefield.

22

Last one to leave the range, David Edwards worked his way into Hall of Fame.

26

Hero of public golf, Floyd Farley's courses enjoyed by thousands.

28

Steve Carson and Alsie Hyden helped OKC set unmatched standard for public golf.

30

WinStar Golf Academy is world class teaching and learning center.

32

Courses across Oklahoma still recovering from February's deep freeze.

Tom Doak gives a tour of his restoration of Dornick Hills. Mike Holder on why Doak is the perfect man for the job.

40 26

26

22

Destinations 40

Famed Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio has thrown open its doors to visitors through a program with Club Corp.

28

Departments 6 8 8 9 34 42 43 44

Letter from the Publisher OGA ED Mark Felder Rules, Bob Phelps WOGA ED Laurie Campbell Competition Instruction: Ryan Rody Fitness: Clint Howard Schedules and results

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14

On the cover Influential PGA pros Steve Carson and Alsie Hyden set to retire in OKC. Photo by Gary Siegel.

Support junior golf by contributing to the OGA Foundation Call 405-848-0042 for more information 4

GOLF OKL AHOMA • AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2021

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August/September Issue 2021 FROM THE PUBLISHER KEN M AC LEOD

Already missing Big 12 golf I’ve never seen a more aggravated, to have pulled in the most television dollars use a polite word, golf team than the Uni- for football, but it was by far the best golf versity of Oklahoma on the lawn between conference in the country. Texas, OSU and the clubhouse and the 18th green at Prairie OU were three of the top-five teams with Baylor and Texas Tech in the top-15 mix.

Dunes Country Club in April.

My first Big Eight Championship to The top-ranked Sooners were watching glumly as Oklahoma State celebrated cover was as a reporter for the Hutchinson having snatched the Big 12 Championship News at Prairie Dunes in 1987, when OU’s Todd Hamilton shot 63 in the first round. from their grasp on the final hole.

One team was joyful, one in agony at a It was always a great tournament to watch and will be missed, magical setting. It whenever that was one heck of a turns out to be. college tournament.

This year’s event Not sure that is scheduled at same passion will Whispering Pines. be there if OU is It would be a good coming down the one to win, because stretch of the SEC I for one am not championship convinced OU and against Vanderbilt Texas are going to and Florida, or if the The Cowboys were thrilled to win the hang around until Cowboys are batBig 12 in 2021 at Prairie Dunes.

2025 even though it tling Stanford and USC somewhere in the Pac-16 finals in the will be costly in the short term. Nor am I at all certain that the rest of the Big 12 teams desert.

Regardless of conference affiliation, the are going to stick together much past next Sooners and Cowboys will still square season either. Anything I speculate here off plenty of times. Both play a national will long be outdated by the time you read schedule and enter some of the same tour- this.

So instead of peering ahead, we will just naments in the fall and spring. Still, saying goodbye soon to the combined history of look back and say the Big 12 Golf Chamthe Big Eight and Big 12 Championships pionship, particularly those held at Prairie Dunes, were amazing events. Just look at will be tough.

To be sure, the rivalry wasn’t that com- some of the winners. E.J. Pfister in 1988 to petitive. Even OU’s great teams of the late Alan Bratton in 1992 during the Big Eight 1980s and early 1990s only won the Big years, then in the Big 12 with Charles Eight in 1992 as OSU won all but three Howell in 2000, Hunter Mahan in 2003 conference titles between the advent of at Southern Hills, Anthony Kim in 2005, the Big Eight in 1958 and the beginning Rickie Fowler in 2008, Morgan Hoffmann of the Big 12 in 1997. The Big 12 saw the winning it twice in 2009 and 2011, ScotCowboys win 11 times although only tie Scheffler from Texas in 2015 and OSU’s twice since 2011, including 2021. Each Kristoffer Ventura winning in 2018 at team has won one national championship Southern Hills but being totally bummed since 2017 and been a fixture in the NCAA because OU won the team title.

Just the cost of doing business in this championship hunt as has Texas.

So whatever happens with OSU, it’s new era.

“It will be interesting to see where we safe to say those championships at venues such as Prairie Dunes, Southern Hills and land,” said OSU coach Alan Bratton, who Whispering Pines will soon be a thing of grew up in College Station, Texas, and had similar feelings when the Southwest the past.

That’s one of the seemingly small costs Conference imploded. “I know we’re poto the college football business decisions sitioned well but it’s sad to see the conbeing made. As is the inevitable breakup ference break up. You lose some of those of the Big 12. The conference may not rivalries and that’s a shame as a fan.”

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GOLF OKL AHOMA • AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2021

THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE OKLAHOMA GOLF ASSOCIATION Volume 11, Number 4

Golf Oklahoma Offices Southern Hills Plaza 6218 S. Lewis Ave., Ste. 102 LIKE US! Tulsa, OK 74136 FACEBOOK.COM/ 918-280-0787 GOLFOKLAHOMAMAGAZINE Oklahoma City Office 405-640-9996 Publisher Ken MacLeod ken@golfoklahoma.org

FOLLOW US! @GOLFOKMAGAZINE

COO/Marketing Director A.G. Meyers agm@golfoklahoma.org Sales Sam Humphreys sam@golfoklahoma.org Art & Technology Director Chris Swafford chris@golfoklahoma.org 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@southernhillscc.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 2021 by Golf Oklahoma Magazine. All rights reserved. Contents may not be reprinted or otherwise reproduced without written permission from Golf Oklahoma. Golf Oklahoma is published by South Central Golf, Inc.

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MARK FELDER

OGA Executive Director

FROM THE OGA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

A toast to Alsie, Steve and our champs The OGA congratulates Tres run for Tres, another personable and talented are great examples of how a municipal course Hill of Elk City, our 2021 State Amateur young Oklahoma golfer with a bright future. should be run and what they should mean to We also want to congratulate Eric Gudgel the community. Both have been great advochampion. Tres and Dylan Teeter of Bixby waged a great battle at Cedar Ridge Country on his victory in the OGA Senior Amateur at cates for junior golf and really all levels of golf.

Club in Broken Arrow before Tres prevailed Meadwobrook CC, Mike Hughett on his in- Those two can never be thanked enough and credible 23rd victory in the Senior Stroke Play we wish them the very best in their retireon the 18th hole 1 up.

First off, with Tres and Dylan, Oklahoma and Daniel Langley on his win at the Mid- ments, they certainly deserve it.

In case you missed it, two more of the City University is getting two great young Amateur. Oakwood Country Club in Enid youngsters that grew up playing OJGT events Oklahoma players, just as they are on the was a fantastic host for those two events.

Like the rest of the state, we wish to of- at those courses and throughout the area girls side with Maddi Kamas and Reagan earned their Chaney. So PGA Tour Stars, we’re cards for 2022. e x p e c t Taylor Moore ing nothing from Edmond but national Memorial championand Max Mcships for the Greevy from foreseeable Alsie Hyden Steve Carson Tres Hill Dylan Teeter Daniel Langley Mike Hughett Edmond Santa future.

As a host, Cedar Ridge was simply magnif- fer our congratulations to PGA profession- Fe have both earned sufficient points on the icent, from the professional staff to the main- als Steve Carson of Lincoln Park and Alsie Korn Ferry Tour that they are guaranteed to tenance crew and the membership. We can’t Hyden of Lake Hefner on their impending move on to the PGA Tour, joining Robert wait to return and look forward to bringing retirements in September. My first job in golf Streb, Kevin Tway and Talor Gooch as OJGT was flipping burgers at Lake Hefner, working grads on Tour. And they won’t be the last, other events there as well.

Hill turned around the next week and won my way up from the grill to the cart barn and perhaps not even for 2022.

If you want to see some great young Oklathe Oklahoma Junior Masters at Southern eventually into the shop. Alsie was a legend homa golfers in action, the Oklahoma Open Hills with a 1-under 69. Combine that with then and more so today.

Both Lincoln Park and Lake Hefner have is Aug. 26-28 at Oak Tree Country Club. his spring victory in the Class 4A state championship and it’s been a special three-month been integral to everything we do here and There is no charge to come out and watch.

BOB PHELPS

OGA Rules Director

FROM THE OGA RULES DIRECTOR

When is relief free? Know your options As most of us know, the two main principles guiding the Rules of Golf are to play the course as you find it and to play the ball as it lies.

But unfortunately there are many times where that is not possible and the Rules of Golf guide us in how to proceed.

The modernized rules of golf in use since 2019 describe “free” relief situations in Rules 15 and 16 and “penalty” relief situations in Rules 17 and 18. While these four rules will tell us the objects interfering with play that can be moved and when our ball is allowed to be played from a new location, Rule 14 will be the key to getting your ball back in play properly. Let’s review a few key points that many players seem to be unsure of on how to proceed.

May an interfering object be moved out of the way?

Yes, almost always, we’ll save the exceptions for another time. Rule 15 covers these items defined as Loose Impediments (natural objects) and Movable Obstructions (arti8

ficial objects). One thing to remember here is that these interfering objects can now be moved anywhere on the course. There is no penalty if your ball moves because of the moving of an artificial object but be careful when moving a Loose Impediment (natural object). If your ball moves while doing so, except on the putting green, the player gets one penalty stroke.

Do I really have interference and therefore entitled to free relief?

For this discussion, the ball is not lost and the player is asking for free relief. Do you really have interference from a cart path, ground under repair or temporary water?

First, assume the interfering object is not there. Choose the club, line of play, and stance for the most reasonable shot under the circumstances and then determine if interference exists with the lie of your ball, stance, or area of swing. Second, it must be reasonable for the player to even make a stroke at the ball. That does not mean a reasonable stroke toward the green, sometimes

GOLF OKL AHOMA • AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2021

the most reasonable stroke is sideways or even backwards. The best way to think about this is to ask yourself a question: if the interfering object was not here, what would I do? If the answer is, I would take an unplayable lie, you are not allowed free relief.

Determining your Reference Point Whether a player is taking free relief or penalty relief, the first step is to determine your Reference Point. If you have determined that interference exists as described above, then find the nearest spot from where your ball lies that is not closer to the hole and avoids interference for the stroke you used. That means same club and direction of play must be used to determine this nearest spot. This nearest spot is your Reference Point, mark this spot with a tee. For penalty relief, it is the actual spot of the ball when taking an unplayable lie.

The Reference Point for taking relief from a penalty area is simply the spot where the ball last crossed the edge of the penalty area. For this point, assume we are certain W W W.GOLFOKL AHOMA.ORG

LAURIE CAMPBELL

President WOGA

the ball is in the penalty area. Of course, it is not always easy to determine where the ball crossed but fortunately the rules allow us to use our best judgement and estimate Through all kinds of weather Cup, a four-person team event, will be held this spot. This is your Reference Point, problems this year, WOGA persevered and at Meadowbrook Country Club in Tulsa on Sept. 27-28. mark the spot with a tee. conducted its 2021 championships.

Our goal, as our mission states, is to support, LeeAnn Fairlie won the Senior ChampiIs it one club-length or two? onship. Josie Patterson prevailed in the rain- promote and grow the game of golf for women Now that you have determined your shortened Stroke Play Tournament and Mi- and junior girls in Oklahoma. We raised anReference Point, how big of an area do chaela Dierinzo retained the rain-shortened other record amount of money from our ninth you have to drop the ball? This question Mid-Am title. Maddi Kamas captured the annual Junior Girls’ Fundraiser. Since 2013, is often asked but quite easy to answer. Junior Girls for the second time and Shae- WOGA has raised more than $190,000 to supIf you are taking free relief, your measur- Bug Scarberry was successful in winning port our high school grants and scholarships ing distance is one club-length. If you are the 103rd Women’s Oklahoma State Ama- programs.

WOGA has awarded 27 scholarships. The taking penalty relief, your measuring dis- teur. tance is two club-lengths. Now imagine WOGA starts and ends the tournament 2021 recipients were Meghan Charles and you have a string the length of your mea- year with fun partnership tournaments. Sarah Sherrard. And our 100th high school suring distance, either one or two club- The Stableford Partnership was held with grant was awarded in 2020. Thank you to lengths. Imagine this string is attached to a full field in April at Lincoln Park. The all of our sponsors, participants and donors your reference point and draw a 360-degree Four-Ball Partnership will be hosted by for making this such a great success. circle from this point. You’re now allowed Shangri-La on Aug. 16-17 and the WOGA to drop your ball in any part of this circle that is 1) no closer to the hole and 2) avoids interference from what you were taking relief from. Your relief area for dropping is never more than a half-circle and most of the time less.

When is your ball successfully back in play? We’ll save that discussion for another LeeAnn Fairlie Maddi Kamas Michaela Dierinzo ShaeBug Scarberry Josie Patterson time. In the meantime, refer to Rule 14.

WOGA perseveres

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AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2021 • GOLF OKL AHOMA

9

The

BOOKSHELF

Ghosts (and Quotes) of Golfers Past

it. It was the first big all the check marks on and it was truly “The ’96 US Amateur had with a prime‑time audience, golf event that I ever hosted be attached in amateur and Tiger Woods will golf magical stuff. Steve Scott NBC’s award‑winning AN HICKS, lead host of —DAN years golf history forever.”—D Games for nearly thirty coverage and the Olympic

Cover design by Kai Texel Gary Hellwege Cover photograph by

by Getty Images Back cover photograph States of America Printed in the United

10

GOLF OKL AHOMA • AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2021

90 9 781510 7652

51999

YOUR MARK BACK

ISBN-10: 1-5107-6529-8 ISBN-13: 978-1-5107-6529-0

.

SkyhorSe PubliShing, inc

New York, New York www.skyhorsepublishing.com

HEY TIGER “No one remembers who came in second.” — Walter Hagen In an attempt to refute Hagen, Steve Scott has written, with co-author Tripp Bowden, “Hey, Tiger — You Need to Move Your Mark Back” (Skyhorse Publishing, $19.95).

The title refers to the 1996 U.S. Amateur final round between Scott and Woods, what

HEY, TIGER–

thirty years for NBC as an analyst for almost I ever “Of all the matches I reported the Most Exciting Drama match with Tiger was in Golf, Steve Scott’s finals one of the biggest upsets It was so close to being witnessed in my career! his mark back.” not told Tiger to move golf history, had Steve Golf Hall of Famer major champion and World —JOHNNY MILLER, two‑time Ridge, was ing history at Pumpkin game‑chang hip “Being there, witnessing The act of sportsmans my time in serving golf. was the one of the highlights of I will never forget it. It makes golf so special. for the US Open of Steve Scott is what N READ, longtime starter —RON stuff, truly, of Bobby Jones.”—RO moments in time: story of these eight poignant le “Hey Tiger—is a beautiful a thrilling and unbelievab US Amateur champion, hip, a girlfriend/ A two‑time defending sportsmans of act ‘oh, by the way’ comeback, a meaningful marshal, a captivating a wife, the world’s wealthiest venue that caddy later to become television, and a new USGA 38‑hole marathon on national a moment frozen ips in ten years. What would soon host six championsh Steve Scott, and Tiger Woods.” in time for Pumpkin Ridge, Club Golf Ridge of Pumpkin —GAY DAVIS, cofounder

YOU NEED TO MOVE

number‑one‑ranked STEVE SCOTT is a former a two‑time United world, amateur golfer in the member, and a three‑time States Walker Cup team University of Florida.

