Robson’s consistent pursuit of excellence shines through at Forest Ridge

By Ken MacLeod

Looking back over the 38 years since he began designing Forest Ridge Golf Club in Broken Arrow for owner Joe Robson, it’s the shared moments that stand out to architect Randy Heckenkemper.

Like the time before construction it took them nearly ½ hour on horseback to navigate what turned into the 16^th hole trying to wind their way through the dense briar patches. Or the time bullets from an unaware hunter and his long rifle started landing uncomfortably close while they were scouting out a new unopened course in Arizona to get ideas for Forest Ridge.

Or pulling up to the halfway house at the turn in a round together at Forest Ridge and realizing the workers had no idea who the unassuming Robson was.

Or all of his unsuccessful arguments to allow him to remove some of the trees on the double-dogleg par-5 fifth hole (now No. 14).

“That may be the only disagreement we ever had and I learned early on that the owner is always right,” Heckenkemper said.

This is a time of mourning for Heckenkemper, superintendent John Babe and the many others affected by the life of Robson, who passed away Dec. 27 of cancer at the age of 71. Here is his full obituary. Services are Jan. 13, 2:30 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church, 709 S. Boston in Tulsa.

What Robson did for golf with the construction and long-time brilliant stewardship of Forest Ridge should never be overlooked or underestimated.

Robson was 34, Heckenkemper 31 and Babe, the grow-in superintendent still there today, was 28 when planning began in 1988 for the course and development on land that was part of the 18,000 acres of land the real estate developer and ranch owner owned in Broken Arrow. The terrain and vegetation were wild, every tree (except those in the housing corridors) was precious to Robson and the scope was just what Heckenkemper needed to launch his career into the stratosphere.

It was the height of the national obsession with “a country club for a day” philosophy that meant golfers would receive a higher level of service, play a superior course and pay more than was typical at a municipal course. The $60 green fee out of the gate at Forest Ridge was an eye-opener at a time most were charging a third of that.

Due to Robson’s vision and the meticulous way he went about the development, Heckenkemper’s design and Babe’s consistency in providing superior playing conditions, Forest Ridge remains one of the top courses public or private in the state to this day.

And while the 1990s saw an influx of other privately-owned public courses built to tap into that same market in Oklahoma, they are nearly all gone today. Municipalities (cities, counties, tribes, the state) own just about all the prominent courses with public access, with some exceptions such as resort destinations such as Shangri-La or Chickasaw Pointe. The Golf Club of Edmond and Patricia Island are two of the rare top public courses that are privately owned. Long gone are White Hawk in Bixby, Silverhorn in Oklahoma City, Coffee Creek in Edmond, Clary Fields in Sapulpa and Scissortail in Verdigris, all victims of fluctuations in the golf market and poor coordination with real estate development.

Forest Ridge, meanwhile, has been a standard bearer since it opened in 1989. Although the course changed character considerably as the real estate slowly but inexorably grew, it never seemed jarring and it is still a fantastic test of golf today.

“Forest Ridge is where I took Rick and Barbara Brought (owners and developers of The Territory in southwest Oklahoma) when I wanted to show them what we could do,” Heckenkemper said. “It’s where I brought Bill Meadows (developer and owner of Stonebridge Meadow in northwest Arkansas.)

“Joe was 100 percent committed to making Forest Ridge a special place and course. He and his family don’t plan for the near term, they plan for generations. No one has benefitted more from Forest Ridge and Joe than I have.”

Of course golf was just a small part of Robson’s life and you can listen to an excellent interview with him by John Erling on his Voices of Oklahoma series that illustrates his family history and accomplishments as a real estate developer, city and state leader and humanitarian. Part of that family lore of course is the relationship with the Walton family of Walmart fame, as founder Sam Walton was the husband of Joe’s father’s sister Heland.

During grow-in, Babe encountered Sam Walton and one of Robson’s cousins hunting on the property and politely asked them to leave. They told him to check with Joe and tell him Sam Walton was out there hunting. Babe did just that, having no idea who Sam Walton was or why he should be allowed to remain.

For nearly four decades, Robson and Babe were partners in making sure Forest Ridge maintained its reputation for excellence.

“Joe was a great man and he’ll be missed,” Babe said. “He put a huge stamp on this community and in a lot more ways than golf. There are a lot of people out there who don’t realize their lives have been impacted for the better by Joe Robson, but that’s the kind of man he was. But he never went out looking for the credit or the recognition. I owe him a lot.”

The PGA South Central Section has had its headquarters directly across from the clubhouse at Forest Ridge for more than 30 years, the last 10 in a new building dedicated specifically for the section. Robson sold the section the property.

“Joe was a champion for the South Central PGA and a dear friend to us all,” said Brian Davis, executive director for the section. “His respect for our profession was best seen at Forest Ridge, where he prioritized employing PGA Professionals to lead his operation and offered us the opportunity to establish our roots and build a home site for the Section. Joe’s unwavering support for us, our members and his love for the game leave a legacy that will be felt across our Section for years to come.”