MONKEY ISLAND, Oklahoma – It’s truly much better than advertised. That’s one way to sum up what it’s like to visit the Shangri-La Resort located in Monkey Island, Oklahoma. Situated in the northeast section of the “Sooner State,” the Shangri-La Resort is billed as Oklahoma’s premier waterfront golf and outdoor recreation destination, but it has far more to offer visitors.
The Shangri-La Resort, featuring 119 guest rooms, is the ultimate destination for relaxation featuring many indoor and outdoor activities, where access to a set of golf clubs and a spirit of fun will help enhance your Shangri-La experience.
SHANGRI-LA’s ‘PLAYLIST’
While golf is the Shangri-La Resort’s main attraction, which includes a 27-hole championship course and an 18-hole par-three course known as The Battlefield, visitors to the Shangri-La Resort can spend their time boating on beautiful Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees, lounging by the indoor pool, enjoying a spa treatment, sampling the steam room and sauna, working out in the fitness center, getting a manicure or pedicure, playing tennis, pickleball, basketball, or corn hole, and relaxing on the 6,500-square-foot outdoor pool complex which includes a hot tub, tanning ledge, and a splash pad. The pickleball facilities are first-class with six indoor and six outdoor courts.
There’s even a ‘souped-up’ whiffle ball stadium with an artificial turf field which has a Fenway Park-inspired/’Green Monster’-like left-field wall. If you have ever played whiffle ball, you’ll discover that you have at least one more at-bat left in your athletic arsenal, right?
It’s worth noting that your access to Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees, aka Grand Lake, is not limited to a getting access to a boat as you can enjoy a guided fishing trip, go parasailing, rent jet skis, peddle a pontoon, charter a yacht, or take a swim in the lake. With access to 45,000 surface acres of water, there’s room for every aquatic activity on the massive lake.
The 27-hole championship layout, where the term championship is a deserving label, there are three nine-hole layouts: Heritage, Champions and Legends. Each course has a unique appeal which allows them to stand apart from the other two. The course conditions on Heritage, Champions, and Legends are tournament-ready, the sightlines from the tee boxes are clear and uncluttered, the fairways are lush, and the overall green complexes are in first-class shape allowing any golfer a fair chance to get-up-and-down for par. Simply put, it’s a joy to play Heritage, Champions, and Legends, where each hole has five sets of tees.
“Shangri-La is one of the most unique, well-conditioned golf facilities in the state of Oklahoma,” said Ryan Snyder, director of golf at the Shangri-La. “The people, the facilities, and the beauty of the surrounding area are what make Shangri-La so special. The world-class golf experience is just the cherry on top.”
HONORING A YANKEE LEGEND: #7
Shangri-La’s ‘signature hole’ is the ninth hole on the Legends course. It’s a downhill par-five which is played to an island green. This hole features two separate green complexes separated by a spectacular waterfall. It’s known as “The Mickey Mantle Hole” and is named after the New York Yankees legend who once scored a double-eagle two on this hole. From 1991 until his death in 1995, Mantle hosted his Mickey Mantle Golf Classic charity tournament at the Shangri-La Resort. A metal plaque, affixed to a large stone, is posted behind the ninth green at the Legends course to honor Mantle – nicknamed the Commerce Comet — who grew up in nearby Commerce, Oklahoma.
SHANGRI-LA’s MILITARY TRIBUTES
The Battlefield par-three course is an amazing golf creation. It’s a brilliant, fair, and a well-conceived layout. It opened in 2023 and is in spectacular condition. In my opinion, it’s one of the top five par-three courses in the U.S. At each tee box, there’s signage which pays tribute to a military veteran from Oklahoma who made the ultimate sacrifice for the U.S. during World War II.
Rainy days should not impact your interest in swinging a golf club as the indoor Shangri-La Complex is designed so a player can best simulate actual on-course golf shots inside the clubhouse.
To complement the Battlefield’s military theme, The Legacy of Liberty Park has been constructed and sits adjacent to the Battlefield course. It’s an open-air, free-of-charge, walk-through exhibit park featuring historic military moments and a specially selected collection of authentic World War II-era military equipment, vehicles, weaponry, and aircraft.
The Legacy of Liberty Park features a life-size exact replica of the statue of U.S. Marines raising the American flag on Iwo Jima, a special memorial honoring the legendary Native American Code Talkers, and a variety of original WW II equipment – a Jeep; an ambulance; both a Higgins Boat and a DUK Boat; a five-inch, 47,500-pound, 38-caliber Naval Gun; a Sherman tank; M8 and M20 armored cars; and a P-51D Mustang fighter plane.
“We can’t do enough to honor the greatest generation of brave men and women who fought without reservation to preserve and protect the freedoms we enjoy as Americans,” said Barry Willingham, President and CEO of Shangri-La Resort. “This is a wonderful celebration of our heritage of American military strength and dedication.”
In all, a dozen exhibits honor specific Oklahoma heroes of World War II, including the names of the Oklahoma heroes who utilized this equipment to protect the American way of life. The Legacy of Liberty Park pays tribute to veterans of all five branches of the U.S. military.
The Legacy of Liberty Park, which opened on May 24, 2024, is definitely worth visiting.
SHANGRI-LA’s DINING DESTINATIONS
When it comes to dining, there’s fine dining at The Summit and casual dining at Doc’s Bar and Grill and the Buffalo Bar. There’s also casual dining on weekends at Eddy’s Lakeside Bar. At The Summit, I highly suggest the salmon primavera. At Doc’s, the surf and turf – featuring coffee rubbed steak and tequila lime shrimp – is delicious.
While the Shangri-La Resort is ideal for family vacations, the 9,000-square feet of versatile meeting and conference space makes this an attractive destination for groups, corporate gatherings, association retreats, and weddings.
The Shangri-La Resort awaits your arrival. Don’t forget your golf clubs and your spirit of fun, as they will help enhance your Shangri-La experience.
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