OKLAHOMA CITY (Okla.) — Lincoln Park is a two-course, 18-hole golf course located on Oklahoma City’s northeastern side. It has been home to people for 100 years.
Aaron Kristopeit, the course’s fourth head professional and golf director in over a century, said that “I think (Lincoln Park), means a great deal for a lot of people around here.” It was the first state-wide public golf course to open, so it’s a great example of the game’s popularity. It is where many people began to play golf.
Kristopeit was previously a member of the Lincoln Park pro staff. Some of the familiar faces from Lincoln Park’s private clubs are there for him to see. He said that many of them had never played golf before coming to Lincoln Park.
“It is amazing to me how many people from those places I know will come through Lincoln once per year for a tournament. They will stop and say hello and ‘I remember playing there when I was 16’ or something similar.
“I believe (Lincoln Park), also means a lot to the African American community who play golf, especially because it is in the northeast quadrant.
Lincoln Park celebrated its 100th birthday in 2011. Over the years, generations of families have met there to share stories and play a few rounds. Many consider it their second home.
The beginning
A small group of outdoor enthusiasts launched a course of golf in 1922. Oklahoma historian Bob Blackburn stated that the course “quickly entered into the pantheon” of public places within Oklahoma City.
Oklahoma City voters approved a bond issue in 1909 to create four regional parks and a circle raceway linking them. Grand Boulevard was the name of the raceway, and the four parks were named Lincoln, Will Rogers Woodson, Woodson, and Trosper.
Lincoln Park was the largest but was for the first ten years a simple open space that could be used for exercise and picnics. A local citizens’ group proposed to build a public course of golf in the park in 1921.
Art Jackson, a Scottish-born golf pro from Tulsa, was hired to be the architect and construction supervisor at Lincoln Park. He was appointed secretary/treasurer of the Lincoln Park Golf Club, which is a private organization that would manage the course for forty years.
Jackson allowed the terrain to dictate the layout of his first holes. Jackson had a budget of $600 and mowed the prairie grass, dug two wells to water, built sand greens, and installed sand tee box.
The official opening day of the nine-hole new course was July 4, 1922. According to The Oklahoman, every player on the course, as well as hundreds of curious visitors, came out for the opening.
The following month, Lincoln Park hosted its first golf tournament. The course was extended to 18 holes three years later.
Keep improving
The Lincoln Park Golf Club made further improvements over the years. The clubhouse was constructed in stone and included locker rooms for both men and women, a pro shop, and a caddy shack.
The Bermuda grass was used to plant the greens. It turned green in the early summer, and then went dormant after a drought or the first freeze.
Jackson built the Lincoln Park municipal golf course from the wilds of Oklahoma City’s blackjacks and rocky sand hills.
The Oklahoma City Parks Commission approved three 18-hole courses in city parks. In partnership with private management clubs, this included a Lincoln course. This created a north and southern course. Jackson would design the three new courses.
The second pro
After 30 years, Jackson was made a head professional in 1952. Ferguson succeeded him. Ferguson had been working at Lincoln Park since 1928. He started as a caddy age 15, and then took on other jobs until becoming an assistant pro.
1959: Lincoln Park Golf Club announced plans to sell $500,000 of municipal bonds for improvements, under the management and control of the Lincoln Golf Course Trust.
Six months later, Ferguson and the rest became city employees.
The clubhouse was rebuilt and the 18-hole courses were rearranged. New layouts created a west-and-east course, instead of north/south.
Lincoln Park was given a new makeover in 1965 when the Oklahoma City Golf Trust gave $875,000 in bonds to help with improvements and cash. During the renovations, the west course was closed to make way for a new parking lot and driving range. An automated watering system was also added. The greens were replanted using Pencross Bentgrass and the tee boxes were increased.
Ferguson regarded the construction of the new clubhouse and the rerouting of the courses east and west as his greatest accomplishments at the end of his career.
After 47 years of service, Ferguson was set to retire as the head pro in 1984.
OKC’s star
Lincoln Park has hosted many tournaments over the years including high school state championships as well as collegiate championships.
Lincoln Park was familiar with the Northeast’s three-time state high school champion. Ferguson taught Susie Maxwell Berning how to play golf at Lincoln Park.
Maxwell-Berning was the first woman to be awarded a scholarship for golf at Oklahoma City University. She played on the men’s team. She began her professional career in 1964, and she would win the U.S. Women’s Open three times in 1968, 1972, and 1973.
Maxwell-Berning was honored by her teacher during a celebration of Ferguson’s anniversary as Lincoln Park’s pro golfer.
Palmer vs. Palmer vs.
Lincoln Park hosted an Arnold Palmer-Gary Player match in 1961, which was a major event on the international golf stage.
Player had won that year’s Masters while Palmer had just won The British Open. Palmer won the Masters and Player won Open the previous year.
Player and Palmer played 25 head-tohead matches in six countries to support youth golf. To raise funds for college scholarships for junior golfers, tickets were sold.
Player won the match at Lincoln Park by seven shots to Palmer.
The third and fourth pros
In 1990, Lincoln Park’s third head professional and director of golf would be Steve Carson. Carson was born in Midwest City, and had previously been the head pro at Trosper.
As new courses were built in the area, Lincoln Park saw a decline in golfers playing there during the 1990s. Lincoln Park was also dealing with an outdated infrastructure, as its greens and bunkers were in decline.
Carson hired a golf course architect for a master plan. In 1998, the Oklahoma City Council approved a bond package of $6.2 million to renovate the courses.
Every green on the west course was removed, each bunker was renovated, new irrigation systems were installed, and new paved paths for golf carts were constructed. To rave reviews, the course was reopened in fall 1999, keeping true to its historic layout.
Eight years later, with more revenue from the west side, the Oklahoma City Council approved $1.6 million for the renovation of the east side.
The council approved an $8 million bond to fund a larger and more luxurious clubhouse in 2012. Lincoln Park was a popular spot again after the 32,000-square foot facility opened in 2015.
After 31 years of being the head pro, Carson has retired in 2021. Kristopeit was at that time the Lincoln Park assistant pro and was hired to succeed Carson.
Lincoln Park’s future
Lincoln Park hosted 98,000 rounds last year of golf, which is the highest number since the 1980s.
Kristopeit stated that “we’ve been busiest golf course in the state for the past two years.” It’s due to COVID making golf popular again, which is driving people outside and some of the nearby golf courses being shut down.
Kristopeit stated that some of the closed golf courses are set to reopen and Lincoln Park will need to remain competitive among the best public courses.
Next year, Kickingbird Golf Course will open a new clubhouse in Edmond. New clubhouses are also planned for Earlywine and Lake Hefner golf courses.
Kristopeit stated that suddenly we are no longer the best show in town, and that we must do all we can to remain relevant.”
Lincoln Park will be there for 100 more years.
Kristopeit stated, “I would love to think so.” “Obviously, time will show. It is impossible to predict what will happen. It’s impossible to predict what new sports might be available that will interest people, but I believe Lincoln, Oklahoma City’s only course that could survive, would be it.”
By: Ed Godfrey
Title: This treasured Oklahoma municipal golf complex just turned 100 years old, and is busier than ever
Sourced From: golfweek.usatoday.com/2022/10/10/oklahoma-lincoln-park-golf-municipal-100-years-old/
Published Date: Mon, 10 Oct 2022 17:00:09 +0000
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