Earlywine Golf Club unveils new $12.7 million clubhouse

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OKLAHOMA CITY – The long-awaited new clubhouse at Earlywine Golf Club, 11600 S. Portland Ave., will be dedicated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday.

The 8,000-square-foot clubhouse features a full-service restaurant and bar, patio seating overlooking the golf course, a grab-and-go cafe, a banquet room that accommodates 200 guests, an event lawn, and a 12-seat conference room.

“This is simply a wow experience and exactly what we wanted,” said Dan Langford, Earlywine’s Director of Golf. “Earlywine Golf Club is a destination that will be highly sought after.”

Langford expects the driving range, which opens later this month, to be a popular spot. It will feature 24 covered, shaded and heated individual bays with fans, patio furniture and lighting for nighttime use.

Mick Cornett, chairman of the Oklahoma City Golf Commission, called it “the best practice facility in the state.”

Final adjustments to the $12.7 million project should be completed by the grand opening on Sept. 12, Langford said.

That includes a completed new parking lot. Staff has been working from trailers during construction and those trailers will be moved to make room for the north end of the new parking lot, he said. The limited parking has reduced the number of tee times and playable rounds.

Langford said operations will be different at the new clubhouse “in a good way,” including restaurant service and banquet facilities.

The staff at the Overlook Restaurant and Pub is trained to greet each guest as they arrive and serve them at their table. “The guests who have come have been very responsive and we are very pleased with what is happening there,” Langford said.

He said that additional staff would have to be hired for the restaurant operations and the extended opening hours of the driving range. Depending on the time of year, between 50 and 75 people are currently employed.

“My staff, every single one of them, made a Herculean effort to get this done,” Langford said. “It was just a lot of work on a lot of different fronts.”

Banquet halls are the new business model for golf clubs, Langford said. The facility can be rented in conjunction with golf events or for wedding receptions, reunions or other gatherings.

“The proximity to the airport is another plus for us,” he said. Companies can fly in their representatives for conferences and golf. The lease terms are still being worked out.

The clubhouse took three years to build. “COVID brought everything to a halt when the bid came out and material prices were very volatile at the time,” said Sean Simpson, Golf Trust specialist at Oklahoma City Parks and Recreation.

The next new clubhouse

Groundbreaking for a new $11.8 million clubhouse at Lake Herner Golf Club is expected to take place in late summer, said Brad Sliauter, Lake Herner’s director of golf.

The fiscal year ending June 30 was the best year in the last 15 years in terms of golf rounds and sales, Silauter said.

The plan is for a modern, two-story building with a floor area of ​​18,000 square meters that will offer panoramic views of the golf courses and the lake. It will include a pro shop, locker and shower rooms, a restaurant with bar, a banquet hall and a meeting room.

“This clubhouse will be different from traditional golf clubhouses as it will cater to both golfers and the public,” said Melinda McMillan-Miller, director of parks and recreation, in a press release. “The modern facility will provide residents with a new place to dine, shop and enjoy the beautiful views of Lake Hefner.”

The total number of rounds of golf played at Oklahoma City’s five municipal golf courses in fiscal year 2024 increased approximately 5% compared to fiscal year 2023, Simpson said.