Playing the Course brings Oklahoma land and sky inside Earlywine Golf

Link to artwork

Three sweeping Oklahoma landscapes now surround visitors entering Earlywine Golf Club as part of Playing the Course, a newly completed oil-painting installation by Oklahoma artist David J. Holland. 

Created specifically for the Earlywine Clubhouse, 11600 S. Portland, the installation includes The Making of a Champion, Playing Through, and The Last Round of Play. Each oil painting measures 4 feet tall by 10 feet wide and captures the dramatic landscapes, changing light, and towering storms that have become a signature of Holland’s work. 

The paintings reflect both the landscape Earlywine was built on and the Oklahoma skies Holland has spent decades observing. The Making of a Champion imagines the Earlywine property before it became a golf course, while Playing Through and The Last Round of Play depict an extraordinary view overlooking Lake Carl Etling at Black Mesa State Park as a thunderstorm develops and the light changes. 

“The cloudscapes in them are very real and give the feeling of viewing them in real time, as if they are slowly building and changing before your eyes,” Holland said. 

That connection to Oklahoma extends beyond what is depicted on the canvas. The paintings are permanently displayed in Earlywine’s public clubhouse, giving residents an opportunity to encounter original artwork in a place they may already visit for golf, a meal, or a community event. Visitors do not need a golf membership or tee time to enter the clubhouse, see the artwork, or dine at The Overlook Restaurant & Pub. 

For Holland, having his work become part of a public place in his hometown is particularly meaningful. A graduate of John Marshall High School and Oklahoma City University, the Oklahoma City-based artist has spent decades developing his craft, with his cloudscapes and storm paintings ultimately becoming the signature of his career 

Having a work of mine on public display in Oklahoma City is surreal in a way to me,” Holland said. “I’d been pursuing an art career here since the early 1980s and have produced several different series of works, none of which caught on like my cloudscapes have. I’m one of those 40-year overnight success stories.” 

“Public art can create a stronger connection between people and the places they share,” said Melinda McMillan-Miller, director of Oklahoma City Parks & Recreation. “These paintings are distinctly Oklahoma, from the landscape beneath Earlywine to the storms we all recognize in the sky. Having that work created by an Oklahoma artist and permanently displayed in a public facility is something our community can take pride in.” 

The $69,000 three-piece artwork was funded through Oklahoma City’s 1% for Art ordinance, which requires 1% of the construction budget for City buildings, parks and trails to be set aside for public art, with residents involved throughout the art selection process. Artists interested in being considered for future public art projects can email okcarts@okc.gov. More information about the Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs and the 1% for Art ordinance is available at okc.gov/arts. 

About Earlywine Golf Club 

Earlywine Golf Club, 11600 S Portland, is home to two 18-hole courses, a covered and lighted hitting pavilion with 24 driving range bays, a full-service restaurant and bar, and event spaces including a banquet room for more than 200 guests, an event lawn, and a conference room. Located in southwest Oklahoma City, the club features an 18,600-square-foot public clubhouse and is one of five municipal golf courses owned by the City of Oklahoma City and managed by OKC Golf, which is operated by Oklahoma City Parks & Recreation. The Overlook Restaurant & Pub is open daily and located inside the clubhouse.