It has a tumultuous history, but for decades Oklahoma's Shangri-La Resort was considered the premier summer getaway for golfers in "The Sooner State." Now, more than 50 years after it originally opened, the golf destination is rising again, rebuilt to be a newer, better version of its former self, local newspaper Tulsa World reported last week.
Built in 1964, Shangri-La was "closed in 1969, reopened after a renovation and expansion in 1970 … went bankrupt in 1986 and then was handed off to several groups over the next 20 years," according to the paper, which said the resort -- located at the tip of Monkey Island on Grand Lake in Northeast Oklahoma -- ultimately fell into disrepair and closed.
Although it appeared doomed, the property was rescued by businessman and golf enthusiast Eddy Gibbs, who purchased it in 2010 in order to save its golf course, which was one of his favorites. When he subsequently realized that golf groups no longer had a hotel at which to stay, he invested $30 million to raze the shuttered resort and rebuild it. The fruit of his labor -- the new and improved Shangri-La -- celebrated its grand opening last week.
"There is a lot of nostalgia attached to this resort and this location. But, as people will discover, this is a completely new place with a completely new energy," Jon Davidson, Shangri-La's vice president of operations, told Tulsa World.
Along with 27 holes of championship golf, the new Shangri-La has 119 guest rooms, a pool for up to 400 people, several restaurants, a lakeside marina offering boat and watercraft rentals, and 8,000 square feet of meeting space.
"We believe this is a game changer for the whole lake," Davidson concluded. "When people drive down the road to the tip of Monkey Island, who haven't been here in a while, we believe they'll be very surprised and happy to see the new Shangri-La."
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