Oakwood Golf Club held its annual meeting last Sunday, and all indications are it’s full speed ahead for local golf in 2016.
Entering his seventh year as Oakwood’s owner Bud Evans said his health is improved since he’s committed to staying the course, so to speak.
“I’m not going anywhere,” Evans said. “I expect to be here a long time. This is something I need to do and really want to do.”
Evans said planned improvements at Oakwood include a re-seeding of fairways with rye (and perhaps bluegrass), and the sand trap behind the green on the second hole has been removed and grassed-over. The course will host many tournaments again next year, conducted by organizations including the City of Houston, Houston Area Chamber of Commerce, Gentry Residential Treatment of Cabool and others.
Beginning the last week of April, Evans and Brad Rees will once again provide free golf lessons – men at 5:30 p.m. Mondays and women at the same time Tuesdays. Kids’ lessons will also be offered after the conclusion of the school year.
Evans said getting more participation from women is a priority in the coming year.
“We need more ladies involved,” he said. “And I’m really not sure how we do that.”
Rees said female participation in lessons not uncommon, but seeing them on the tees and greens at Oakwood is.
“We give lessons to a lot who seemed completely ready to go,” he said, “but apparently getting them from that point to the course is a different matter.”
For the second consecutive year, professional golfer Bruce Fleisher will appear at Oakwood in July. Last year he came for a day and conducted a free youth clinic, but Evans (Fleisher’s long-time friend) said he should be here for two days this time.
“On the second day he’ll just be here to play a few holes with people or whatever else happens,” Evans said.
Founded in the early 1980s, Oakwood Golf Club is a nine-hole course located a few miles east of Houston off of Highway B. Evans said membership dues will remain unchanged for the coming year.
“I still think this place can make it just fine,” he said. “We just need to keep working at it and we’ll get more people to come here.”
For more information about Oakwood Golf Club, call 417-967-3968 or log onto www.theoakwoodgolfclub.com.