Karsten Creek, the home of OSU golf, is due for major upgrades as part of OSU’s Athletics Vision Plan, per a press release.
“Course enhancement will include new irrigation, drainage, fairways, cart paths, and greens,” the release said. “Bunkers and tee boxes will be adjusted to increase the difficulty of play and advance the skills of the golfers. The practice facility will also be renovated to improve the tee boxes, landing zones, short game area and practice putting greens.”
Most recently hosting the NCAA Division I National Championships in 2018, Karsten Creek is home to nine individual national champions, 11 team national championships, and several Big 12 Conference championships across both the men’s and women’s programs. In addition to upgrades on the course and outdoor practice facilities, upgrades to the indoor practice facility, constructed in 1997, are planned as well.
Unlike most of today’s announcements which are still entirely conceptual, the plans for Karsten Creek are further along. Construction dates are not set in stone, but plans have been laid and active conversations with donors are being held.
“It’s not a wholesale rebuild,” said men’s golf head coach Alan Bratton, “But when you change your irrigation system, you’re putting in new kinds of turf, then you’re re-designing the greens as well. You’ve got an opportunity to keep things up to current technology and try to see a vision for the future to set up Oklahoma State golf to be in a really good place again for the next 50 years.”
Despite his retirement from the athletics department, Bratton also said former athletics director and golf coach Mike Holder will be a big part of the conversation as well.
“He’s obviously a huge asset that we would be crazy not to tap into,” Bratton said. “He has great relationships with our donor base; he’s the most successful college golf coach there’s ever been. He’s absolutely very involved in those decisions and in every way he can.”
OSU is still “working through” costs for the project per Athletic Director Chad Weiberg, but with respect to the other facilities in the vision plan, Weiberg said he expects construction to start “relatively soon.”
During the renovations, the men’s and women’s golf teams are expected to use a variety of courses for play practice. Stillwater Country Club, Oak Tree National and Southern Hills were specifically mentioned. Training and practice facilities at Karsten Creek are expected to remain open.