Renovation Projects Q & A
There is an incredible sense of excitement around Tulsa Country Club right now!
The first phase of renovation work on the member areas of the Clubhouse is complete. These improvements have had a dramatic effect on how our existing and new members gain benefit from belonging to the Club.
The acclaimed architect, Tom Hoch, has done a masterful job of redesigning over 25,000 square feet of our clubhouse. The new Pro Shop was relocated to a more member friendly location, with direct indoor access to the locker room reception area and both the men’s and woman’s locker rooms were redesigned to include beautiful wood lockers, first class furnishings and fixtures. Just adjacent to the new women’s locker room and lounge is a new and complete fitness center with new cardio equipment.
Tom has also found a way to ensure a more efficient and enjoyable dining experience for all members by creating designated adult lounges for cocktails and conversation separate from the two new member dining areas. Exclusive to these rooms will be Tulsa’s most spectacular views of the downtown skyline and our beautiful golf course. And not to forget our youngest members, a new Kid's Klub is located near the dining areas for family convenience and fun!
As the Club completed its clubhouse renovation, it began it's historic restoration/renovation of our heralded golf course, featuring a new Rees Jones’ design. The golf course project, priced at just over $6 million dollars, featured new greens built to USGA specifications, new greenside and fairway bunker complexes, a state-of-the-art irrigation system and new cart paths for majority of the course route. It also included the enlarging and redefining of all ponds including a new 1.5 acre irrigation pond as well as the replacing of all bridges, subterranean drainage pipes and other infrastructure. It was quite the project, but one that was certainly worth the effort!
We are so excited to have been able to unveil the new Tulsa Country Club!
Sincerely,
Kevin Hayes
2010 Board President
Club Manager's Associations Takes Note of TCC's Accomplishments! The most respected private club trade organization recently featured TCC and the renovation in its national publication.
>>>Read the National Trade Magazine Articler Here<<
Please review some of the photos of the new clubhouse below. TCC's Facebook page is also updated regularly with recent photos of the course as it is being renovated.
Master Plan Q & A:
Why was anything done to the golf course?
Everything on a golf course has an expected lifespan. Our greens, irrigation system, tee boxes and infrastructure were well past this point and need to be replaced. If we did not act on these issues, we would have experienced rapid deterioration of our course in the near term.
Our golf course was originally designed by A.W. Tillinghast, one of the most famous golf course architects in history. His legacy is one of our most valuable assets. Over time, much of his original design has been lost. Restoring Tillinghast’s design characteristics added value and enjoyment for our golfing members and their guests.
Did the golf course change very much?
The plan that Rees Jones has completed for us did not change the basic routing of our course. There is some shifting of tee boxes and greens, primarily to address safety issues. These shifts have resulted in both increased and decreased yardage on several holes. The plan did increase the number of ponds and streams on the course. These water features will not only increase the aesthetic beauty of the course, but will also help us manage the water flowing through our course and the erosion problems we experience as a result.
Is the course more difficult after the renovation?
We expected the course rating to go up with the addition of the new water features and additional fairway bunkers. This was the case. However, the course will not necessarily play any harder than it does now. There will be additional tee boxes to make the course enjoyable for all levels of play. Fairway bunkers frame the holes so players know where to hit the ball from the tee. The new green complexes are not as elevated as they were previously, and they allow shots to run up on to the greens on longer shots. These are all Tillinghast design features that we had lost over the years. Rees Jones is the best at what he does, restoring traditional golf courses, our course is the latest in his many successful restorations.
Will the new greens be more consistent throughout the year?
The new bentgrass we used on the greens will be a TYEE/007 blend that is much more tolerant to our weather and will provide a superb putting surface for our course. It will also be more resistant to the poa annua that we have battled in recent years on our old greens. The sub-structure of the greens will allow for proper drainage, thus preventing diseases from forming due to saturation during wet times. The greens will be brand new and ready for as many birdie putts as you can manage!
Why did we undertake these projects in the challenging economy?
While economic conditions are certainly difficult these days, the reality is that neither construction costs nor the cost of money is likely to be as low as they were when we took on the project. As we competitively bid the projects to contractors, we did realize a savings of 15-20%, compared to cost estimates of a just a few years earlier. Because the primary reason for undertaking these improvements is the needed replacement of aging assets, there really was no better time.
Is it a good time to join the Club?
Absolutely, yes! The foundation of these projects is to allow the club to attract and retain members. It is imperative for the Club to make these investments to allow us to do this. The value of a TCC membership is increasing substantially with the improvements being reflected in the initiation fee structure for all membership classifications. The Board of Directors is committed to sharing the expense of these projects with the new members who will share in the many benefits that will be associated with the new course and clubhouse. There is no incentive for a prospective member to postpone joining the Club until the project is complete.