Take a look at the Arnold Palmer Golf Facility and Haddock House.
Of course the place where Arnold Palmer played college golf has excellent practice facilities.
The Arnold Palmer Complex opened in 2010, and now features the Haddock House, the Haas Family Range and the Dianne Dailey Golf Learning Center.
The Haddock House, named for former men’s golf coach Jesse Haddock, opened in the spring of 2016. The $4.5 million facility serves as the home for the men’s and women’s golf programs while also showcasing the history and tradition of Wake Forest golf.
The 10,000 square foot Haddock House, situated in the southwest corner of the Arnold Palmer Golf Complex, features coaches’ offices, locker rooms, team meeting areas and a Heritage Room that showcases the history of Wake Forest Golf. The Heritage Room and other adaptable spaces within the building will also be available for use for campus events, gatherings and receptions. Out front is a statue of Palmer himself.
The complex features more than 17 acres of 419 Tif Bermuda grass, five chipping and putting greens and 24 practice bunkers. Practice tees are situated around the entire complex to allow players to hit in any direction.
The 3,500 square-foot Dianne Dailey Golf Learning Center, named for long-time women’s golf coach Dianne Dailey, is equipped with the latest, state-of-the-art technology.
The Learning Center has heated hitting bays, which allow up to five people to hit simultaneously, and includes one bay that is equipped with a state-of-the-art V1 filming system and the newest TrackMan technology. The Learning Center also includes an indoor putting room that utilizes the Tomi video system, as well as a club repair and a club storage room.
Check out Eastern Michigan’s GameAbove Golf Performance Center.
Eastern Michigan held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the GameAbove Golf Performance Center at Eagle Crest Golf Course on Jan. 16, 2024.
The two-story facility, perched elegantly overlooking the 18th green and Ford Lake, was made possible through an $8 million gift from GameAbove, a dedicated group of Eastern Michigan alumni. The facility stands as a testament to EMU’s commitment to excellence in collegiate golf. This state-of-the-art training complex, spanning 13,000 square feet, is designed to propel the Eastern men’s and women’s golf teams to new heights of success. With locker rooms, meeting spaces, indoor putting and chipping areas, and cutting-edge simulators, the facility provides an unparalleled training environment for all elements of the game.
The building features a dedicated practice range, spanning 6,619 square feet, which offers student-athletes the opportunity to hone their skills with targeted training sessions. A specialized area covering 5,383 square feet has been designated for chipping and putting, ensuring that every aspect of the game is meticulously addressed in the training regimen. Additionally, the inclusion of two TrackMan 4 Simulators, totaling 1,974 square feet, adds a cutting-edge dimension to the training experience. These simulators bring the outdoor game indoors, allowing for precision training regardless of external conditions.
Here’s a look at some of the best college golf practice facilities in the country.
There’s been an arms race of sorts brewing in college athletics, especially over the last two decades.
Across the nation, colleges and universities have been beefing up their golf practice facilities, producing some incredible practice areas for their student-athletes that you have to see to believe. From all the latest video technology to locker room entertainment, golf facilities are becoming the place to be on campus.
From historically great Power 5 programs to mid-majors and everyone in between, college golf practice facilities are better now than they’ve ever been.
So, your friends at Golfweek are showcasing a database of college golf facilities. Check out the list below.
If you’re reading this and you’d like your school to be included, contact Cameron Jourdan.
The Ivy League school closed Hanover Country Club in 2020, and has refused the foundation’s request to return the money.
Several years before his death in 2002, at age 88, Robert T. Keeler drew up a will to make his intentions clear. His wife and family were his primary beneficiaries. Also on the list were his secretary and housekeeper, a church, seminary, and medical center, and Dartmouth College, his alma mater.
Keeler didn’t name a dollar amount for Dartmouth, choosing instead to leave a percentage of his estate, but he did specify how he wanted the money used: for the “sole purpose of upgrading and maintaining its golf course.” When Dartmouth asked for the flexibility to use the money for other purposes, the family said no.
Per their 2005 “statement of understanding,” the college was to send any money it didn’t need to maintain the course to the Robert T. Keeler charitable foundation, a nonprofit that supports children in need. That hasn’t happened. The college closed the Hanover Country Club in 2020, citing financial concerns, and has refused the foundation’s request to return the approximately $3.8 million that remains.
Dartmouth has also fought the foundation and estate’s request to be allowed to make their objections to a court. They’ve so far been denied.
The disagreement has triggered a 2½-year legal dispute between Dartmouth, Keeler’s estate and foundation, and the Attorney General’s Charitable Trusts Unit, which is charged with protecting donors’ intentions.
