Sand Springs authorizes $2 million in renovations to Canyons at Blackjack Ridge golf course

The Sand Springs Municipal Authority passed a resolution authorizing more than $2 million in renovations to The Canyons at Blackjack Ridge golf course and clubhouse Monday evening. The entire clubhouse will undergo extensive remodeling, and improvements will be made to the course greens, tee-boxes, sand bunkers, and cart trails.

City of Sand Springs staff and Talley Golf staff (the company Sand Springs contracts with to operate the golf course) have spent the last eight months working with GH2 Architects and Heckenkemper Golf to identify needed renovations at the course and clubhouse.

The clubhouse renovations will significantly reduce the pro shop and grill seating area to allow for the construction of a new banquet hall. The restrooms and other facilities will all be upgraded, and the outside of the building will receive a substantial face lift.

A new greens irrigation loop will be installed on the course, and the greens will be resurfaced with ultradwarf Bermuda. The new grass is a warm-season species that will grow best in the summer and should save the course time and money. The sand bunkers will be renovated to improve drainage and will have new white sand installed.

The course was last renovated during the early 1990s and was closed for nearly 18 months, according to a report. Both the greens and bunkers have significantly shrunk since that renovation due to erosion and encroaching grass.

Several other items will also be included in the bidding documents as alternates, but due to budget constraints it’s unclear what additional improvements will be possible.

The project will go to bid in October and the course/clubhouse will be fully closed from December through July. Projected expenses are $1 million for the course and $1.05 million for the clubhouse. The funding was approved by Sand Springs citizens in a 2018 General Obligation Bond election.