All‑American at the 1996 US Amateur In addition to his famous with legendary Tiger Championship showdown in two professional Woods, Steve also competed as a teenager, the 1996 major championships p and the 1997 Masters US Open Championshi Steve is a proud member Tournament. Today, and now serves as head of the PGA of America Club as well as the professional for the Outpost Steve Club Golfing Society. founder of the Silver in the golf broad‑ also has extensive experience day still keeps his game casting world, and to this the events as a member of sharp in PGA section Steve was the 2018 PGA Carolinas PGA Section.

Year. well as Player of the Section Champion as a large role in the Scott The game of golf plays is an LPGA Professional. family, as his wife Kristi and J.C. children, They have two wonderful Carolina.

Kaylie, and reside in North former Augusta National TRIPP BOWDEN is a white caddy in the his‑ caddy, the first full‑time club. He’s also a former tory of the elite private University alum of Augusta collegiate golfer and first with McCann and a former copywriter, with his own com‑ later Erickson New York and of Tripp is the author pany, Creative Wizards.

Freddie & Me: the New York Times‑praisedBennett, Augusta Life Lessons from Freddie the Caddy Master, All National’s Legendary Golf Adventures and Memorable Rounds: National to Cypress Misadventures from Augusta The Caddy’s Cookbook: Point and Beyond, and the Caddy from Recipes Remembering Favorite of Augusta National Golf House to the Clubhouse at prominent golf clubs Club. A frequent speaker America and beyond, and sports venues across Fletch and children Arrie Tripp lives with his wife Georgia.

B. and Holly Mac in Augusta,

whom he had never met, had vanished in the maw of World War II. But in his mid60’s he received a phone call from his daughter who had discovered information that set off a life-changing revelation — not only had his father survived the war, he had gone on to remarry, father more children, and had a fairly distinguished career abroad with the U.S. State Department.

His father had abandoned Damon and his mother. Yet curiously, with a wealth of new knowledge before him, the thing that struck and rankled Damon the most was the seemingly incidental news that his father was “a great golfer.” (The cover of the book is a ghostly shot of his father, all in white, playing on a course in Thailand.)

Damon loved the game, and the thought that his father was never around to help coach him stuck in his craw. But it set him off on a decade-long investigation of a past he had previously ignored, a “life review” to discover whatever he could of his late father, and of himself. So amidst the psychological underpinnings there’s a compelling mystery at work here as Damon uncovers more facets of his father’s life through archival research and meeting with his newly discovered relatives.

The denouement takes place on a golf course, as Damon retraces his father’s steps from one of the elder’s youthful rounds, a round discovered from an antique scorecard buried in an old bag of his father’s clubs that come his way.

The goal of it all was particular to him, yet Damon makes clear that the pursuit of such a life review could be beneficial to anyone seeking to arrive at a sense of gratitude for the path one has taken in life, dealing with regrets and, indeed, finding purpose even at a later point in one’s life.

And that’s quite a journey.

SCOTT & BOWDEN

matter. He’s mostly right; the vignettes are entertaining enough to carry one through by tom bedell this slim volume with the leisurely appre“Baseball reveals ciation of a Ruthian home run trot. character; golf exposFAVORITE GOLF es it.” – Ernie Banks QUOTATIONS I was about seven “Keep your sense of months old when humor. There’s enough Babe Ruth died, yet stress in the rest of your in my youthful faslife not to let bad shots cination with baseball no one loomed as ruin a game you’re suplarge as the Sultan of Swat. And he reposed to enjoy.” – Amy mains affixed to the pinnacle, one of the Alcott sport’s grandest, most mythic figures.

I’ve sprinkled a few In his last few months astride the earth Ruth opined, “The greatest ballplayer to choice morsels from “Favorite Golf Quotaever live was Ty Cobb.” High praise for tions” (Hatherleigh Press, $12.50) in this his former rival. And in “Babe Ruth & The column. Aside from the Ernie Banks quotaScottish Game: Anec- tion above, used for obvious purpose, most dotes of a Golf Fanatic” of the selections in this brief volume are (Chin Music Publishing, from golfers themselves.

The same publisher’s “The Golfer’s Book $19.99), author Douglas Vogel reveals that the of Wit & Wisdom,” reviewed in the Junetwo old pros were also July 2020 issue, was a bit more far-ranging great rivals out on the in its contributors, and more aimed at laughs. And as this volume is “arranged” golf course.

Ruth was indeed a golf by Jackie Corley, there happily seems to be fanatic, at a time when more bon mots from women professionals.

I can’t detect a lot of overlap between some managers (including Cobb) forbade their players from indulg- the two books, so this will work for those ing in the sport on the theory that the golf still in need of a few apt quotes about a swing was poisonous to a baseball swing. game that, as Tom Watson put it, “...com(A theory that, Vogel shows, holds no wa- bines the wonder of nature with the discipline of sport in such carefully planned ter.)

Ruth, who marched to a different drum- ways. A great golf course both frees and mer in all things, paid no heed in any case. challenges a golfer’s mind.”

He rarely traveled without his golf clubs at A ROUND OF GOLF the ready. He played as a lefty, rare in WITH MY FATHER those days, and in his early forays was They say golf is like life, a wild man — unsurprisingly long off but don’t believe them. It’s the tee, but his rocket launches landing more complicated than one knew not where. that.” – Gardner Dickinson He played everywhere, all the time, William Damon’s “A with teammates, other players, celebRound of Golf With My rities, professional golfers in friendly Father” (Templeton Press, games, tournaments, charity events. $24.95) is one of the most He gradually honed his skills down to fascinating books I’ve read a single handicap and his rounds drew as much rabid attention as his ballplaying in quite some time, but I hasten to point out or, frankly, almost anything he did as the that it’s not really a golf book. It’s more of a psychological treatise — as the subtitle puts cynosure of his age.

Vogel is a golf course superintendent it, “The New Psychology of Exploring Your when not hunched over his keyboard. He Past to Make Peace With Your Present.”

Damon is a distinguished professor of stockpiles his anecdotes about Ruth and his golf game atop one another in kalei- developmental psychology at Stanford Unidoscopic fashion — shorn of chronology versity, a scholar and author of a number of or narrative drive and frequently lacking ground-breaking books on the subject inany context of time for when the events cluding “The Path to Purpose.”

Damon had grown up thinking his father, occurred. He must have assumed it didn’t

epic hip by Steve Scott in that incredible sportsmans at “I witnessed an act of in 1996. I applauded it at Pumpkin Ridge back of Nike US Amateur finals match PHIL KNIGHT, cofounder so today.” —PHIL the time, and even more

f

Sports & Recreation/Gol

US $19.99 / Can $26.99

twenty‑five Experience the thrill, years later, of Steve Scott’s epic finals match against United Tiger Woods in the 1996 nship!

States Amateur Champio

Scott went head to In August of ’96, Steve at Pumpkin Ridge head against Tiger Woods of the US Amateur Golf Club in the finals whittled down to Championship. 5,345 a surprising 5‑up two. Scott found himself the 35th hole Tiger on but 18, after the first match with an improb‑ squared the grueling putt. With the result able 40‑foot birdie last hole, the differ‑ coming down to the actually came earlier, ence in the outcome Woods to move his when Scott reminded place on the 34th mark back to its rightful the morally cor‑ hole. Had Scott not done have been penalized rect thing, Tiger would won three straight US and, in turn, not have ips (something not Amateur Championsh or legendary even the great Jack Nicklaus forever changing Bobby Jones had done), and golf history. the course of Tiger’s career to Move Your In Hey, Tiger—You Need up with esteemed Mark Back, Scott teams to explain, storyteller Tripp Bowden led to that what twenty‑five years later, and to describe, in life‑changing moment of that ’96 his own words, the exhilaration how it ulti‑ ip and US Amateur Championsh history and the two golf changed mately competitors’ lives. Forever. to Move Your Hey Tiger—You Need the ages for golf fans Mark Back is a story for new perspective on looking for an unlikely world. the greatest game in the

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many say was the most exciting U.S. Amateur match ever played. Scott had Woods 5-down after the opening 18 holes at Pumpkin Ridge in Oregon, but by the 34th, Tiger had battled back to 2-down. Scott asked Woods to move his mark on the green and after Scott putted Woods appeared ready to go without properly replacing his mark.

Hence Scott’s comment which gives the book its title.

Had Woods not properly replaced his mark he would have lost the hole and the match. Thanks to Scott’s bit of sportsmanship, according to the book’s subtitle, it was: “9 Simple Words That Changed the Game of Golf Forever.”

That may be overstating it. The time table might have shifted, but Woods’ talents would have come to the fore in any case.

In the case at hand, the match was won by Woods over Scott on the 38th hole for his third straight U.S. Amateur title, a feat accomplished by exactly no one else ever and the rest, as is said, was history. Tiger was off and running in his professional career onslaught, and Scott had, one could uncharitably say, a one-way ticket to Palookaville.

But Scott doesn’t see it that way. Though his competitive golf career zig-zagged and finally sputtered out, he’s a Class A PGA professional and instructor these days with fingers in various aspects of the game. He’s married to his high school sweetheart, Kristi, who caddied for him throughout the Amateur rounds and contributes an Afterword to the book. They have two children and what sounds like a wonderful union.

In a June-July 2017 issue review of Tripp Bowden’s “All the Memorable Rounds” I accused the author of an overly jaunty style and an excess of jokey metaphors. He clearly didn’t listen to me; all those writerly habits are on abundant display again; indeed, it’s difficult to discern the voice in the book as Scott’s or Bowden’s, but it gets wearing in any case.

Still, the account of Scott’s various matches, and the title match in particular, manages to generate some excitement, even knowing the outcome. And the main message, of remaining steadfast to the game’s best traditions of sportsmanship, can’t be faulted.

It was, Scott surmises, his purpose in the match to uphold the spirit of the game.

The book is, in a way, a life review of the event, dealing with the regrets, and ending in gratitude.

Tom Bedell is ghostly pale himself, his legs frequently mistaken for out of bounds markers.

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AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2021 • GOLF OKL AHOMA

11

EQUIPMENT

Performance and price: Finding the right ball for your game by ed travis

P

how the test balls go with approach irons, long irons and fairway woods and then lastly go back to the tee for a distance check.

Experience has shown me the confidence of having a ball that will stop the way I need to take the pressure off my putting is far more important than distance with the long clubs.

Lastly is the price we are willing to pay and fortunately most makers manufacture a range of balls differentiated by performance and price. Many golfers have found swing-matching scoring from balls in the mid-price range which can save $10-to-$20 per dozen compared to the premium-price category balls.

Here are the mid-price ball models the Golf Oklahoma’s staff likes and think are worth considering. Prices shown are per dozen.

to be higher to give more carry. Durability is excellent and there is a choice of white or yellow both with the Triple Track alignment lines standard.

Mizuno RB 566 $22 and RB 566V $30

rofessionals have the swing speed and skill The RB 566 and RB to take advantage of 566V have 566 dimples, premium, high performance golf balls of200 or more than are typically used, with ten priced at over $45 per dozen, but do some being regular size and some microrecreational golfers need to pay that kind size. Mizuno’s idea is to improve air flow of money to score their best? so the ball will stay in the air longer for adThe answer to that question starts with ditional carry. The RB 566 is a two-layer defining what we mean by performance low compression ball with an ionomer and concludes by matching the perforcover while the RB 566V which launches mance of various balls to our swing. higher than the 566, also has an ionomer Some will say the most important factor cover, three layers, a softer feel, and a Dis the distance a ball goes off the tee. Howdimple design. ever, knowledgeable golfers often think of the solution differently. They don’t mind OnCore Vero X-1 $40 possibly giving up a few yards with the driver for the sake of being able to have Designed for midcontrol of approach shots and especially Bridgestone e12 Contact $30 handicap or better golfthose little pitches and chips from around This three-layer Surlyn cover ball has a ers the four-layer Vero the green. Those are the so-called scoring relatively soft feel and is available in white, X-1’s cast urethane cover has 318 dimples shots and the control needed comes from Matte Red, Matte Green and Matte Yel- and a compression rating of 80 to 84. Onhaving a ball that produces the low but the most unique Core also has enlarged the core to improve proper amount of spin for your feature of the e12 is the distance off the tee. The transition layer particular swing. dimples. They are hexago- between cover and mantle is nano-engiSpin is created when the clubface nal, not round, and have neered to improve energy transfer and the contacts the ball and the grooves a noticeably raised center mantle includes some metal powder to “grip” the cover. The softer the that Bridgestone calls their improve flight stability. Driver spin is low cover the more potential there Contact Force design. At and high around the green. is to create spin, which is why some covers impact more of the cover is in contact with are made of urethane since it’s significantly the clubface helping energy transfer to the Snell Golf MTB Black and MTB-X $34 softer than the other common cover mate- ball and imparting more iron spin. rial, a plastic ionomer such as Surlyn. IonoSelling tour-quality mer cover balls generally have a firmer feel, Callaway ERC Soft balls directly to conbut last longer and with a larger core produce Triple Track $35 sumers has been a real more distance. Though less durable, urethane success for Snell as typified by the MTB The cover of this cover balls feel softer, and they usually have three-layer design is Black and MTB-X. Each has three layers multiple layers to maximize performance for a hybrid formulation with a cast urethane 360-dimple cover simshots from both long and short clubs. ilar to balls in the premium price category. of ionomers plus an To find the right ball, test two or three impact modifier that, in conThe X has a firmer feel (85-90 compresbrands starting at the green. What you are junction with the core and mantle, produces sion) and higher approach shot spin while looking for is how each reacts to the im- added distance with low spin while still hav- the Black offers a softer feel (75-80 compact your swing imparts to the ball, i.e., ing enough spin for control on scoring shots. pression) with lower iron spin. Two colors, how much control do you have getting The feel is medium firm, and launch tends white and optic yellow, are available. chips and pitches spin. It has a four-layer constructo stop next to the Srixon Q-Star tion with a cast urethane cover Tour 3 $33 pin. A particular ball and feels firmer than the standard Srixon Q-Star may spin too much, As an aside we have received several quesPro V1x.

Price is the same at $49.99 dozen Divide $33 checking up short, tions about what the Titleist Pro V1x Left and the Left Dash is distinor too little so it runs The three-layer Dash is and its significance. guished by, of all things, a by past the comfortTour and Divide The Left Dash model is for left dash on the cover next to able one-putt range. have a 0.02-inchthose players with extremely the printed “Pro V1x” alignIt won’t take long to thick urethane cover, high swing speeds desiring a ment aid. Hope that solves see the difference.

