When most area courses are still dormant in the early spring, the grass is green at Forest Ridge. A handful of other courses have followed Forest Ridge's lead. When Stan Ball learned that Bob Cupp was going to redesign the old Perry Maxwell layout at the University of Oklahoma, he wondered why anyone would want to change the work of a genius. The course, which opened in 1951, was flawed from the start due to poor irrigation. Many just wanted to improve the irrigation system and rebuild the greens instead of redesigning the work of Maxwell, who fashioned Southern Hills.
Ball points to the closing hole.
Once a dogleg left, it now runs horizontally with the creek on the right, bringing water into play on the approach. Cupp, a long-time senior designer for Jack Nicklaus, changed virtually every hole with the exception of Nos. 13 and 15, although those holes had rebuilt greens, bunkers and fairways. Eight holes were slightly modified while eight others are new creations. In addition, the facility has an expanded 22-acre practice area.