A rendering of the new state-of-the-art indoor golf facility being built at the University of … [+]
Thanks to a $5 million alumni donation, the University of Oklahoma has unveiled plans to build a state-of-the-art indoor performance center for its golf teams that includes six hitting bays equipped with swing analysis technology, a modern putting studio and putting lab , a golf simulator, and conference rooms for team instruction.
The gift from longtime OU golf supporter Jerry Ransom further strengthens two of the premier programs in the collegiate golf ranks — a noteworthy development in the ongoing arms race taking place across the college sports landscape.
The planned performance center, which will break ground in spring 2023, will be a significant recruiting tool for Oklahoma, whose men’s program won a national title in 2017 and boasts the nation’s second-longest streak of 11 straight NCAA championship berths. OU’s women’s team has made the NCAA Regionals in 10 of the past 11 years.
The donation from Ransom, a 1966 Oklahoma graduate, will also support the modernization of the school’s existing Charlie Coe Center. That will include a new clubhouse with team suites that feature a locker room, players’ lounge, coaches’ offices and a rest-and-recovery space. There will also be a multi-purpose area to showcase each program’s storied history.
“I have been able to see firsthand the culture of our golf programs,” said Ransom. “This culture is more than athletics – we are teaching our student-athletes how to live life beyond the sport. Our programs continue to excel year over year, and I am excited to support them both. This new facility will allow us to train at an elite level year-round and will also help us recruit the best student-athletes so we can continue competing at the highest level.”
Ransom previously donated $2.75 million to fund the creation of the Ransom Short Course, an 11-acre training facility for the Oklahoma golf programs. Ransom, who founded and sold a company (OmniSYS Inc.) that developed systems and services for the healthcare industry, is serving as a committee member for OU’s recently-announced capital campaign, “Lead On,” which aims to raise $2 billion through 2027 .
.