338 dimples and a ball having the Pro V1x’s high any mystery.

Next, move out soft feel from the launch, but with lower on the fairway to see 72-compression rat-

Titleist Pro V1x Left Dash

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GOLF OKL AHOMA • AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2021

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ing. The mid-high launch Tour has a cover coating to enhance spin from short irons for control on greenside shots and comes in either white or yellow but if you are looking for a ball with a different color scheme the Divide has a half-yellow matte finish with the other half either red, yellow, or blue.

TaylorMade Tour Response $35 The soft feel of the Tour Response is due to the cast urethane cover and the low 40 compression core but to help with distance from the longer clubs, specifically the driver, the mantle is firmer.

The high launch is similar to that of its premium tour ball the TaylorMade TP5x and, to provide control greenside, spin with short irons is high. Available colors offer a choice of white or yellow.

Titleist Tour Soft $35 The Tour Soft is a true two-layer distance ball. The core is the largest one Titleist presently makes and the ionomer cover has a spherically tiled 342 cuboctahedron dimple pattern that helps reduce drag. According to Titleist, the Tour Soft feel is firm but the ball is still responsive since the cover is very thin.

With the long clubs look for a penetrating low spin trajectory. White and yellow colors are available.

Jake Wyatt cigars

B

uilding upon family legacy, Neil Garcia and Gerard Abajian launched Jake Wyatt Cigar Company in February 2020.

Abajian’s father Mardo, started in the retail tobacco business in the early 90s, when he opened his first store Mardo Cigars, in California. Prior to their partnership, Gerard pursued a career in firefighting while Neil played college and professional baseball.

Two years later, Jake Wyatt Cigar Co. would debut a portfolio of six lines of cigars, five regular production and one limited edition, all of which are rolled at the Tabacalera JVM in Tamboril, Dominican Republic.

As a nod to Garcia’s family history in baseball, each box of regular production cigars contains 22 sticks, a reference to the jersey number he said was worn by three generations of ballplayers.

Each cigar line gets its name from an aspect of the co-founders’ mutual experiences in sports, literature, and philosophy.

One look at the cigars and you can tell they are crafted with pride. Jake Wyatt cigars are truly a thing of beauty, being intricately wrapped using

by laramie navrath

offset tobacco shades that accent the head and foot of the smoke.

The construction is superb, with an effortless draw, ample amounts of smoke and a razor-sharp ash. The blend notes and breakdowns are as follows. The Fourth Dimension is a Dominican Puro that is medium in body and strength with notes of roasted almonds, cocoa and chestnuts. Herbert Spencer, puts the focus on its’ Mexican San Andrés maduro wrapper and a bold, medium-full blend of Dominican-grown fillers that delivers a combination of spice and smoothness. Flavors notes of semi-sweet chocolate, cedar and black pepper, balance the strength and make this smoke most complex.

The Appendix II “hits at the heart of our existence,” the company said in a press release, calling it a profile designed to deliver a smooth and creamy masterpiece.

Wrapped in an Ecuadorian Connecticut leaf with accents of San Andres maduro this mild to medium cigar offers plenty of flavor and complexity. Lucid Interval is a candelawrapped cigar that focuses on delivering a unique combination of smooth cream and bold buttery flavors.

Vice Pro Plus $35 For players with higher than 110mph driver swing speed, the Pro Plus will be a possible choice.

The four-layer construction features a large responsive core to help with distance, a dual mantle to reduce driver spin and a cast urethane cover to increase short game spin.

The launch from the driver is lower and with less initial spin the trajectory is penetrating resulting in extra carry for more overall distance.

Volvik Vivid $33 The Vivid’s matte finish is highly visible and there is a choice of seven colors plus white. This three-layer ball is targeted for use by players with slower swing speeds and produces mid-tohigh amounts of spin with irons and low spin with the driver.

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

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

2726 W Britton Rd Oklahoma City, OK 405-942-0070

1801 Cornwell Dr. Suite 301 Yukon, OK 2nd Location NOW Open 405-494-7188

www.ztcigars.com (800) 340-3007 AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2021 • GOLF OKL AHOMA

13

CHIP SHOTS

News around the state Sponsored by

College golfers

we will see where it goes.”

Hybl said that other than wearing the team uniform, there are no school contracts that would interfere with what a player can negotiate when it comes to playing a certain type of club or ball.

“If someone in X company wants to pay market. Would Cowboy or Cowgirl golfers them $5 grand a year, then they can do by ken macleod be effective at pitching products in the Still- it, but it’s all got to be done on their own. t will take a while to sort out, but the water market? OSU coach Aalan Bratton The kids will come up with ideas, just like possibilities for collegiate golfers un- said definitely yes. Could incoming Okla- in normal business. The value of their NIL der the new NIL (name, image and homa City University golfers Maddi Ka- is only worth what someone is willing to likeness) rules seem boundless, depending mas and Reagan Chaney be effective sell- pay for it.”

Some who have mixed golf along with ing a product in their hometowns on one’s time, skill, personality of Ardmore and Kingfisher? fashion and sex appeal have become inand creativity. ternet sensations, such as Paige Spirinac Seems likely.

Just as the PGA Tour OU's Logan For the true col- and her legion of social media followers. is using Q rating as McAllister legiate can’t-miss What’s to stop a collegian from following one of the composigned with superstar, of the same path? nents for doling Barstool Not much except common sense, said which Viktor out extra dolSports.

Hovland and Marty McCauley, coach of the Oklahoma lars, it will be M a t t h e w City University women’s golf team. those with “You would hope that kids make mature Wolff would a combinahave fit the decisions and I would want to be involved tion of skill, bill at OSU in any decisions they make, particularly a personalthree years 19-year-old,” McCauley said. ity and soOne of his former players, Taylor Cuback, there cial media will be likely sack, is now living the "influencer" lifesavvy who be a rush by style. In addition to being a co-host of benefit most. m a n u f a c t u r- The Swing Clinic on Fox Sports, she has “ T here’s ers, apparel a sizeable following on Instagram which going to be companies and includes some product placement. Like all kinds of opmore to sign a play- Spirinac, her page has images of her golfportunities out er while still in school ing and poolside. there for players,” said Cusack, who handles marketing for her in the hopes of locking Oklahoma State coach family's Oklaahoma-based company Cuhim or her up long term.

Alan Bratton. “If you’re apTo help golfers navigate the uncharted sack Meats, is co-host of a podcast and has proaching it through social media, at the end of the day you’re going to have to waters, schools such as OU and OSU are an IG Live show, said she expects NIL to have good content and be able to take the providing support through their compli- allow golfers to build their brand in school, but the workload will be tremendous. time while also going to practice, school, ance departments.

"When you are a collegiate athlete, they McAllister, who is on an competitions and study.

NCAA player’s committee that always say student-athlete but it's more “It’s going to be harder work met with the USGA to under- like athlete-student," Cusack said. "Being than they think. It’s going to stand how the new rules would an athlete is a job in itself on top of going take work and creativity. But affect a player’s amateur status to school. Trying to work on both at once I certainly think there will be (mostly it won’t), said he has takes a grounded individual . . . then you many opportunities for our add workouts and training and been on many Zoom players.” then you get to work on your meetings with OU Oklahoma star Logan McAlbrand. It's a tough workload to compliance and that lister was one of the first golfAlan Bratton balance if you ware wantng to there is an app coners to sign with Barstool Sports. really get into the 'influencer" The benefit there was not cash, but huge stantly updated with much lifestyle." gains in social media followers particularly more information relevant to Cusack said that you have to on Instagram and Twitter that could prove the shifting sands of NIL. have over 100,000 Instagram fol“It’s going to be interesting,” beneficial down the road. lowers to think about making a Golfers who are able to build their social said OU coach Ryan Hybl. “The Ryan Hybl living from the product placemedia followings to the point that com- college golf market is more valupanies will pay for product placement on able than what people give us credit for. ments that go along with following.

"Companies are starting to realize their their posts is one way to capitalize on the These guys are going to continue to get creative and gain more followers and it marketing budgets need to encompass sonew rules.

A second would be to be chosen to rep- will actually be good for our sport. Maybe cial media for selling their products, stayresent local businesses in a local or regional only a few guys will benefit initially but ing top of mind and attracting new custom-

examine NIL options

I

14

GOLF OKL AHOMA • AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2021

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Former OCU golfer Taylor Cusack. ers," she said. "What better way to get their products and services in the hands of their target market than by strategically aligning with a social media personality that has a large following and one that is made up of their target audience."

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AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2021 • GOLF OKL AHOMA

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COURSE SPOTLIGHT

Doak at Dornick Hills: The right man for the job

Tom Doak on site at Dornick Hills. by ken macleod

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hether it’s due to the new greens, the reimagining of many Perry Maxwell design features or trading on his considerable reputation, Tom Doak just wants to see his restoration of Dornick Hills in Ardmore enjoyed.

“Will this sell a lot more memberships, I don’t know,” Doak said. “But will it attract a lot more attention to a place that hasn’t been on people’s radar for a long time? Absolutely it will.

“A little of that will have to do with the fact that some people pay attention to what I’m doing. But there’s a ton of people who are going to know that Dornick Hills is Perry Maxwell’s first course and that nearly all of his courses are private. You can’t go to a Southern Hills or Crystal Downs or Prairie Dunes. But you can come here.”

Golf Oklahoma met with Doak during his mid-July visit to check on the progress of his pro bono restoration of Perry Maxwell’s first design, completed in 1914 on land the Ardmore banker and course designer owned and on which he now rests.

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The project includes the removal of 500 or so non-native invasive trees, a complete rebuild of every green site, including bunkering and green positioning, new fairway bunkering and in many cases the removal of mounding and even a prominent pond that were not part of the original design.

He checked on each green with his shaper Blake Conant of Dundee Golf. Conant and the others working on the project are being paid, thanks largely to member Jerome “Bruzzy” Westheimer, a Maxwell great-nephew whose foundation is donating $2.5 million of the $3.2-million project.

Doak, however, is not being paid. He volunteered to restore Dornick Hills in a conversation with a golf writer, a comment that ended up on the architecture website Golfclubatlas.com, where it was brought to the attention of member Joe Ward, who then got in touch with Doak to see if he was serious.

Doak came to love Maxwell’s work through his appreciation of Alister MacKenzie, who collaborated with Maxwell at Crystal Downs, Augusta National and elsewhere. Doak, a member of Crystal Downs, has written a book on MacKenzie, but

The famous par-5 16th cliff hole. through frequent visits to Prairie Dunes and his work on his home course has come to appreciate Maxwell’s work just as much.

“I hope this gets more people to come and see this course,” Doak said. “It’s a spectacular place. Holes 14 (an uphill drivable par-4) and 16 (the famous par-5 cliff hole) are two of the most spectacular holes in the country. And for me, that carries a lot of weight.

That’s what I’m looking for everywhere I

GOLF OKL AHOMA • AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2021

go, something that’s unusual enough to really capture your attention.”

“It’s really impressive what Tom is doing here,” said Chris Clouser, Perry Maxwell historian and author of the Maxwell book, `The Midwest Associate.’ “I think it’s going to blow the membership away. What he’s doing will make a world of difference to that club. They are already getting some new recognition and some new membership just from having Tom Doak’s name attached. Soon they are going to have a lot better golf course.”

Doak has designed many unique and memorable courses the world over in the past 30 years, including six of Golf Magazine’s Top 100. He completed his first course in Ireland this year, St. Patrick’s Links, and is now helping Mike Keiser and his sons, creator of Bandon Dunes and Sand Valley, to build a replica of the Lido Course, just outside of Sand Valley. The Lido was a famous course designed by C.B. Macdonald along with Seth Raynor that existed on Long Island from 1917 until being reclaimed by the U.S. Navy during World War II. In that job, there is pressure to recreate the course exactly as the Lido existed, using high tech 3-D technology. At Dornick Hills, which was Maxwell’s first design in 1914, there is the memory of old-timers, photos and some plans from earlier renovations showing changes to be made to the greens. But Doak basically has free rein here to position and build the greens as he sees fit, knowing what he does of Maxwell’s tendencies.

“We dig around and find old drainage channels, so we know where some of them were,” Doak said. “But even if we knew how they were shaped some of them were too steep to build back that way anyway.”

Dornick Hills will never be long by today’s standards, but it will challenge and sometimes frustrate today’s bombers.

See Doak on page 18 W W W.GOLFOKL AHOMA.ORG

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COURSE SPOTLIGHT

Holder: In Doak we must trust 1966, when he left for Stillwater to play for Labron Harris at OSU. Holder was thrilled when he learned last ike Holder considered a young Tom Doak strongly when he fall that Doak had volunteered to restore was selecting an architect to his beloved Dornick Hills. He called Doak design Karsten Creek back in the early to volunteer any information he could pro1990s, even though Doak had just one vide and drove down to spend a day going over the course. course to his credit at that time.

“I probably literally spent about every Though he eventually went with Tom Fazio, Holder has followed Doak’s career day for several years at Dornick Hills,” with interest as he blossomed into one of Holder said. “The great memories I have were of it being primarthe world’s best known ily a great golf course, and most creative golf really challenging and course architects, a critidifficult. It had some of cal student of all of the the ultimate risk-reward golden age architects holes and put a premium and his contemporaries on ball striking.” as well.

The greens during “I have a lot of admiHolder’s time were slow ration for Tom,” Holder and bumpy Bermuda. said. “He’s like me, he’s They were later converta golf nerd. His is from ed to bent grass as the the design aspect while course underwent sevmine was from playing. eral renovations which He was totally eaten up Holder and many othwith golf and he still ers considered largely is. He’s put in the time, misguided, taking away traveled the world and from the design charac30 years later he’s had a teristics of Perry Maxfabulous career.” well’s first course. HoldBefore Holder went on to his Hall-of-Fame Mike Holder played Dornick Hills er is beyond pleased to see them being restored. coaching career at Okla- on a daily basis in high school.

“I was driving down homa State, and before he was recruited by Labron Harris, he Highway 70 and I glanced over to look honed his game for days on end on the at the golf course and had to pull off the slopes at Dornick Hills. His parents moved road,” Holder said. “There was the (drivto Ardmore from Texas in 1961 and pur- able par-4) 14th hole like I remembered. I chased a membership just so he would have went into the parking lot, hooked up with the opportunity to play golf. He did that the course superintendent and made a beeyear round in all types of weather through line for 14. For not having any great photos,

I think he’s brought it back to life and it’s extraordinary. I’ll be fascinated to see it when it’s completed.

Holder tried to drive the 14th green perched on the hillside every day for years and never succeeded. He also loves that the members allowed Doak to sacrifice the driving range to restore the first hole as it was.

