Our History

 

Gaillardia, the state of Oklahoma's official wildflower, is named after Gaylord de Marentonneau, a French botanist from whom the Gaylord family are direct descendants.

In the mid-1990s, Edward L. Gaylord, former owner of the Oklahoma Publishing Company, selected a parcel of his family's farm land to transform into a grand, Old World style clubhouse, golf course and community that would rival any in the Midwest. The Gaillardia development includes more than 250 acres of golf course, 240 acres of residential homes and 66 acres of perimeter business and commercial property.

Award-winning course architect Arthur Hills designed Gaillardia’s golf course. His natural approach, along with his reputation for being environmentally friendly and his unwavering commitment to excellence, all contributed to his selection for Gaillardia. The golf course opened in July, 1998.

The Gaylord Learning Center was constructed in 2003 to compliment the golf course amenities by allowing indoor golf instruction and short game practice areas. Gaillardia has garnered recognition from numerous publications including GolfWeek and Links magazine who named Gaillardia one of the Top 100 Best Residential Golf Communities in the U.S.

In 1997, ground was broken for the 55,000-square-foot French-Normandy style clubhouse. The three-story majestic clubhouse was designed by the renowned William Zmitowski Associates and opened in 1999. Soon Gaillardia was recognized as one of the top 100 clubhouses in the world. Despite the formal setting, Gaillardia features amenities for every walk of life. The clubhouse is home to both casual as well as formal dining rooms. Elegant and spacious banquet facilities are the setting for hundreds of weddings, business meetings and other special events each year.

The Wonderful World of Golf series featured a match between Fred Couples and Phil Mickelson, two Masters' Champions, at Gaillardia in the fall of 2000. Mickelson won the match.

In 2001 and 2002 Gaillardia hosted the Senior Tour Championship. The season-ending competition was a gathering of the finest players on the Champions Tour formerly known as Senior Tour. Bob Gilder was the victor in 2001, with Tom Watson joining him in the winners’ circle in 2002.