Cedar Ridge Country Club Prepares For LIV Golf Event

Preparations are underway for the LIV Golf event happening in Broken Arrow this May.

The league just announced it’s broadcasting the tour on the CW. The Cedar Ridge Country Club is getting ready for thousands of fans. On a blustery January day, a few brave golfers teed off and sent their golf balls flying to the Cedar Ridge greens.

“Preparations are great," said Frank Billings, the Cedar Ridge Tournament Director for LIV Golf. "The group putting on the event has been spending a lot of time out here.”

In a few months, the course will be transformed into an event space to host 48 golfers in the new LIV tour. It’s a controversial new golf league backed by a Saudi Arabian wealth fund. Billings said the response has been positive from members and the community.

“Even the community, our members have had a lot of interest in the volunteer options coming together.”

The multi-year partnership with the CW network is LIV’s first major TV contract and Billings said it’ll put the course in Broken Arrow on a global screen.

“They're already selling tickets from people as far as California in one direction, New Jersey in another direction," said Ken MacLeod with Golf Oklahoma. "Ticket sales and enthusiasm at Cedar Ridge is off the charts.”

MacLeod publishes Golf Oklahoma.

He said the PGA championship brought millions of dollars to the Tulsa area last year and although the LIV event will be smaller– he expects it to still have a big economic impact.

“We’re hosting PGA championships, LIV events, and the Korn Ferry tour at Jimmie Austin. Oklahoma, for its size, is the most incredible golf state from top to bottom," MacLeod said.

Around 5,000 to 10,000 fans a day are expected during the tournament.

Billings said this is no normal golf event. There will be live music each night, a “shotgun start” where golfers start at each hole at once, and lots more.

"It's gonna be a fan-friendly, fan-forward event," he said. "We’re excited to have it out here.”

The event is set for May 12 through the 14 and people can start signing up to volunteer sometime next month on the LIV website.