“When you’re standing up on that elevated tee, you think every single person is looking at you and only you,” Holder said.

“They want to see what your swing looks like, how far you can hit it. That hole was like a ski slope and I always measured myself relative to how far it could hit it and get up the other side. That was never the smart play, but that’s how I started every round. “ Although there are no detailed plans of the greens Maxwell designed in 1914, as far as locations, slopes, grade and surrounds, Holder has full faith that what Doak creates will honor the spirit of Maxwell, who is buried on the property.

“Everyone has to trust in Tom Doak,” Holder said. “In 2021, he’s as close as you’re going to get to a Perry Maxwell. He’ll not only know what Perry Maxwell did in 1914, but also how he might have evolved and changed and would do things in 2021.

“I commend him for caring about this golf course, for having a soft spot in his heart for Perry Maxwell and really commend him for doing this pro bono. How fortunate for all of us that share a love for Dornick Hills that Tom Doak made that offer.”

Will seeing Dornick Hills restored to its former glory inspire Holder to dust his clubs off and play for the first time in years?

“No, but I’ll play it in my mind,” Holder said. “I can’t wait to walk around there and just try to reflect on 1966.”

an element of danger if approached from the wrong angle. Holes 9 and 18 coming up the hill to the clubhouse will have considerable roll offs if the fairways are missed. A pond that used to guard the par3 17th has been filled in but will be a difficult area to chip from. The driving range has been reduced to a pitching area so the first hole could be restored to its original tight layout. Many more changes, both dramatic and subtle, have been made, and those intimately familiar with the course previously will appreciate them most. See the Mike Holder sidebar on this page.

Doak first visited Dornick Hills in the 1980s, stopping by to see it as he did thou-

sands of courses around the world as part of his research and his writings.

“Since it was his first course, it was the sort of thing I would always like to see restored, but I didn’t think it was a very real possibility,” Doak said. “But as it turns out Bruzzy has the same sort of interest in it that I do and that’s making it happen now.”

Doak, who built Pacific Dunes at Bandon Dunes Resort and Streamsong Blue at Streamsong Resort, among his most popular public access resort courses in the United States, has some previous Oklahoma connections. He was working for Pete Dye

by ken macleod

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DOAK cont. from page 16 “We’re doing the sneaky things we can to make it tougher,” Doak said. “That’s a lot of what Maxwell was about. His No. 1 hazard was gravity.

“College and high school players will underestimate courses like this. They will look at the distance and think they are going to shoot 30-under for four rounds, but they can’t. And some will get really frustrated and think the course has been tricked up. But no, that’s the way golf always was. That’s why Prairie Dunes is a good life lesson for kids.”

To that end, greens will certainly carry 18

GOLF OKL AHOMA • AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2021

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Shangri-La expansion continues: New par-3 course The Battlefield to open late summer of 2022

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onstruction is underway on yet another major attraction at Shangri-La Resort. On the heels of the new $12 million indoor/outdoor activity park at the resort, comes “The Battlefield,” an 18-hole par three golf course slated for opening in late summer, 2022. The course will be located at the north edge of the resort property, directly behind the Monkey Island Fire Department, and will operate as a separate destination course, independent from the club house golf operations for the resort’s 27-hole Championship course.

“The setting is beautiful,” said Shangri-La Executive Chairman Jason Sheffield, “but the motif will be more rugged – like a World War II battlefield set in a wooded area with dramatic elevation changes. The facility will have its own small clubhouse and turn house concessions and golf carts, as well as a short driving range for warm-ups and a putting green. The full practice facility and driving range will remain adjacent to the main Shangri-La club house,” he said.

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Designed by architects Tom Clark and Kevin Atkinson, with building designs by Mark Thomas, the course will fea- Golfers can expect the same conditioning standards at ture Bermuda grass fairways The Battlefield as on the 27 championship holes. and bent grass greens, just like the Championship course at Shangri-La. outdoor activity park which opened in June Although the course can be walked, golfers 2021, the resort added four tennis courts, six who choose that method of play may want pickleball courts, a basketball court, a minito make sure they’re in good shape due to Fenway Wiffle® Ball park and indoor gamdramatic elevation changes. From beginning ing ranging from pool, darts, ping, pong and to end, there is a 100-foot change in eleva- shuffleboard to Trackman Golf Simulators, tion as the course winds from hilltop to the LaserShot Shooting Simulators, virtual realbank of Grand Lake. With multiple tee box- ity games, a Hologate virtual reality arena, es like the Championship course, difficulty and arcade games with an indoor/outdoor sports bar area and video walls. of the course will vary.

“The increase in both tourism, group “The Par 3 course is a great addition to the golf offerings at Shangri-La,” said PGA Di- events, and membership at Shangri-La, combined with the recent upsurge in the rector of Golf Rob Yanovitch.

Due to the distance of “The Battlefield” popularity of golf make this a natural move from the existing course, separate parking for Shangri-La,” said Sheffield. “We are conwill be available and the course will have its stantly planning ways to set Grand Lake and Shangri-La in position to be the ultimate own golf cart storage facility.

At “The Anchor,” Shangri-La’s indoor/ destination.”

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2021 • GOLF OKL AHOMA

19

DOAK cont. from page 18 early in his career when Dye was designing PGA West in Palm Springs for Oklahoma pros Joe Walser and Ernie Vossler.

After Dye and Doak showed them the plans they had been working hard on, Doak remembers Vossler shaking his head.

“He said, `Pete, it looks like you’re trying to build the ideal golf course there.

We don’t want that. We want the hardest golf course in the world. We want a course that’s so hard that people in Japan who have never been here will complain about how hard it is.’ ” Dye delivered by making a course that was even harder than Oak Tree Golf Club, according to some. Doak won’t have that mandate here. He said when he spent a year in Scotland visiting hundreds of courses that his design philosophy crystalized.

“I saw 170 courses and what I took away at the end of the day was the attitude toward golf was just different,” Doak said.

“A lot of times the golf courses weren’t in great shape and the greens were slow, but it didn’t matter. They were a place a guy could walk his dog for two hours and still get in a round of golf and have a hell of a lot of fun. That’s what I want my courses to be.”

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GOLF OKL AHOMA • AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2021

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Famed Pinehurst No. 2 W W W.GOLFOKL AHOMA.ORG

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2021 • GOLF OKL AHOMA

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2021 OKLAHOMA GOLF HALL OF FAME

Hard work changed the odds for

Edwards by ken macleod

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avid Edwards will fool you. He comes across as laid-back, even quiet.

Yet his unassuming demeanor hides a relentlessly inquisitive mind and a delight in taking the opposite side of an argument just to see how far he can run with it.

“People think David is quiet,” said former Oklahoma State teammate Tom Jones, now the President and COO of Oak Tree National. “And at first he was really quiet.

But now you get him talking about something and you can’t shut him up.

“He’s a very interesting guy, very analytical. He likes to know how things work and he’ll take things apart just to figure that out. And he’ll play the devil’s advocate. If you have a theory on something, he’ll take the other side, just for the sake or argument really.”

Edwards also likes to protest before public speaking that he has nothing to say that anyone would find interesting. Except every year when he agreed to speak at one of our company’s golf expos, he held the audience riveted for the full hour, mainly by being candid about his experiences during 27 years and 555 events on the PGA Tour and another four years on The Champions tours. Things he saw, thoughts on the game and where it’s headed, and a willingness to engage with anyone else with a passion for golf.

How this 5-foot8, 165-pound sprout with the driven older brother Danny grew into one of the best collegiate and pro golfers is a testament to work ethic and 22

perhaps a lot more athletic ability than he was typically credited with.

Jones was Mike Holder’s first recruit and first AllAmerican at OSU. Edwards was a good but not exceptional high school player at Edmond who was one of fellow inductee Art Proctor’s first range rats, working on the Kickingbird range in exchange for free golf balls and lessons.

Holder agreed to look at David mostly because Danny had just completed a highly successful career at OSU for Labron Harris and then gone on to the PGA Tour. Holder and Jones A familiar sight in Stillwater, David Edwards and his Harley. coming to Oklahoma. Awtrey was not went to Edwards’ high school champion- pleased. But he also probably didn’t think ship tournament in Norman and he was losing a future first-team All-Amerwhile Holder was watching sev- ican and NCAA champion and four-time eral players, Jones walked with PGA Tour winner.

Danny was a self-taught golfer who Edwards for the entire round.

“I played okay, I think fin- was already ultra talented and competiishing third, but I was kind of tive by the time David took up the game. amazed that Tom would be The parents would drop them off at the there,” Edwards said. “He was now defunct Eastern Golf Club after David this first-team All-American was given some clubs for Christmas at age and I was impressed that he 11 and later lug them to Guthrie Country would do that. I thought that Club.

“Mom would take us and leave us there was something I wanted to all day,” David said. “I’m sure I was a weight be part of.”

Edwards had sort of com- around Danny’s neck at that point, because mitted to OU coach Jim Awtrey, a he was already good and I was horrible. I 2019 HOF inductee, so he was forced to wasn’t very big and I wasn’t very strong, so make a call and let him know he wasn’t I’m sure he didn’t enjoy having me along a

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2021 OKLAHOMA GOLF HALL OF FAME

Posed around coach Mike Holder is, left to right, Lindy Miller, Tom Jones, Britt Harrison, Jaime Gonzalez and David Edwards. lot of the time, but he did it.”

Kickingbird opened when David was 14 and he began to progress rapidly after that. At OSU, he decided early after seeing how teammates like Jones, Lindy Miller, Jaime Gonzalez and others played, that he would need to raise his game, and he got right to work.

“I like practice,” David said. “I liked trying to get better. That was the fun of the game to me. I decided that I was going to outwork everybody on the team. My goal was to be the last one to leave every day, and if that meant I had to stick around chipping or putting until the parking lot

With brother Danny Edwards.

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Congrats from Jack Nicklaus after winning The Memorial.

was empty, that’s what I did.”

Holder said, “He just made himself into a great player, one of the best to ever play at Oklahoma State. He was the 1978 individual champion, on two NCAA championship teams, just a great driver of the golf ball. Then went on to have a storied career on the PGA Tour. I undervalued him on the front end but it took him just about a year to make a believer out of me.”

“David was an unbelievably hard worker,” Jones said. “He was out there longer than anybody. And his natural curiosity carried over into the golf swing. He was a very practical thinker and a student of the mechanics of the swing. It doesn’t surprise me that he got a lot better.”

Edwards averaged 77.62 shots per round as a freshman and 71.8 as a senior. In his final three years the Cowboys won the NCAA championship in 1976, finished second to Houston in 1977 and won again in 1978. He won the individual title in ‘78, which that year was contested over 54 holes so the focus would all be on the team championship for the final 18.

“They only did that one year and I thought it was kind of pointless to try to get away from the individual aspect,” Edwards said.

With Danny already on the PGA Tour, David turned professional and made it through qualifying school. He moved in with Danny for a bit before getting married and eventually moving in a house next to Bob Tway and Willie Wood at Oak Tree, becoming part of the legendary Oak Tree Gang put together by Joe Walser and Ernie

GOLF OKL AHOMA • AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2021

Vossler, the visionary Oklahoma pros who created Landmark and built Oak Tree Golf Club and Oak Tree Country Club.

On Tour, Edwards won the National Walt Disney Team Championship with Danny in just his second year, a lasting positive memory to this day. His other three tour victories all came at outstanding courses: the 1984 Los Angeles Open at Riviera, the 1992 Memorial at Muirfield Village and the 1993 MCI Classic at Harbour Town in

Victorious as a senior in the 3M Championship.

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Hilton Head, S.C. He also won the Oklahoma Open twice and won on the Champions Tour in 2006 at the 3M Championship.

A remarkably straight driver and good putter, Edwards would also record 65 top-10 finishes on tour and win $4.7 million.

“He didn’t win a lot, but he was an ATM machine out there,” Holder said.

His steady earnings and love for anything mechanical, whether dirt bikes or airplanes, encouraged him to buy a plane and earn his pilot’s license. He and some of his Oak Tree Gang buds would often fly directly from one tour stop to the next, saving a lot of time and energy.

Former OSU All-American E.J. Pfister caddied one year for Edwards on tour and also spent some time as his instructor, which was never an easy task.

“He was hard to teach because of the same perspective that made him such a good player,” Pfister said. “Everything had to be quantified and justified. He would be more fun to teach now because of all the research and analytics avail-

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able, but back then you better have a clear explanation for anything you were trying to tell him.

“David was somewhat of a perfectionist. If he did a big mechanical project, rebuilding one of his dirt bikes or whatever, and there was one screw left, he was going to figure out where that screw went.

It’s all about doing it right with him and he would stay there until it’s done correctly.”

Edwards also loved to ponder odds and how to beat Las Vegas at Baccarat or other games before finally deciding it was a hopeless quest.

David and wife Jonnie moved from Oak Tree to Stillwater where they raised daughters Rachel and Abby, the latter of whom tragically was killed in an auto accident at age 20.

Injuries to his back and wrist cut Edwards’ Champions Tour career short and he dabbled in some business ventures around Stillwater.

Now, at age 65, he enjoys rooting on his Cowboys in all sports, travelling, riding his beloved Harley, lunches with a circle of friends and golf on occasion.

And a good argument.

Edwards loved to ride, and fly, and here he combines both.

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2021 OKLAHOMA GOLF HALL OF FAME

Public hero Farley's prolific career has had huge impact on Oklahoma by john rohde

F

loyd Farley’s forte as a golf architect has become somewhat of a lost art. New construction demands that many championship courses be in faraway places or molded into residential areas where houses dictate the routing more than the natural lay of the land.

Such never was the case with Farley, who now finds himself a member in the Oklahoma Golf Hall of Fame’s 2021 class.

“I loved Floyd’s routing because it always flowed with the land,” said Ron Whitten, Architecture Editor Emeritus of Golf Digest magazine. “If a dogleg turned left or right, that was because of the direction the ground flowed. You were never playing opposite or against the flow of the land.

When I think of Floyd’s designs, I just think of how graceful they are.”

Born in 1907 in Kansas City, Mo., Farley built courses primarily throughout Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri, with a handful of others in Nebraska and New Mexico.

All told, Farley designed or remodeled more than 100 courses, far more than any other architect in the region.

Farley was a club professional and talented golfer, winning the South Central PGA Section Championship in 1937 and 1942. He began as a caddy at age 12 and in 1925 played for Rosedale, one of Kansas’ greatest high school squads that also featured Jug McSpaden, who was runner-up in the 1937 PGA Championship and finished

Golf architect Floyd Farley, who will construct the Quail Creek Golf and Country Club course, is shown here working on details of four of the greens. Left to right are (top) the seventh and eighth and (bottom) the 10th and 11th. fourth in the 1947 Masters.

