Tulsa

Accommodations:

Residence Inn by Marriott

Location:

Tulsa. With The US Open at Southern Hills every once in a while, this package will be for those of you who don’t qualify, which would be everyone except 120 golfers.  This is a great city to visit.  It has the third largest collection of art deco buildings in the country behind New York and Miami Beach.  Something else that there is no shortage of … barbeque joints.  While you’re in town, check out Cain’s Ballroom, a 75-year institution of country music.  The Residence Inn by Marriott will give you space to relax when you’re off the golf course.  This new facility features two bedrooms, a fully equipped kitchen, 2 full bathrooms and offers breakfast and social hour during the week.  Package includes lodging, green fees, cart and all taxes.

Forest Ridge Golf Club
This links-style course was carved out of natural terrain and is tucked in a housing development with plenty of buffer space.  Randy Heckenkemper designed the course in 1989 and utilized a strain of region grasses throughout the fairways.  The rye grass extends the playing period and looks great.  The front nine is more open than the back and water hazards in the form of ponds and creeks come into play on eight holes. The nineth hole is a reachable Par 5 from the regular tees. It is just under 500 yards in length, with a generous landing area. However, from the Tournament tees, this hole will play as the longest Par 4 on the course with a picturesque drive across the lake. On the finishing hole the tees are set back in a wooded area that opens up to the fairway  and runs the length of the fairway on the left. A solid tee shot up the left side will give the player an opportunity to reach this green in two.  Golf Digest rates this the 2^nd Best Public Course in the State and #4 over all the courses, both private and public.

Page Belcher Golf Course, Stone Creek
Even though are 36 holes at this facility, the Stone Creek course is my favorite.  Rated 4 Star and #7 in the State by Golf Digest, this track is full of bunkers and water and is actually kind of hilly.  This is a shot maker’s paradise where accuracy is a premium.  The zoysia grass fairways makes your golf ball sit up very nicely and the bent grass greens  are fast and true.  Designed by Donald Sechrest in 1987, this layout is only 6539 yards, but is a great challenge  It is tighter than its sister course.  #1 is a par 5 that can be reached in two, that is if you keep it in the fairway on your drive.  The twelfth hole is a pretty little par that measures 189 yards from the tips.  It will not be too pretty if you hook your tee ball into the lake guarding the left side of the green. Another interesting fact about this course ... it has 5 par 3's.  Page Belcher is the home of the TULSA GOLF SCHOOL. Stone Creek was selected by Golf Digest as one of the Top 50 New Public Courses its first year.

Bailey Ranch Golf Club
The design of this course is split in half.  One half is styled after a Scottish links course and the other half is more traditional, featuring narrow, tree-lined fairways and small greens.   Designed by Bland Pittman in 1993, he had 400 acres to work with and created fairways that are hilly and utilized six lake and a few ponds to come into play on eleven holes.  In fact, the water carries can destroy a good round. Oral Roberts University Men's Basketball Coach, Scott Sutton has this to say about Bailey Ranch: "I always look forward to playing golf at Bailey Ranch. It's a challenging layout that rewards good shots. No two holes are the same. I play golf with players of all skill levels and Bailey Ranch is a great test for all of us. Best of all, it's a fun course to play."  The Tulsa World has labeled the par three 17th hole of Bailey Ranch as one of the "Five Great Holes You Should Play" in its 2007 Golf Guide. The water that is so prominently featured on this signature hole provides an element of beauty while also presenting a great challenge.  Golf Digest lists Bailey Ranch in their Top 10 Public Courses in the State category.

Battle Creek Golf Club
This 1997 design by Bland Pittman is the longest track in Oklahoma at 7237 yards.  Battle Creek is a links-style course with a course rating of 75.3 from the championship tees and 73.5 from the Mens tees more than 80 bunkers and 8 ponds strategically placed to capture that occasional errant tee shot.  It is a very picturesque links-style course that offers an excellent view of Downtown Tulsa from the clubhouse.  Precision golf is the correct play on this spectacular course with twelve lakes that wind their ways through the layout.  The greens are quite large in size and are fast with many slight and subtle breaks.  The signature hole is #6, a 632-yard, par 5, requiring a blind tee shot down a narrowing dogleg left fairway, with water and lateral hazards to the left and OB to the right.  The second shot must carry over water to a well-bunkered green.