Grand Reopening Held at John Conrad Regional Golf Course
John Conrad Regional Golf Course Page
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City officials joined with business leaders, residents and guests this morning to celebrate the reopening of Midwest City’s most popular recreational facility, John Conrad Regional Golf Course (John Conrad). Professional golfer Talor Gooch and OSU Head Coach Mike Gundy joined in a ceremonial tee off on the course’s recently expanded driving range. Gooch then teed off on Hole 1 for a ceremonial first round.
At today’s reopening event, Assistant City Manager Vaughn Sullivan thanked the design team at Heckenkemper Golf for their innovative approach to the project. The course had a reputation for being difficult to play. Many golfers have commented that the new design is still challenging, but much more enjoyable to play for a wider range of golfing abilities.
Originally built in 1971, John Conrad Regional Golf Course was closed in March 2021 for its first major renovation. In this first phase, the course was redesigned to open the fairways and provide more challenging greens. The amount of short-grass areas was expanded from 20 acres to nearly 40 acres. The renovation also included a new irrigation system, new tee surfaces, bunker replacements, a new driving range and practice green design, new maintenance equipment and a new fleet of golf carts.
After a soft opening the weekend of July 9, golfers have rushed to get a tee time on the new course. Nearly 3000 rounds have been played since that opening day. Reviews have been very positive, especially about the updated design of the fairways. Visitors have consistently remarked on how the sight lines and the approaches to the greens have improved.
The renovation of John Conrad was approved by Midwest City voters and funded by the 2018 Moving Forward General Obligation Bond Program. The total project cost was $5.1 million. Construction cost was $4 million. The course design was completed by Heckenkemper Golf and PDG (Planning Design Group). Course construction was handled by United Golf. Program management was provided by ADG.
The next project expected to open under the 2018 Moving Forward G.O. Bond Program is W.P. Bill Atkinson Park. A grand opening celebration is currently scheduled for October 1, 2022. Also under the program, the second phase at the Midwest City MAC and Midwest City’s Police/Fire Training Center are currently in the planning stages.