In 1931, Farley became head pro at Twin Hills Golf & Country Club, a Perry Maxwell design in Oklahoma City. One year later, at the tender age of 25, Farley designed his first course – Woodlawn Golf Club in Oklahoma City – and would go on to design dozens of courses in Oklahoma, with renovations or additions to many others.

“I never did make any big money,” Farley said to The Oklahoman in 1997. “When we

started out, the (design) fee was 10 percent of the construction cost, and that was for the design and a little supervision. I was kind of crazy, though, because for a while I would design it and build it for one fee. I did that for 10 or 12 courses or so, and then I just started in with the pencil and notebook, just design only. I don’t think I ever built a golf course that cost over $300,000.

Now that won’t hardly build one tree.”

Farley excelled at building courses that were easy to maintain, operate and could turn a profit by accommodating a steady flow of traffic.

“He was very practical,” Whitten said of Farley. “He came in an era when you didn’t spend more than $500,000 building a golf course. He had to be very economical.”

Alsie Hyden, a 2008 Oklahoma Golf Hall of Fame inductee who taught for more than 50 years and was a staunch proponent of women playing the game, crossed paths with him at LaFortune Park in Tulsa, a Farley-designed public course that opened in 1960.

“Floyd was a super guy, good designer,” Hyden said. “He took me under his wing. He was very influential in my life. He also was responsible for the four-ball tournament and creating other tournaments. He was a terrific promoter. He really enjoyed it.”

When the Oklahoma Golf Hall of Fame was created, Hyden was quick to mention Farley as a potential inductee.

“The committee asked me for a list of guys and I had Floyd’s name on there,” Hyden said. “You start out with all the obvious ones. I’m glad he’s getting in. He was a good guy. He truly cared about the business, the golfers. He was sought-after.”

Quail Creek Golf & Country Club was arguably Farley’s premier private championship course project. Larry Fryer served as head pro there for 20 years (1980-2000).

His first impression of the place? “It was just a beautiful golf course,” Fryer said.

Kickingbird Golf Course in Edmond has been a bastion of junior and public golf in Oklahoma.

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Adams GC in Bartlesville.

However, no course has a perfect layout, particularly in Oklahoma, where Mother Nature has long ruled the roost. When the wind comes sweeping down the plain, predominantly from the south, the course’s degree of difficulty can change significantly – both good and bad.

The par-4 11th hole at Quail Creek heads north and often plays downwind. Originally 386 yards in length, it frequently played more like a par-3½, particularly when south winds conspired with technological improvements.

“One day, I had our guys build a new tee on the back of No. 11,” Fryer said. “Moved it back about 30 yards maybe. Floyd was playing golf that day. He came into the pro shop and said, ‘What in the hell are you doing down there at No. 11?’ I said, ‘Well, we’re just making the hole a little longer.

When that south wind blows, it plays a little short.’ He (Floyd) said, ‘You’re ruining my golf course.’ He took it personally.

He was proud of his work. He didn’t want anybody messing with it.”

It was months before Farley spoke to Fryer again. This happened decades ago.

After a recent redesign by Bill Bergin, the 11th hole at Quail Creek now stretches to 447 yards from the tips.

At Kickingbird Golf Club in Edmond, another Farley layout that came a decade after Quail Creek, the first hole originally was a par-4 heading dead east, which caused considerable problems each day at sunrise.

Early morning golfers squinted and shielded their eyes just to locate the fairway and green.

Art Proctor, the course’s first-ever head pro, tried to remedy the problem and stuck a 10-foot flagstick in the hole, but the sun’s glare was still too strong. Proctor then simply switched the nines. The new No. 1, formerly No. 10, played due south. Problem solved. The former No. 1 hole, now No. 10, became far more manageable to play two W W W.GOLFOKL AHOMA.ORG

hours after sunrise.

“I really liked him,” Proctor said of Farley, “but the last conversation I ever had with him, he didn’t like me because I reversed the nines. Changing the nines sped up play one half-hour. Floyd was proud of whatever he did, and rightfully so.”

In addition to Quail Creek, Kickingbird and LaFortune Park, some of Farley’s more notable Oklahoma designs include the Lake Hefner South Course, Earlywine South Course, John Conrad in Midwest City, Adams Golf Course in Bartlesville, Lew Wentz in Ponca City, Arrowhead State Park Course, Roman Nose State Park and dozens more. In 1965, Farley redesigned the Lincoln Park West Course.

“More than once, Floyd told me the (Lake Hefner) South Course was his favorite of all he designed,” Hyden said. “He didn’t have enough land (112 acres), so there was an extra dose of par-3s.”

Architect Randy Heckenkemper redesigned the LaFortune Park course, but said he saw no need to change the routing.

“The way I look at it, he’s still the origi-

nal architect and it’s still Mr. Farley’s golf course,” said Heckenkemper, who rerouted a couple of holes at John Conrad, which opened in 1971. “But that was pretty much because of current golfing equipment. With the $500 drivers and all the current golf balls, people were just playing holes the way they weren’t intended to be played.

Clearly as technology improved, his golf courses still kept up. The focus hasn’t been to add length, it’s been to get better greens with more contour. We want it to be more sustainable, we want the maintenance budget to be lower, so there are fewer sand bunkers and more earthen berms and mounds that influence shots.”

Tulsa’s Colton Craig is a golf-course architect and founder of the Perry Maxwell Society. He quit his job as an apprentice, opened his own design firm and has since visited every Maxwell design in the United States.

“I guess you would say Floyd Farley’s era is sort of the bridge between the golden age and the modern age,” Craig said. “He was a thought leader. He was well-regarded. He wasn’t just a dirt mover. He was a gentleman, had a good image.”

Farley’s design career began to wind down in the early 1980s when his eyesight faded. He moved to the retirement haven of Sedona, Ariz., where he died on Oct. 1, 2005, at age 98. Just four days later, his wife, Betty, also passed away.

“I think the legacy of Floyd Farley is that he was a bedrock in the game of golf in the Great Plains states,” Whitten said. “He was the sort of architect who didn’t worry about awards or glory.”

Hopefully, Farley will understand why he was chosen as a member of the Oklahoma Golf Hall of Fame.

LaFortune Park in Tulsa remains one of the state's most popular courses.

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2021 • GOLF OKL AHOMA

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OKLAHOMA SPOTLIGHT

Lions of OKC public golf Hyden, Carson will leave lasting legacy Oklahoma City,” said Mark Felder, execu- groups they felt were underserved.

Hyden championed women’s golf when tive director of the Oklahoma Golf Assoor a combined 105 years, Steve ciation. “I can’t say enough about either it wasn’t always popular to do so, always having at least one female instructor on Carson and Alsie Hyden have been of them."

The two ran golf operations that helped staff and making sure access to lessons, coming to work each day striving to leagues and make public golf other issues in Oklahoma was equitable.

City not just He was the first fun, fast and afman inducted fordable, but an into what was integral compothe Women’s nent of the qualOklahoma Golf ity of life for Hall of Fame, area residents. which has since Their longevmerged with ity is remarkthe Oklahoma able. But it’s the Golf Hall of quality of what Fame. they did in that “Alsie suptime that truly ported women stands out. before it was On Sept. 30, popular to do both will retire. so,” said Hall Hyden, 88, has of Fame board been the direcmember Louise tor of golf at Johnson.

“He Lake Hefner brought Jackie since 1968 after Alsie Hyden, left, and Steve Carson have shared their love of golf with thousands through the years.

Hutchinson moving over from Trosper Park in 1966. Carson, 69, start- make Oklahoma City the envy of the na- out there and she was one of the first feed as an assistant at Trosper Park in 1971, tion when it came to providing quality yet male pros in the area and still gives lesbecame director of golf there from 1976-90, affordable public golf. Working in conjunc- sons today. He has done so much for the and then replaced the legendary U.C. Fergu- tion with city leaders, the nine-member state and the game and he’ll be missed.”

Carson has long provided support to miOklahoma City golf commission and the son at Lincoln Park in 1990.

A pair of 39-year-old professionals who other professionals, they oversaw 36-hole norities and underprivileged golfers, helping support the Eastern Golf Ashave each been well prepared sociation and later the First Tee for this day will replace them.

“Steve and Alsie have meant so much to of Oklahoma City and the SpeAaron Kristopeit has been the junior golf and public golf in general in cial Olympics. head professional at Lincoln “We wanted to get the local Park since 2011 and Brad Sliauter Oklahoma City,” said Mark Felder, executive community involved in golf,” Carhas had that role at Lake Hefner director of the Oklahoma Golf Association. son said. “The Eastern Golf League since 2016.

“I can’t say enough about either of them.“ was a great organization to work “Everyone knows Alsie and – Mark Felder, OGA Executive Director with and did everything they has a story about him,” Sliauter could to get the kids equipment, said. “He stops and talks to everyone he sees. Even now, if he’s out the facilities that would average between access and an introduction to the game.”

During his tenure the city authorized first question he’ll ask is, `Do you play 70,000 and 110,000 rounds annually, with golf?’ If the answer is no, then he says, a full pro shop, PGA instruction, junior, se- major renovations by Randy Heckenkem`Why not?’ and that opens the door to nior and women’s programs, restaurant and per of the East and West courses as well as a conversation introducing them to the meeting space and practice facilities -- the built a new clubhouse that is the envy of total package that a public course interested most public facilities in the state. game.”

Because Lincoln Park has maintained con“Steve and Alsie have meant so much in sustaining the game’s future should offer.

Beyond that, each had a soft spot for sistent conditioning allowing golfers to play to junior golf and public golf in general in

by ken macleod

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GOLF OKL AHOMA • AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2021

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the ball down, it is a constant hub for com- ber of the Oklahoma City Golf Competitive events, whether high school, college, mission and a Hall of Fame inductee. “I OJGT, OGA, WOGA, South Central Section don’t think there will ever be anyone who or other groups. Supporting all those endeav- touched as many lives as Alsie. He always ors may be taken for granted in OKC, but treated all the women and juniors with reeach of those same groups will not use the spect and he still loves to teach. Steve has City of Tulsa’s golf facilities due to lack of done wonderful things with the Special Olympics and the Eastern Golf commitment to maintenance.

League.”

“I think both of them share Hyden’s career began at Laa common bond that the pubFortune Park in Tulsa in 1961 lic golf experience should be as working for Charlie Wiesner. good as they can provide,” said Hyden left to become the head golf course architect Randy professional at Adams Golf Heckenkemper, who worked Course in Bartlesville in 1963, with Carson on extensive renothen was persuaded by Joe vations to the East and West courses and with Hyden on the Aaron Kristopeit Walser to come to Oklahoma City. He had run hugely sucNorth Course at Lake Hefner. cessful women’s clinics in both “That extends from course deTulsa and Bartlesville and took sign to conditioning, pace of play that concept to OKC. and how golfers are greeted at Hyden was an excellent basketthe door. They made every golfer ball player in his younger days and feel like they were the most imcompeted for a traveling YMCA portant person they were going team against future Harlem Gloto talk to that day. They crebetrotters legend Marques Haynes ated their own loyalty programs Brad Sliauter and was also the “only white guy” through customer service. You always got great value for what you paid and on his Air Force base team during his years in the service. that’s what customers really appreciated.”

His lifetime love affair with golf started at “The legacy for both is their support of public golf,” said LeeAnn Fairlie, a mem- his rural Tulsa home when he saw a neigh-

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bor hitting wedges in his yard. An interested Hyden was asked to come watch his group play on a Saturday morning, and he raced back to his house to call his friends and tell them about this strange and wonderful game he had just witnessed. They rode their bikes three miles to a course called Highlands, rented clubs and swung away.

His life was on a new path.

Dan Langford, the director of golf at Earlywine Golf Course in OKC, has worked with Carson and Hyden for many years to bolster the golf experience for public players. He worked directly for Hyden early in his career and credits him for any success he’s had.

“To say Alsie is an icon is insufficient, he’s more than that,” Langford said. “He’s been like a second father to me and is the most honorable man I know. Nobody loves the game as much as Alsie. He loves the interaction with the players and his vision of what the future could look like has been the key to his longevity. He always wanted to help shape the future of public golf and recreation in Oklahoma City.”

To that end, Hyden regrets that one of his ideas never took, and that was to build an endowment to support public golf. He still thinks it could.

“I’ll leave that to the next guy to run with,” he said.

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WINSTAR GOLF COURSE

WinStar Golf Academy among best anywhere

assuring the student will receive the same numbers off of the Trackman at the teaching facility as on the course.

Even above the world-class facility at WinStar, the VIP-level service shows a true care and compassion for the players and a deep understanding and appreciation for the game.

Sullivan, the WinStar Golf Operations Director, is a native Australian who has more than 16 years of competitive playing and teaching experience in the golfing industry. He has been at WinStar since 2018 and has expertise in putting and the full swing.

Sullivan is really easy to talk to and makes people feel at home.

Knodle and Kunkle are extremely knowledgeable. Knodle helped me directly in the teaching facility on the Trackman. He works to create simple and understandable swing instruction. Kunkle started last year after spending time at the Four Seasons Resort and Club in Dallas, and specializes in economic and consistent golf swings.

Both of these guys are top notch for lessons and club fitting. They also both do playing lessons. It’s unique to have a facility mixed with the ability and freedom to get valuable instruction on the course as well.

WinStar’s professionals have a combined 57 years of experience in golf instruction, and they want to share their knowledge and passion for the sport.

WinStar offers lesson packages to creElliott Sullivan works with a student at the WinStar Golf Academy. ate your customized instruction journey. was fortunate re- their student hits a shot. These instructional Whether you are a polished player or a becently to spend bays also have TV monitors on both walls ginner, WinStar Golf is dedicated to helping a day at Win- for righties and lefties to be able to visually every player be his or her best. These packages can be tailored to anything you may Star Golf Acad- see and analyze their swings.

The other unique thing about WinStar want as far as hotel and casino, instruction, emy and its practice and teaching facilities rank Golf Academy is it has a room similar to a lessons, playing lessons, or club fitting.

Some people might ask, “Why should I among the nation’s best. PGA Tour truck where it can mix and match My initial reaction shafts and club heads such as TaylorMade, make the drive to WinStar Golf Academy was that I could not Scotty Cameron, PXG, PING, Odyssey, Cal- instead of going to my local club for fittings Sam Humphreys or instruction?” believe that this is laway, Titleist, Cleveland and The answer is actually open to the public. We usually only see fa- Srixon during a club fitting. quite simple -- your local club In the Putting Studio, Wincilities like this at exclusive clubs or private doesn’t have this facility. The facilities for college golf teams. WinStar Golf Star has The Science and Moonly places in Oklahoma that Academy is open to all ages and all skill lev- tion Lab (SAM) which is barival WinStar Golf Academy sically like a Trackman for els. are the private facilities at JimWinStar’s outdoor facility has eight heat- putting and allows you to mie Austin and Karsten Creek ed hitting bays with mirrors on each bay, visually see the strengths and – and those are only accessible which are great for a warmup, or to put weaknesses in your putting if you play golf for the Sooners what you learn into practice. The outdoor stroke. This putting studio is or the Cowboys. I promise if also has a private short game facility for fully stocked with every type you make the drive from the of putter you could imagine, those using the golf academy.

