The Oklahoma Golf Trail officially teed off on Wednesday

EDMOND, Okla. (KFOR) — The state is taking a swing at a new effort to bring golf enthusiasts to Oklahoma.

The Oklahoma Golf Trail Commission has launched the Oklahoma Golf Trail and is kicking it off with some star power.

The legislation, HB 3647, authored by former state Rep. Sheila Dills in 2022, is finally taking shape and has entered the fairway.

The Oklahoma Golf Trail teed off Wednesday afternoon, and commissioners are hoping this is a hole-in-one for the state of Oklahoma.

This idea all started with Dills and Lt. Governor Matt Pinnell.

Both thought of something that would not only bring people to Oklahoma, but keep them here, all designed around Oklahoma's top golf courses.

"We have amazing, diverse golf courses, frankly, more diverse than most any other state around the country," Lt. Gov. Pinnell said.

Lt. Gov. Pinnell and Dills worked together to get approval on a bill to make this program possible back in 2022.

"I wrote House Bill 3647 and we created the Oklahoma Golf Trail," said Sheila Dills, Chairman of the Oklahoma Golf Trail Commission. "I love the game and I love the state of Oklahoma."

Dills is a pretty decorated golfer too, shining at OSU with four OGA State Amateur Championships.

She and Lt. Gov. Pinnell, alongside legendary Oklahoma golfer Gil Morgan, officially launched the program on Wednesday at Kickingbird Golf in Edmond, one of the selected courses.

Over the last three years, the commission has crisscrossed the state, looking for courses to showcase and securing financial sponsors.

"Everything from building out the physical structures that we needed around these golf courses, working with the golf courses, it took a little bit of time," Lt. Gov. Pinnell said.

Currently, there are 18 courses along the Oklahoma Golf Trail, and legislation allows up to 25.

"We hope to have a few more courses added to the trail into the future," Lt. Gov. Pinnell said.

The hope is that in promoting golf courses around the state, it will attract more tourism to multiple cities, and bring an economic boost to the state as a whole.

"If we're going to invite people from outside the state to come spend money in Oklahoma, we want to make sure that they're going to have a great time on a great golf course," Lt. Gov. Pinnell said. "It's not just the golf courses that are going to be feel the benefit of this. Hotels and restaurants are really going to see the added benefit of people coming into the state of Oklahoma and spending their sales tax dollars."

They are currently working on an app that will allow you to navigate between all the courses on the Oklahoma Golf Trail. This includes allowing you to make a tee time, and it will have its own scorecard to keep track of your strokes.

To learn more about the Oklahoma Golf Trail, click here.