AUSTIN, Texas and OKLAHOMA CITY -- World Golf Hall of Fame member and golf architect Tom Kite's renovation of the lauded golf course at Gaillardia Country Club in Oklahoma City continues to draw rave reviews and is profiled this month in a LINKS Magazine special publication that highlights a handful of the nation's Premiere Clubs.
LINKS Magazine's Premier Clubs is a showcase for some of the finest, most prestigious golf clubs in the country. "We are proud to have included a profile of Gaillardia, which features one of the best golf experiences you can find anywhere," says Hunki Yun, editor of LINKS Magazine.
In the LINKS feature on Gaillardia, Gaillardia owner Phil Herrington describes how he invited Kite - who tied for seventh at the 2001 Senior Tour Championship that was played at Gaillardia - to renovate the course's original layout.
Until Kite's visit, Herrington had never met the 1992 U.S. Open champion. "I assumed Tom's public persona was accurate - that he would be professional, disciplined, hard working and accomplished," Herrington says. "He is all of that to be sure, but he is also one of the most creative people I have ever known."
"Walking the course with Tom Kite was one of the best days of my life," adds Herrington, who has worked with Jack Nicklaus and Tom Fazio on other courses. "That day with Tom Kite convinced me that we'd only scratched the surface."
Gaillardia Country Club opened in 1998 and was renovated by Kite (with help from Austin-based architects Roy Bechtol and Randy Russell) in 2004. It is set on more than 240 acres of land occupying some of the highest elevations in Oklahoma City.
Because the property was extremely expansive, one of the challenges was how to fill all the space "outside" the playing areas with interesting design features. Kite determined that more definition was needed in contrast to the landscape as apart from the Oklahoma winds, there was little to challenge the better player.
The solution to both issues was to create large, dramatic hazards, both in sand and water.
"With the absence of large trees and significant hills, we wanted to make sure that the course at Gaillardia took advantage of the gently rolling terrain that is prevalent in that area of Oklahoma City," Kite says. "The landscape tends to be understated, so we emphasized boldness in our design features.
"The bunkers are large and sculpted, creating interesting shot values as well and defining and beautifying the course," Kite adds. "And the water hazards are a presence that separates the good shots from the poor ones. We feel we have designed a course that rewards good, strategic play. It challenges the better golfers and yet is fun to play for all - even in all the varied weather conditions that Oklahoma has to offer."
Herrington says that for every change that was made in renovating the course at Gaillardia, Kite had 10 more ideas for him to consider.
"In my view, Tom deserves to be ranked among the best golf course architects in the world," Herrington says. "Tom is a rare combination of creativity, attention to detail, a strong concern for the bottom line and a belief that golfers of all levels should be able to enjoy his creations."
The centerpiece of the Gaillardia golf experience is its Gaylord Learning Center, which features an expanded practice range and short-game facility, all designed by Kite. The short-game "wedge world" has nine target greens configured in a serpentine pattern that range in distance from 20 to 140 yards.
"Out of weeds and abandoned acreage, Tom created for us one of the premier indoor/outdoor practice facilities in the country," Herrington says. "With a short-game area modeled after Augusta National, Tom built a learning center that attracts everyone from Gaillardia members to PGA Tour professionals."
The greens and bunkers complex simulates diverse lies, distances and required stances. The two practice greens for pitching and sand play are 5,000- and 8,500- square feet, respectively, each presenting approach scenarios from demanding to forgiving.
"I have spent a lot of time with Tom working on our renovation at Gaillardia, the creation of a state-of-the-art learning center and practice facility and improving our golf experience for members," Herrington says. "Not one of those days felt like work."
About Tom Kite
Tom Kite's playing career could be described as one of tremendous success and consistency. Growing up under the guidance of Hall of Fame instructor Harvey Penick, Kite had an impressive amateur career. At the University of Texas, he captained two NCAA championship teams and was co-medalist at the 1972 NCAA Tournament. He represented the United States in the 1970 Eisenhower Cup Matches and the 1971 Walker Cup before turning professional in 1973.
Kite's professional career includes wins in 19 official PGA Tour tournaments, with his most memorable victory at the 1992 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach. From 1989 to 1995, Kite was the career leading money winner on the PGA Tour, and he spent 175 weeks in the top-10 of the Official World Golf Rankings between 1989 and 1994.
Kite has been a member of seven U.S. Ryder Cup teams and was the captain of the 1997 team. In 1979, the USGA bestowed their highest honor, the Bob Jones Award, to Kite for his sportsmanship. He has won two Vardon Trophies (1981, 1982) for low scoring average and was named Player of the Year in 1981 and 1989.
After turning 50, Kite has focused on the Champions Tour winning an additional 10 events including one major championship, the Tradition, and - most recently - the Boeing Classic in 2008. In 2004, he was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame, joining an elite list of greats who have played the game.
About Tom Kite Design
For more than 35 years, Tom Kite has played and studied most of the greatest golf courses in the world, and in the early 1990s he decided to take his love of playing golf and use it to begin work designing golf courses.
Kite has now designed 12 courses with another two in the construction phase. He utilizes his vast experience and knowledge of the game of golf in each of his design projects with the goal of creating a high-level course that is capable of hosting a PGA Tour event and yet is enjoyable and playable for all skill levels.
Kite is highly selective with the projects he accepts and remains actively involved throughout the construction and grow-in phases of the development to insure the integrity of the design is maintained. Site visits with the contractors and owners are scheduled as often as necessary to review and refine the work in progress. He acts not only as the architect but also as the owner's representative in dealing with contractors, engineers and environmentalists.
Kite's completed projects, both individually and in conjunction with some of the world's top designers, include:
Liberty National Golf Club (Jersey City, NJ)
Trump International Golf Club (Puerto Rico)
Vanderbilt Legends Club (Nashville, TN)
Gaillardia Country Club (Oklahoma City, OK)
Somersett Country Club (Reno, NV)
The Club at Comanche Trace (Kerrville, TX)
Eagle Ridge Golf Club (Garner, NC)
Baltimore Country Club (Baltimore, MD)
Riverplace County Club (Austin, TX)
The Legends at LBJ Golf Club (Kingsland, TX)
Media Contact:
Steve Habel
512-535-6120 (direct)
512-699-2133 (cell)
stevehabel@hotmail.com
tomkitemedia@aol.com
