When I first played the golf course at Boiling Springs in 1998, I came away with the impression of a truly unique experience in a totally unexpected location. Driving into Woodward, Oklahoma would never indicate that a world-class golf experience was waiting for me just north of the Canadian river.

Having played many of the country’s amazing sand-based golf courses, including Sand Hills, Dismal River, and Prairie Dunes, I had no idea that Woodward could be the home to such a course. The chance to redesign Boiling Springs will always be one of the highlights of my career in golf course architecture. Sharing many of the same characteristics of the sand-based golf courses mentioned above, the vegetation and contouring of the site are perhaps most similar to Australia’s sandbelt courses.

At Boiling Springs, the scale of the native dunes and sandscapes are definitely more intimate, but curiously the vertical relief is more pronounced. These characteristics provided a “once in a lifetime” canvas to work on with only the limits of my imagination restricting the pallet of expression. Since the course was originally built in the late 1970s, much of the site had been infested with cedar trees and other unwanted species. This vegetative cover had cloaked the natural beauty of the dunes and panoramic vistas of the site. The first charge was to clear away the clutter to reveal the true uniqueness of the landscape.

Exposing and enhancing the site’s sandscapes gave Boiling Springs an incredible sense of place for golf that has few rivals in the state of Oklahoma. Showcasing what nature provided and enhancing the tactical value of the golf course features (greens, tees, and bunkers) brings together a one of a kind golf encounter that is accessible to all.

-Jeff Blume, ASGCA