Elliott Sullivan Oklahoma City, Dallas or Tulsa The indoor includes two instruction bays making it ideal for club fitting area, you will not regret it and your game fully stocked with all of the best instruction- as well.

Whether it is freezing cold temperatures will certainly improve. al tools, as well as a studio dedicated to putting. Trackman, the best ball flight simulator or hot Oklahoma summers, the weather Sam Humphreys, who played collegiate golf for on the market, is used in both bays. Track- doesn’t affect the WinStar Golf Academy.

Another key detail of the teaching facility both Tulsa and UMKC , is a co-host of The 73rd man allows Elliot Sullivan, Bill Knodle and Tim Kunkle to get numbers instantly after is it always uses Taylormade TP5 golf balls, Hole Podcast.

I

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GOLF COURSE REPAIR

Rising from the dead of winter kill by ken macleod

T

he question still being asked in many places throughout the state as August rolled around: “When will our golf course look normal again?”

The answer is, it depends.

The vicious February arctic blast that wiped out fairways, tee boxes, green surrounds and was especially cruel to those with ultradwarf Bermuda greens was somewhat random in the punishment it doled out.

Some courses emerged relatively unscathed while others lost many acres of turf.

Here’s a glance at some of the more significant repair endeavors: The Canyons at Blackjack Ridge made the decision in June to shut down and resprig all of its brand new ultradwarf Champion Bermuda greens. It lost six weeks of summer play, but now has fully healed greens where others that have tried to wait for damaged Bermuda greens to regrow have had mixed results.

The course had just reopened last fall after being closed for a year to put in those greens, along with a host of other improvements, including the clubhouse, patio, green surrounds, tree removal, drainage, irrigation and more.

“There’s no doubt it hurt to be closed this summer after being closed most of 2020,” said Director of Golf Brian Talley. “But the guys did a great job with the sprigging and Champion was very helpful. They have come back great.”

At Heritage Hills in Claremore, six of its new Bermuda greens were resprigged in late July and should be back open by mid-October. The grass that had come back on those six greens was stripped out and used to sod areas of the other greens that were damaged.

The course has remained open with six temporary greens and reduced green fees.

At WinStar Resort in Thackerville, the Redbud course has been closed to completely rebuild all 18 of its Bermuda greens, while the Scissortail Course has remained open with reduced green fees. Once Redbud is fully grown in, the Scissortail Course will close and all of its greens will be rebuilt as well.

Two private courses in Oklahoma City with ultradwarf Bermuda greens were also forced to sprig and were looking forward to reopening fully in August.

Quail Creek Golf & Country Club sprigged 10 of its new Tif-Eagle greens in June and will fully reopen by Labor Day. It has also had to repair tee boxes, some fairway areas and green surrounds.

The Greens Country Club sprigged nine of its Champion greens on the course, its practice green and three of its short course greens. It opened the greens in August while also using the downtime to sod close to seven acres of damaged fairways, surrounds and tee boxes.

Courses with Bermuda greens are not considering a return to bent grass despite the cold damage.

“It’s still going to be the best surface for our location,” said Matt Davis, director of golf at The Greens. “We had that confirmed with top turf folks from the USGA and the PGA since the storm. We’re going to take some extra precautions going forward, such as buying a second set of covers. Courses farther north do that and it’s worked.”

The scare of 2021 hasn’t deterred Bailey Ranch in Owasso, which has been closed this summer to install Bermuda greens for the first time. And Oak Tree National plans to make the conversion as well next May. The course that lost more turf than any other in the state was Gaillardia Country Club in Oklahoma City. Superintendent Sean Hogan said the course has replaced nearly 30 acres of fairway turf, putting down Tahoma Bermuda that is more cold tolerant

to replace the damaged 419. The back nine reopened in early August and the front nine was scheduled to open around Labor Day. “We’re gaining on it,” Hogan said in early August. “Were on our way to getting back to normal.”

Except for a couple of par-3s and holes 8 and 12, the course will have nearly all Tahoma in the fairways, with the plan to replace the rest of the 419 in a less stressful year.

As mentioned, Bailey Ranch in Owasso has been closed since May to install Bermuda greens among other improvements. It is on schedule for a Sept. 3 opening. Superintendent Chris Cook and his staff are using the summer to repair significant areas in the fairways that also suffered winter kill.

Forest Ridge in Broken Arrow has completed the sodding of over six acres of winter damage in its fairways and green surrounds.

It was working on new tees and updated drainage on its driving range in early August.

At South Lakes Golf Course in Jenks, large areas of fairway that were damaged were injected with Bermuda seed in a relatively new process and the hope is that the fairways will be fully grown back by the end of the growing season in October. Tulsa County was also working to obtain more sod for damage on the Bermuda greens on its LaFortune Park par-3 course.

Many top private courses, including Southern Hills, The Oaks, Tulsa Country Club, Cedar Ridge, Oak Tree National, Oak Tree Country Club, Oklahoma City Golf & Country Club and many others had to put down four or more acres of sod to replace damaged fairway turf.

Some courses that delayed repairs to wait and see what grew back were scrambling for sod in late summer as the demand has been incredible. Some courses won’t be fully healed from this until the middle of the 2022 growing season.

New Tahoma fairways at Gaillardia Country Club in Oklahoma City.

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COM PET I T ION

Tres Hill

Dylan Teeter

Hill edges future teammate Teeter in OGA State Amateur Championship by ken macleod

A

t his home Elk City Golf and Country Club, Tres Hill said the course normally plays about 5,900 yards and the greens run at just under 6 on the stimpmeter.

From the tournament tees at Cedar Ridge Country Club in Broken Arrow, Hill was dealing with a different beast, a course that stretches to 7,392 yards with lightning fast greens running at 12.5 for the final round of the OGA State Amateur Championship..

No matter. With his length, touch and solid comeback putts every time he raced one past the hole, Hill did just enough to edge future Oklahoma City University teammate Dylan Teeter of Bixby 1 up to become the 2021 state amateur champion.

He handled the course just fine in five previous matches to reach the final as well.

“This is big, the biggest victory I’ve ever had along with winning the 4A high school championship,” Hill said.

Hill seems destined for more significant victories to come.

“He’s really, really good,” said Austin Hannah, the former Oral Roberts player now a six-time club champion at The Oaks 34

Country Club, whom Hill defeated 2 up in the morning semifinal matches. “I made a few mistakes, but he’s solid. He hits it really long and he’s going to be a really nice player.”

Hill won the Class 4A high school championship in the spring and won the Southern Hills Junior Masters the week following the amateur.

OCU coach Andy Crabtree jumped in his car and raced up the Turner Turnpike upon learning both of his incoming freshmen would meet in the finals. It was a nolose proposition for him.

“Both these guys are going to be really good players and help us have a chance to win national championships,” Crabtree said. “The state of Oklahoma junior golf is so strong it’s just amazing and these two are a reflection of that.”

Hill, a starting point guard for his high school basketball team, makes quick decisions and plays refreshingly fast. Teeter has a cool Ben Hogan vibe, from his flat cap to his determined stride and intensity on the course.

Teeter won the first three holes of the title match with pars. Hill’s second shot on the first hole was in a deep divot and he

GOLF OKL AHOMA • AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2021

chunked the third into a pond. He hit his tee shot on the par-3 second over the green, then missed right on the par-4 third and his ball somehow stopped short of the pond on a brick retaining wall, but he couldn’t get up-and-down.

He settled down with a birdie on the par4 fourth, and cut the lead to 1 with a birdie on the par-3 sixth. But he fell down by three again at the turn with a poor tee shot on the short par-4 eighth that forced him to hit his second shot left handed. Teeter then birdied the ninth hole.

Up three and seemingly in good position about 15 feet from the cup on the par4 11th, Teeter’s birdie effort raced some 8 feet past, leading to a 3-putt. He bogeyed the par-3 13th when he missed the green right, but came right back with a birdie on the par-5 14th to regain a two-up lead.

After Teeter bogeyed the par-3 15th, Hill tied it by chipping in from just right of the green for birdie on the par-4 16th. Teeter hit what appeared to be a good drive on the difficult par-4 17th, but his second shot caught an overhanging tree limb and fell into a pond fronting the green to go down in the match for the first time.

“The chip-in was huge,” Hill said. “I knew something had to go in sooner or later. That was a great time for that to happen.”

Both players hit perfect drives on the uphill par-4 18th. Teeter hit his second shot pin high about 10 feet left of the hole, but his birdie effort drifted by and Hill secured the 1 up victory with a two-putt from 20 feet below the hole.

“I played well,” said Teeter, who works in the bag room at The Club at Indian Springs and had pro Mark Budler and some others from the club in his gallery. “I hit the ball where I thought I needed to all day and didn’t get quite the results that I thought I deserved a few times, but that’s golf.

You’ve got to move forward.”

The two had played together in several tournaments but both said they were looking forward to getting to know each better as OCU teammates for the next four years.

Both have professional aspirations, but before that will be back for more runs in the State Amateur.

Teeter, who defeated Jake Bay of Shattuck and Abilene Christian University 2 up in the semifinals, said he picked up his affinity for Hogan after reading about his background. “He came from humble beginnings, just like I do, but he showed that you can make it no matter what.”

Both players may be making Crabtree a happy coach for years to come.

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Steady Scarberry rolls to WOGA State Amateur title by murray evans

DUNCAN – Known as much for her flamboyant outfits as for her considerable amount of golf game, ShaeBug Scarberry went with a subdued – well, for her – gray-and-black look for the title match in the Women’s Oklahoma Golf Association State Amateur Championship.

Sometimes, the basics are enough, and that was the case for Scarberry at The Territory Golf and Country Club. Playing steady from tee to green, Scarberry had only two birdies but limited her mistakes (recording only two bogeys) and was in control most of the way in downing 59-year-old Janet Miller of Catoosa 4 and 3.

The WOGA State Amateur title was the first for Scarberry, who’s from Purcell and will be entering her junior season at Troy University this fall. She lost in the 2019 WOGA title match to Sydney Youngblood of Durant.

“I really just tried to hit fairways and

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greens,” said Scarberry, whose traditional mismatched kneehigh socks also were neutral colors – one solid gray and the other gray, white and black striped. “I really wasn’t making anything. I was just making a whole bunch of pars. Sometimes steady does win it. I wish I could have made a few more birdies but I was hitting it well, so I wasn’t too upset about how I played.”

Miller, playing in her first WOGA State Amateur title match since 1991, actually had more birdies (three) than did Scarberry. But Miller sometimes struggled with her approach shots, which often left her with birdie putts of 50 feet or more, making it difficult to put pressure on Scarberry.

Scarberry will return to Alabama for college in early August and she said she plans to use the extra season of eligibility the NCAA

ShaeBug Scarberry is WOGA champion. granted to all collegiate players due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Before returning, she helped lead the Oklahoma team to victory in the annual Fore State competition at Millwood Golf and Racquet Club in Ozark, Mo.

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COM PET I T ION

Hughett wins OGA Senior Stroke Play title for seventh time, record victory total now at 23 lowed by Rick Bell of Norman (78-67) at 145. Blake Gibson of Yukon (72-74) and ENID — At age 63, most golfers are con- Eric Gudgel of Stillwater (73-73), who won sistently inconsistent. The days that it all the OGA Senior State Amateur earlier this summer at Meadowbrook CC, tied for clicks are enjoyed all the more. fourth at 146 with Jason Mike Hughett of Gulley of Jenks (73-73).

Owasso has standards The victory was that most of us never Hughett’s seventh in achieve, but even he this event in 11 athas had a rough time in tempts and record 23rd certain events this sumOGA title overall. mer. So putting it all “After you start gettogether at a top venue ting into your 60s, you like Oakwood Country never know when your Club for a four-shot viclast win is going to tory in the OGA Senior be, so it’s nice to play Stroke Play Championwell for two rounds,” ship was particularly Hughett said. “My sumgratifying. mer has been more inHughett shot rounds Mike Hughett consistent than I would of 69-71 on the Perry Maxwell-designed masterpiece to defeat have liked. I’ve had more bad days than I an all-star lineup of state seniors. Defend- like, but I’m happy I had a few good ones.”

Hughett credited instructor Pat McTigue ing champion Todd Raffensperger of Broken Arrow as second at 144 (75-69), fol- of Meadowbrook CC with ironing our by ken macleod

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GOLF OKL AHOMA • AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2021

some fundamentals that had gone a bit sideways prior to the event.

“I’ve been working with Pat on a few things and I’m happy I made some improvements before this event,” he said.

“Overall I didn’t play too bad.”

Oakwood was in tremendous shape, Hughett said, with lush fairways, thick rough and good greens.

“It was as good as anything I’ve played this year,” he said. “It looks like they had very little if any winter damage. The rough was very thick. It doesn’t look like they’ve had any trouble growing Bermuda out here.”

Tim Rogers of Broken Arrow won a playoff with Craig Collins of Enid to win the Super Senior division for those 60 and older. Rogers shot 76-68 while Collins came in a 73-71. Terry Collier of Bixby and three=time defending champion Jerry Nick of Okmulgee tied for third at 146 while Shawn Barker of Bartlesville and Bruce Maddux of Ponca City tied for fifth at 148.

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COM PET I T ION

Langley edges Bryan for OGA Mid-Amateur Championship “It was a good field, a great course and I’m very happy to have my name on an Daniel Langley of Shawnee shot rounds OGA trophy,” said Langley, who began of 71-66 at par-71 Oakwood Country Club playing on the Oklahoma Junior Golf Tour in Enid to win the Oklahoma Golf Associa- at age 11. He played for Shawnee High tion Mid-Amateur Championship by two School before enrolling in Division II Palm Beach Atlantic Unishots over Phillip Bryversity in West Palm an of Mustang (70-69).

Beach, Fla., where he Langley, who has replayed from 2014-18. tained his amateur staSince completing his tus while working on career he has purhis game with a goal sued a career in golf, of a professional career playing and practicsince finishing college ing both in Shawnee in 2018, shot 5-under while maintaining on his final eight holes a base in West Palm to pull away.

Beach, where he is Langley bogeyed the a member at Bear 11th hole to drop to Lakes Country Club. even-par for his final “I’m very forturound, but played the Daniel Langley nate and blessed two par-5s on the back nine in 3-under, birdied the par-3 14th and that my parents (Dana and Mike Langley) capped his round with a birdie on the tight are supporting me in pursing this dream,” Langley said. Mike caddied and Dana was uphill 18th hole. by ken macleod

w w w.L aFor tune Park G olf.com 5501 S. Yale Avenue, Tulsa, Oklahoma

watching as he captured the OGA MidAmateur.

