Charlie Coe Golf Center receives $5 million gift for updates
Dec. 26—The University of Oklahoma Board of Regents accepted a $5 million gift that will support OU Golf.
Jerry Ransom, mayor of Greenville, Texas and OU graduate, gifted the money to support the Charlie Coe Golf Center and create a new indoor golf performance center.
The gift is a part of the university's "Lead On" campaign, which extends through 2027 and has the goal of reaching $2 billion.
In 1978, Jerry founded OmniSYS, which develops computer-aided transcription systems for court and freelance reporters, as well as systems and services for the health care industry.
In May 2021, Ransom was elected mayor of Greenville, and he currently serves on the university's "Lead On" Campaign Committee.
"Jerry has a long history of supporting OU Golf, previously pledging $2.75 million to create the Ransom Short Course, which opened in 2017," said Jacob Guthrie, OU media and content specialist. "With the building of the short course, Ransom provided OU men's and women's golf teams with an elite-level training area."
Upcoming improvements will include a world-class clubhouse with suites for men's and women's golf programs, as well as a multi-purpose area that will showcase histories of each team.
Suites will include locker rooms, a player's lounge, offices for coaches, and a rest-and-recovery space.
"Jerry's most recent gift of $5 million supports the modernization of the existing Charlie Coe Center and the creation of a new indoor golf performance center," Guthrie said. "The new clubhouse includes team suites for both men's and women's programs and a multi-purpose area that will showcase each program's storied history."
The Indoor Performance Center will include six hitting bays equipped with world-class swing analysis technology, a state-of-the-art putting studio, putting lab, golf simulator and conference rooms for team instruction.
"With this additional investment into OU Golf, the University will have one of the finest training facilities in all of college golf," Guthrie said.
The new renovations will call for approximately 7,418-square-feet of the existing Charlie Coe Golf Learning Center building, as well as 8,442 square-feet of new indoor practice and training space adjacent to the building.
The estimated total cost for the project is $8,900,000. Funding will come from the Ransom gift, as well as OU Athletics, bond funds and private donations.
Ransom initially pledged the $5 million gift in October 2022.
The Board of Regents also approved $12 million for improvements to the Sam Viersen Gymnastics Center Expansion, the project of which will run nearly $16 million.
According to the Regents' agenda, in May 2017, the board approved the addition of the expansion project as a part of its Campus Master Plan of Capital Improvement Projects for the Norman Campus.
In June, the design for the plans were approved by the board, which will call for a 16,050 square-foot addition to the existing center. Plans will also call for the renovation of 2,150 square-feet of the existing building.
"The expansion and renovations will update and improve team facilities, training facilities, and address other site improvements necessary to support the facility's function," Guthrie said.
Funds to cover the costs associated with the project will be budgeted from Athletics funds, private donations and bond funds.
Brian King covers education and politics for The Transcript. Reach him at bking@normantranscript.com.