Langley said the win made up for an otherwise frustrating summer in which his swing has been solid but he has left opportunities on the table at top amateur events and qualifiers. He will compete in the U.S. Mid-Amateur qualifier next week at Meadowbrook Country Club in Tulsa.

Bryan, a former Oklahoma player and assistant coach, was the runnerup in the 2009 USGA Public Links Championship at the Jimmie Austin OU Golf Course in Norman.

JR Hurley of Norman took third place at 140 after consecutive rounds of 1-under 70, followed by a tie between Mike Hearne of Yukon (70-71) and Jamie Voegeli of Tulsa (73-68) at 141. Voegeli won the 2020 OGA State Amateur Championship at The Patriot.

“It was just a great field and the golf course was perfect,” said OGA Executive Director Mark Felder. “We want to congratulate Daniel, who has been playing in our events since he could swing. He played great and both his parents were here to watch him shoot that 66 and that was special. Oakwood and host pro Tim Mendenhall could not have been nicer to us and we can’t wait to come back here.”

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GOLF OKL AHOMA • AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2021

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MASTER YOUR SWING

ACE OUR GREENS

G E T R E A D Y F O R N O T H I N G B U T A G O O D T I M E AT W I N S TA R G O L F. C O M

DEST I NAT IONS

Open door at

by art stricklin

came to the last hole in near total darkness after an extended rain delay. With a 10-shot lead over Hal Sutton, Woods took dead aim from 168 yards and knocked his ball to 2 feet of the cup. He was unable to see the result, but clearly heard the roar from the crowd.

Today, Moore will lead groups over to the 18th fairway near sunset to try their own shot in the dark. Then it’s over to the lighted putting green, where there are drink holders on every hole.

The fourth course is the public Firestone 9, adjacent to the North Course, open to everyone. While the three resort courses close during the harsh Northeast Ohio winters, the public 9 stays open all year long.

The lodging at Firestone certainly carries on the history as well. Many of the rooms are dedicated to famous Firestone players. Palmer, Nicklaus, Nick Price and Gary Player and others, with a letter from each player on the wall of the room stating what Firestone has meant to them and their career.

While the lodging is hardly lavish, there is something very cool about staying in a Nicklaus room with a letter from the Golden Bear himself.

Of course, the clubhouse bar, which doesn’t close until midnight, is a pretty good perk as well as is all the golf history which lines the walls.

“We have some groups who wouldn’t even consider staying anywhere but the clubhouse, wouldn’t think about it and then we have some who always stay in the villas,” Walkinshaw said.

There are plenty of dining choices inside and out during the prime summer months.

Of particular interest, is the clubhouse bean soup which is good enough that Nicklaus once sent his pilot over to get a couple of gallons for a dinner he was hosting.

There are three basic ways to access the Firestone facility: become a local Firestone member, have access from ClubCorp and its various membership packages or take advantage of one of the outstanding stay-and-play packages.

Go to www.firestonecountryclub.com for more information.

FIRESTONE

Golfers now have unprecedented access to the historic courses at Firestone CC. AKRON, Ohio – For a golf destination with more than 65 years of golf history, Firestone Country Club is now particularly eager to show it off.

After seeing golf’s greatest players from Sam Snead to Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus to Tiger Woods, come to Firestone, named after the car tire mogul who originally built the facility in 1929 for company recreation, it has always been an attraction for great golfers and avid fans.

But after Dallas-based ClubCorp purchased the facility in 1981, it’s steadily poured money into the three -course facility, built modern new lodges near the courses, all while showcasing the considerable golf history.

“We still consider ourselves a best-kept secret,” general manager Jay Walkinshaw said.

“We have great golf and great tournaments, but we want to be as well visited as a golf destination like Pinehurst and Pebble Beach.”

Palmer played in the 1954 Rubber City Open where his first meager tournament check and thank you letter is still framed in the clubhouse locker room.

Since then pro golf has rolled on like a green grass assembly line here. Palmer would later win the Rubber City Invitational and the PGA Championship came for the first time in 1960 on the famed South Course, redesigned

by Robert Trent Jones Sr. 40

The World Series of Golf was held here for 36 years along with the World Golf Invitational Bridgestone Invitational for 18 more.

Now, the Senior Players Championship is the pro golf event on tap with previous champions back for a new try at the famous course.

The par-70 South Course has hosted three PGA Championships along with most of the major golf events. The North Course, par-72, also designed by Jones Sr., has hosted the American Golf Classic and the World Series of Golf and has been ranked as one of the top-100 modern courses in America.

The par-70 links style Fazio course was one of the first solo designs by Tom Fazio in 2001 and was recently updated by golf’s architectural legend.

“We do have quite a collection of great courses open to the public,” Director of Golf Thomas Moore said. “Some want to challenge themselves where the best have played on the South Course, others enjoy the length, beauty and challenge of the North Course while others enjoy the Fazio course.

“With caddies and carts available, we really have something for every golfer.”

Among the most famous holes on the South Course is the 667-yard par-5 16th hole which Palmer nicknamed “The Monster.”

Woods’ most famous shot at Firestone came on the par-4 18th in 2000 when he

GOLF OKL AHOMA • AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2021

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F R E S H E S T. S M O O T H E S T. L E A N E S T. G R E E N E S T. # 1 S E LT Z E R I N G O L F .

#CLUB UP #CLUBBY @CLUBBYSELTZERS W W W.GOLFOKL AHOMA.ORG

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2021 • GOLF OKL AHOMA

41

I NST RUC T ION

Turn bunker blunders to bliss

M

any golfers fear the greenside bunker shot. Let’s change your bunker fear to bunker bliss in just a few easy steps.

Ryan Rody

1) THE CLUB

Let’s make sure we choose the right club. a. If the pin is close to you with little green to work with, choose your most lofted wedge (56, 58 or 60). b. If the pin is in the middle of the green, choose your second most lofted wedge (56 or 54).

2

2) THE GRIP a. Turn the grip slightly to the right, and then grip your club.

Too often players grip the club and then open up the face. That makes it hard for the club to swing properly.

3) THE SETUP a. My feet are just wider than my shoulders and aimed just slightly left of my target (10 degrees). I am going to swing down this line. Most of the time players are trying to swing much too far left of the target. b. I am sitting down a little more in this shot. This allows me to have the handle of the club lower, and hit the ball higher c. Weight is in my lead leg about 65 per-

5A

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cent and the ball is slightly forward of cenBeginner Bunker Game: Hit six bunker ter. My left knee is flexed over my front shots and get at least four on the green to foot. pass (25 handicap and above) Intermediate Bunker Game: Hit all six shots on the green less than 90 feet from 4) THE SWING a. Notice how far my club has traveled the hole in total (10-24 handicap) Advanced – Hit all six bunker shots and the club-face position is open. Knee is within 75 feet of the target still over my front foot.

Professional – All six shots inside of 36 feet 5) THE LOW POINT a. This is the most important part. The strike of the sand is 1-2 inches behind the Ryan Rody, PGA ball. The further behind I strike, the lower Director of Instruction the ball will go and more it will roll. Draw Southern Hills Country Club a line as shown to give you proper feedback on where your strike is. b. Club head remains open and facing me on the way through. This will allow the sand to splash towards the green. If the release is not open, the club will tend to dig into the ground. c. Balanced finish facing the target.

3B

3C

4A

4A

5B

5C

BE SURE TO GAMIFY YOUR PRACTICE Spend 10-15 minutes working proper form and proper strikes, after you feel comfortable then it is time to develop your skills.

5A

GOLF OKL AHOMA • AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2021

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GOL F FI TN E SS

Golf success and longevity: How to play at a high level as you age

W

hen Phil Mickelson won at the PGA Clint Howard Championship this Golf Fitness Systems year at 50 years old, he became the oldest winner of a golf major. And it wasn’t a fluke or just the result of him getting hot at the right time. It was two years in the making. His amazing play this year is the result of adopting several strategies that enable him to compete against players half his age. He has lost weight and gotten more fit, stronger, faster, and is swinging the club better than he did when he was in his 30s.

The same goes for my longtime golf fitness client Bo Van Pelt, Seventy-eight year who is 46 and old golfer Joe Willard has been amaz- doing a core strength ing this year on anti-rotation exercise. the PGA Tour, after returning from almost four years of being sidelined. And you see many other older players who are still competing at a high level on tour. And I personally train many local recreational golfers who are in their 60s and 70s and still playing competitive golf and enjoying it.

It’s important to look at and understand all of the underlying variables that are contributing to golfers continuing to play at a high level as they age.

Three things to look at are: 1.) Overall Health/Fitness, 2.) Technical Abilities, and 3.) Physical Training/Working Out. All three must be present if you want to continue to play better golf and remain injury free.

Overall Health/Fitness is the foundation of us as humans. In order to reach the highest level of our golf game, we must have a major focus on our health. Are you working out regularly and what does that look like? How is your sleep quality and are you getting 7-8 hours of sleep per night? How is your nutrition? Are you drinking plenty of water and staying properly hydrated? How are your stress levels and are you implementing stress management techniques into your life?

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Technical abilities are the next piece to look at. Do you have an efficient golf swing? Do you transfer force effectively? Do you maximize clubhead speed at impact? Do you understand the game of golf and golf course management?

Are you getting lessons from a teaching professional so you have feedback and you know what you need to work on to improve your game? No amount of physical abilities can overcome an inefficient golf swing.

Physical training is my area of expertise and where I can truly strengthen and help develop a better golfer. This is a key piece to your longevity and high-level performance on the golf course. But, peak performance in golf, or anything, can’t be achieved without a solid foundation of good health. A positive note is what leads to better performance simultaneously creates better health and longevity: • Overall fitness, health and wellness • Strength and force production • Quality nutrition and hydration • Stress reduction and better lifestyle choices • Better flexibility and mobility

• Quality sleep and proper recovery A main thing to remember is that your workouts and overall health/fitness program needs to be designed and scaled to your individual fitness level and needs/goals. I do always recommend getting with a certified golf fitness professional to help you get started on the right program for you and your specific goals.

Don’t allow yourself to gradually get weaker, slower and more unhealthy over time and decrease your enjoyment for the game. Wherever you are now, get started on a fitness/workout plan to help you improve your health, your body, and your game… and unleash your swing.

Clint Howard is the Owner/Director of Golf Fitness Systems and is recognized as one of the only 2X Top 50 Golf Fitness Professionals in the country

by Golf Digest. PGA Tour Pros, Oklahoma State Men's and Women's golf, University of Tulsa golf, and many others. To improve your body and your game, go to www.GolfFitnessSystems.com or call 918-296-7418.

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AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2021 • GOLF OKL AHOMA

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SCH E DU L E S & R E SU LTS : More at w w w.gol fok la homa.org OKLAHOMA JUNIOR MASTERS AT SOUTHERN HILLS CC, TULSA (PAR-70) JULY 27 BOYS 1, Tres Hill 69; 2 (tie), Andrew Goodman and Ryder Cowan 70; 4 (tie), Kaelen Dulany, Jake Hopper and Grant Gudgel 72; 7 (tie), Dylan Teeter, Bryant Polhill and William Sides 73; 10, Kaden Armstrong 74; 11 (tie), Matthew Smith, Buddy Wehrli and Dominic Stevens 75; 14 (tie), Ben Stoller and Carson Wright 76.

GIRLS 1, Reagan Chaney 74 (won playoff); 2, Brooklyn Benn 74; 3, Maddi Kamas 76; 4, Olivia Coit 77; 5 (tie), Peyton Coburn and Lindyn Ross 79; 7, Gracie Doke 80; 8 (tie), Lily Whitley, Aubrey House and Jaiden Gregston 81; 11, Beans Factor 84; 12, Emily Vang 86.

OKLA. GOLF ASSOCIATION STATE AMATEUR AT CEDAR RIDGE CC, BROKEN ARROW JULY 19-21 Round of 32 Carson Griggs def. Jamie Voegeli 5 and 3; Mesa Falleur def. JR Hurley 1-up; Harley Abrams def.

Dustin Halsey 6 and 5; Dylan Teeter def. Craig Sanders 6 and 5; Jake Bay def. Tyler Hunt 6 and 4; Dalton Daniel def. Peter Vitali 2 and 1; Austin Hannah def. Shayne Patel 1-up; Caleb Price def. Delbert Brooks 2 and 1; Kaden Armstrong def. Kevin Clarke 4 and 2; Blake Blaser def. Lane Wallace 1-up; Tres Hill def. Dominic Stevens 5 and 3; Josiah Crews def.

Keith Morris 3 and 2; Luke Phillips def. Zane Heusel 4 and 3; Rob Laird def. Brayden Strickland 1-up.

Round of 16 Falleur def. Griggs 1-up (19); Teeter def. Abrams 1-up (20); Smith def. Hearne 3 and 2; Bay def. Daniel 1-up (19); Hannah def. Price 7 and 6; Armstrong def. Blaser 6 and 5; Hill def. Crews 6 and 5; Phillips def. Laird 1-up (19).

Quarterfinals Teeter def. Falleur 6 and 5; Bay def. Smith 3 and 2; Hannah def. Armstrong 1-up; Hill def. Phillips 1-up (19).

Semifinals Teeter def. Bay 2-up; Hill def. Hannah 2-up.

FINAL Hill def. Teeter 1-up.

SENIOR STATE AMATEUR AT MEADOWBROOK CC, TULSA JULY 12-15 Round of 32 Jonathan Valuck def. John Shelton 4 and 3; Terry Collier def. Tom Nielsen 2 and 1; Bruce Maddux def. Frank Billings 1-up (20); Andy Lucas def. Mike Wilson 2-up; Michael Gotcher def. Alex McAllister 4 and 3; Kirk Wright def. Brian Cook 1-up; Jason Gulley def. Jim Roberts 2 and 1; Michael Hughett def. Steve Hughes 3 and 2; Eric Gudgel def. Jack Steinmeyer 1-up; Joel Driver def. Don Quint 2 and 1; Shawn Barker def. Jeff Smith 2 and 1; Blake Gibson def. Don Cochran 3 and 2; Jerry Nick def.

Andrew Allen 5 and 4; Brian Szymanski def. Kirk Fryer 1-up; Christopher Laughlin def. Scott Wilson 3 and 2; Ron Roden def. Don Clark 2 and 1.

Round of 16 Collier def. Valuck 2-up; Maddux def. Lucas 3 and 2; Gotcher def. Wright 7 and 6; Hughett def. Gulley 1-up (20); Gudgel def. Driver 2 and 1; Gibson def. Barker 1-up; Szymanski def. Nick 3 and 2; Laughlin def. Roden 2 and 1.

Quarterfinals Collier def. Maddux 4 and 3; Gotcher def. Hughett 5 and 4; Gudgel def. Gibson 1-up (20); Laughlin def. Szymanski 1-up.

Semifinals Gotcher def. Collier 3 and 1; Gudgel def. Laughlinb 2-up.

FINAL Gudgel def. Gotcher 3 and 2.

STROKE PLAY AT JIMMIE AUSTIN OU GC, NORMAN (PAR-72) JUNE 21-23 1, Jake Holbrook 66-67 — 133; 2, Lane Wallace 67-72 — 139; 3, JP Roller 68-72 — 140; 4, Jaxon Dowell 71-70 — 141; 5, Dalton Daniel 71-71 — 142; 6 (tie), Zac Owens 73-70 — 143, Hudson Weibel 7073 — 143 and Zac Owens 73-70 — 143; 9, Carson Wright 72-72 — 144; 10 (tie), Dominic Stevens 74-72 — 142, Heston Brown 73-73 — 146 and Turner Hosch 71-75 — 146; 13 (tie), Parker Rose 74-73 — 147, Connor Wilson 74-73 — 147, Charlie Jackson 74-73 — 147, Cole Stephenson 72-75 — 147, Zander Tway 71-76 — 147 and Luke Morgan 73-74 — 147.

WOGA STATE AMATEUR THE TERRITORY G&CC, DUNCAN JULY 12-15 CHAMPIONSHIP FLIGHT Round of 16 Olivia Coit def. Carley Haught 4 and 3; Faith Belmear def. Josie Patterson 4 and 3; ShaeBug Scarberry def. Jaiden Gregston 2-up; Leigh Ann Fore def. Madison Smith 1-up; Katie Finney def.

Hannah Torres 8 and 6; Lilly Whitley def. Sydney Hermann 1-up; Natalie Gough def. Brooklyn Bostick 3 and 1; Janet Miller def. Mikaela Rindermann 4 and 3.

Quarterfinals Coit def. Belmear 1-up; Scarberry def. Fore 5 and 4; Whitley def. Finley 1-up; Miller def. Gough 3 and 2.

Semifinals Scarberry def. Coit 2-up; Miller def. Whitley 2 and 1.

Final Scarberry def. Miller 4 and 3.

Other finals Presidents flight: Alyssa Wilson def. Kim Bell 1-up; A flight: Connie Kelsey def. Janiere Hagen 7 and 6; B flight: Carolyn Martin def. Cherie Rich 4 and 2.

JUNIOR GIRLS STATE STROKE PLAY AT OAK TREE CC (EAST), EDMOND (PAR-71) JUNE 29-30 CHAMPIONSHIP 1, Maddi Kamas 75-70 — 145; 2, Jenni Roller 73-73 — 146; 3 (tie), Reagan Chaney 71-76 — 147 and Raychel Nelke 72-75 — 147; 5, Jaiden Gregston 74-77 — 151; 6 (tie), Olivia Coit 81-72 — 153, Brooklyn Benn 76-77 — 153 and Beans Factor 79-74 — 153; 9 (tie), Natalie Blonien 79-79 — 158 and Rylee Roberts 79-79 — 158; 11, Sophia lefler 83-80 — 163; 12, Sarah Sherrard 83-82 — 165.

16-18 1, Jaeya Mathis 87-76 — 163; 2, Kamryn Zuniga 87-80 — 167.

14-15 1, Riley Rinner 84-87 — 171; 2, Layne Ailshie 88-84 — 172.

12-13 1, Natalie Purvis 82-85 — 167; 2, Laura Stewart 8684 — 170.

TULSA GOLF ASSOCIATION STROKE PLAY AT LAFORTUNE PARK GC (PAR-72) JULY 11-12 1, Brent Wilcoxen 69-69 — 138 (won playoff); 2, Austin Hannah 68-70 — 138; 3, Mike Gotcher 70-69 — 139; 4, Harley Abrams 70-70 — 140; 5 (tie), Delbert Brooks 72-69 — 141 and Colby Cox 72-69 — 141; 7, Brandon Strathe 72-71 — 143; 8, Cole Stephenson 7173 — 144; 9, Patrick West 74-71 — 145; 10, Matt Davis 74-74 — 148; 11 (tie), Spencer McLaughlin 74-75 — 149, Matt Willingham 77-72 — 149 and Jack Gero 76-73 — 149; 14 (tie), Edward Halverson 74-76 — 150 and Bo Robbins 76-74 — 150.

Senior 1, Jason Gulley 72-68 — 140; 2, Todd Raffensperger 69-73 — 142; 3, Jerry Nick 69-74 — 143; 4, Marty Edwards 72-72 — 144; 5, Scott McGhee 73-74 — 147; 6 (tie), Nick Sidorakis 78-75 — 153, Lee Inman 74-79 — 153 and Steve Hughes 74-79 — 153; 9 (tie), Don Daniels 71-84 — 155 and Tony Woods 76-79 — 155.

A flight 1, Andy Matson 79-77 — 156; 2, Richard Woods 79-81 — 160; 3, Kenroy Smith 78-85 — 163.

B flight 1, Mark Mogelnicki 81-81 — 162; 2, Jason Marks 81-82 — 163.

C flight 1, Jeff Stephens 91-89 — 190.

Senior A flight 1 (tie), Richard Hunt 72-73 — 145 and Joe Tuttle 70-75 — 145; 3, Pat Trowbridge 75-75 — 150; 4, Ken MacLeod 72-80 — 152.

Senior B flight 1 (tie), John Blackmon 76-76 — 152 and Mike Fenner 77-75 — 152; 3 (tie), Merlin Kilbury 77-79 — 156 and Chris Benge 78-78 — 156.

Senior C flight 1, Wayne York 79-76 — 155; 2 (tie), Richard Townley 84-72 — 156 and Larry Shackelford 80-76 — 156.

Senior D flight 1, Jim Lowell 82-81 — 163; 2, Jock Lucas 82-82 — 164.

Senior E flight 1, Bill Bacon 86-77 — 163; 2, Eddie Hathcoat 88-79 — 167.

SOUTH CENTRAL PGA YAMAHA SECTION CHAMPIONSHIP AT STILLWATER CC (PAR-70) JULY 20 1, Tim Fleming 66-69 — 135; 2, Shannon Friday 6770 — 137; 3, Aaron Kristopeit 71-68 — 139; 4 (tie), Malachi Murphy 70-70 — 140 and Brent Williamson

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GOLF OKL AHOMA • AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2021

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71-69 — 140; 6, Christopher Tidland 69-72 — 141; 7 (tie), Brent Wilcoxen 69-73 — 142, Trent Rommann 73-69 — 142 and Tim Graves 72-70 — 142; 10 (tie), Kurt Gibson 73-70 — 143 and Riley Seitz 73-70 — 143; 12, Derek Franco 77-67 — 144.

OKLAHOMA GOLF ASSOCIATION SENIOR & SUPER SENIOR STROKE PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP AUGUST 2-3, 2021 OAKWOOD COUNTRY CLUB, ENID

HIGH SCHOOLS OCA ALL-STATE AT CHEROKEE HILLS GC, CATOOSA JULY 26 BOYS West 15.5, East 8.5 Cason Keel (East, Durant)/Jamen Parsons (Jenks) def. Jordan Wilson (Edmond North)/ Seth Tucker (Lindsay) 2.5-1.5; Shane Herlihy (West, Edmond North)/Braden Hirzil (Guthrie) def. Jeremy Tandoy (Union)/Gus Fritz (Shawnee) 2.5-1.5; Izaac White (West, Duncan)/ Trent Martindale (Edmond Memorial) def. Matt Barlow/Owen Beecroft (Bishop Kelley) 4-0; Luke O’Dell (West, Turner)/Dominic Stevens (Crescent) def. Jacoby Riggs (Grove)/Isaac Latta (Keys) 3.5-0.5; Jaxen Brewer (West, Washington)/Max Garza (Mt. St. Mary’s) def.

Zachary Decker (Grove)/Evan Gwin (Chandler) 3-1; Carson Stolley (East, Inola)/Trent Hixson (Pawnee) def. Cash Clark (Comm. Chr.)/Travis Poole (Elk City) 3-1.

SENIOR 1, Michael Hughett, Owasso - 69-71--140; 2, Todd Raffensperger, Broken Arrow - 75-69--1443, 3 Rick Bell, Norman - 78-67--145; 4 (tie) Blake Gibson, Yukon - 72-74--146, Eric Gudgel, Stillwater - 73-73--146, Jason Gulley, Jenks - 73-73--146; 7, Kirk Wright, Oklahoma City - 76-72--148; 9, Jeff Richter, Edmond - 75-74-149; 10 (tie) Don Cochran, Norman - 75-75--150, Steve Steele, Edmond - 75-75--150, Mark Wallace, Edmond - 75-75--150 13, Scooter Hall, Sperry - 73-78--151; 14, Jeff Case, Norman - 76-77--153; 15, Eric Evans, Ponca City 78-78--156; 16, Jeff Lulashnyk, Edmond - 76-81-157; 17, Thad Leffingwell, Stillwater - 83-77--160; 18 (tie) Alex McAllister, Oklahoma City - 80-81--161, Orville Stephens, Okmulgee - 84-77--161; 20 John Bryant, Oklahoma - 84-84--168; 21; Andrew Allen, Edmond - 82-89--171; 22, Richard Barnett, Tulsa - 88-87--175; Randy Brown, Yukon - 84-NC--NC; Don Clark, Shawnee - 73-NC--NC

GIRLS West 15.5, East 8.5 Haley Blevins (West, Edmond North)/Carlie Haught (Yukon) def. Avery Clevenger (Broken Arrow)/Katelyn Bollenbach (Jenks) 3.5-0.5; Reagan Chaney (West, Plainview) def. Meghan Charles (Sand Springs)/Nina Ails (Broken Arrow) 3.5-0.5; Kelsey Douglas (West, Tuttle)/Lindyn Ross (Plainview) def. Haley Bundy (Edison)/ Sidney Keller (Keys) 4-0; Anna Bautista (West, Guymon)/Carrie Hutchings (Plainview) and Bradi McLemore (Durant)/Audrey Manley (Regent Prep) 2-2; Aubree Morton (East, Hilldale)/Emi O’Steen (Kingston) def. Sarah Sherrard (Christian Heritage)/Drew Fairies (Mt. St. Mary’s) 2.51.5; Caitlyn Henson (East, Wagoner)/Logan Allen (Perkins-Tryon) def. Parker Garrett (Dickson)/ Libby Bradshaw (Carl Albert) 3-1.

SUPER SENIOR 1, Tim Rogers, Broken Arrow - 76-68--144 (Won Playoff); 2, Craig Collins, Enid - 73-71--144; 3, Terry Collier, Bixby - 73-73--146; 4, Jerry Nick, Okmulgee - 74-72--146; 5 (tie) Shawn Barker, Bartlesville 73-75--148, Bruce Maddux, Ponca City - 79-69--148; 7 (tie) Art Bennett, Tulsa - 76-75--151, John Reese, Norman - 73-78--151, Bill Roberts, Edmond - 7576--151; 10, Neil Oxford, Enid - 78-74--152; 11, Paul Thomas, Enid - 75-77--152; 12, Jack Steinmeyer, Tulsa - 78-76--154; 13, Randy Robinson, Oklahoma City - 82-74--156; 14, Karl Schroeder, Edmond - 8078--158; 15 (tie) John Donaldson, Enid - 82-78--160, Kevin Hutchens, Jenks - 79-81--160, James Reid, Edmond - 80-80--160, John Shelton, Stillwater 80-80--160; 19, Mitch Bowman, Tulsa - 80-86--166; 20, Joe Felton, Blanchard - 82-85--167; 21 (tie) Tim Rayburn, Guthrie - 91-84--175, Bud Surber, Edmond - 89-86--175; 23, Steve Felton , El Reno - 86-95--181

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OKLAHOMA GOLF ASSOCIATION MID-AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP AUGUST 2-3, 2021 OAKWOOD COUNTRY CLUB, ENID 1, Daniel Langley, Shawnee - 71-66--137; 2, Phillip Bryan, Mustang - 70-69--139; 3, JR Hurley, Norman - 70-70--140; 4 (tie) Mike Hearne, Yukon - 70-71--141; Jamie Voegeli, Tulsa - 73-68--141; 6 (tie), Brian Birchell, Oklahoma City - 71-72--143, Jesse Pennington, Edmond - 75-68--143, Cole Stephenson, Tulsa - 72-71--143, Patrick West, Jenks - 74-69--143; 10 (tie) Gerod Black, Edmond - 72-72--144, Jay Smith, Edmond - 72-72--144; 12, Christopher Laughlin, Edmond - 71-74--145; 13 (tie) Eli Armstrong, Edmond - 80-66--146, Joel Driver, Oklahoma City - 72-74--146, Heath Myers, Kingfisher - 72-74--146, Peter Vitali, Oklahoma City - 74-72--146; 17 (tie) Sam Bass, Yukon - 7572--147, Kyle Hudelson, Edmond - 74-73--147, Ben Klaus, Nichols Hills - 72-75--147; 20 (tie) Scott Athey, Enid - 77-71--148; Jonathan Hart, Edmond 75-73--148; Caleb Price, Edmond - 77-71--148, Austin Quinten, Tulsa - 78-70--148, Brandon Weeden, Edmond - 75-73--148; 25 (tie) Duncan Sutherland, Oklahoma City - 75-74--149, David Turner, Enid 77-72--149; 27 (tie) Jon Cline, Enid - 75-75--150; David Lawrence , Oklahoma City - 79-71--150; 29 (tie) Justin Hoppock, Edmond - 77-74--151; Cooper Johnson, Oklahoma City - 75-76--151, Chase Kuwitzky, Norman - 76-75--151; 32 (tie) Rhett Bolen, Edmond - 73-79--152, Blake Garland, Norman - 74-78--152; 34, Brandon Gainer, Edmond - 76-77--153; 35 (tie) Tanner Hodgkinson, El Reno - 76-78--154, Tobin Mateychick, Jet - 81-73--154; 37, Erik Haworth, Owasso - 77-78--155; 38, Josh Sallee, Oklahoma City - 83-73--156; 39, Clyde Young, Mead - 79-79--158 Jimmy Ladwig, Hennesey - 80-79--159; 40 (tie) Joey Bray, Stigler - 85-75--160, Andy Proctor, Kiefer - 83-77--160; 50, Kolt Byerly, Yukon - 7487--161; 51, Jake Bullard, Norman - 83-82--165, 52, Gary Hightower, Edmond - 87-81--168; 53, Taylor Hoover, Edmond - 86-85--171; 54, Rowdy Anthony, Edmond - 83-89--172; 55, Dakota Blanchard, Catoosa - 86-88--174; 56, Ryan Spratt, Oklahoma Coty - 108-95--203

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2021 • GOLF OKL AHOMA

45

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