It has also illustrated the limits of donors’ ability to control their charitable intentions, even when they spell out restrictions, as Keeler did.
With the blessing of the Attorney General’s Charitable Trusts Unit, a circuit court judge ruled in February that Dartmouth can keep the $3.8 million and use it for “golf-related” purposes, such as the study and design of golf practice areas or administrative and equipment costs of the school varsity golf teams.
The case is now before the state Supreme Court. Keeler’s estate and foundation have asked the court to essentially reopen the modification request and give them the right to show why Dartmouth should be forced to return the money.
They believe they can show that Dartmouth didn’t close the golf course for financial reasons, which would meet the legal threshold for repurposing the money, but closed it because it wants to extract more value from the course by erecting housing and academic buildings on the course. The school’s strategic plan identifies the redevelopment of the course as a possibility.
The foundation and estate also argue the Charitable Trusts Unit failed in its obligation to sufficiently investigate Dartmouth’s financial argument.
“If this stands, the idea that when a donor makes a gift with conditions, that those conditions are supposed to be honored, that rule does not exist anymore in New Hampshire,” said attorney John Laboe, who is representing the estate and foundation. Asked how he’d advise clients seeking to protect their intentions, Laboe said, “I would say don’t give them the money.”
Dartmouth has said it is considering different uses for its golf course, which it closed in 2020, including new housing and academic buildings. (Screenshot | Beyer Blinder Belle)
Dissecting an agreement
The law allows institutions like Dartmouth to modify how they use gifts in limited circumstances: if the donor agrees or when the gift’s original purpose or restriction becomes unlawful, impracticable, impossible to achieve, or wasteful. However, the institution must still use the gift in a way that honors the donor’s wishes as much as possible, and a court must agree.
In February, Circuit Court Judge Thomas Rappa upheld the Charitable Trusts Unit’s determination that the school had met that legal burden and ruled that Dartmouth could redirect the money to other golf-related expenses. He found too that the unit had been extensively involved in reviewing Dartmouth’s request.
In oral arguments before the state Supreme Court in late March, Dartmouth’s attorney, Ralph Holmes, defended the school’s position that it is not required to return the money. He focused on a phrase in the statement of understanding that states the gift was intended to benefit future generations of Dartmouth students and members of the Dartmouth community. According to the statement of understanding Dartmouth included in a court filing, Keeler wished to support the golf course “so that future generations of Dartmouth students and members of the Dartmouth community may continue to enjoy the great game of golf at the course which he so loved.”
Holmes also told the court that the document does not identify the foundation as a beneficiary, and therefore does not require the money be returned. Holmes said that if Keeler wanted the right to have the money returned to his estate or foundation, that wish should have been included in the agreement.
“If that had been an agreement, it would be in this document, and it’s not there,” Holmes told the justices.
The agreement states that “… any amounts in excess of the amounts the executor determines to be necessary to sufficiently upgrade and adequately maintain the golf course shall be distributed to the Robert T. Keeler Foundation …”
Dartmouth’s legal team referred the Bulletin to Diana Lawrence, Dartmouth’s associate vice president for communications. Lawrence declined to comment while the case is pending.
As close as possible
Diane Quinlan, director of the Charitable Trusts Unit, also declined to comment on the case while it is pending. Assistant Director Michael Haley defended the unit’s handling of Dartmouth’s modification request during oral arguments, saying it has been extensively involved in the case. He also reiterated Holmes’ agreement that nothing in the statement of understanding requires the money be given to Keeler’s foundation.
“Now we have $3.8 million in charitable revenue or charitable assets that cannot be used,” Haley told the justices. “If we go back to the beginning … and they have a whole new hearing, and throw out everything we’ve done so far, that’s going to tie these resources up even further. And that’s certainly not what the intent of the donor was. He wanted these funds to be used for his intended charitable purposes.”
English common law first required attorney general oversight of charitable gifts in 1601, Quinlan said. New Hampshire was the first state to codify that responsibility in law. The Legislature created the Charitable Trusts Unit in 1943.
She said it’s not uncommon for institutions to seek permission to modify restrictions on a gift. She pointed to one involving two scholarship trusts established by Keene residents, one in 1929, the other in 1970.
The first required scholarships be given to male students. The second limited scholarships to male Protestant students. In 1987, the school board sought court permission to broaden the scholarships to all students, citing a fear that its administration of scholarships limited by gender and religion violated the constitutional right to equal protection. A superior court judge agreed.
The Attorney General’s Charitable Trusts Unit appealed the decision to the Supreme Court, arguing that the school board could resolve its concerns by appointing private persons to administer the scholarships. In a 1990 decision, a majority of the justices rejected the state’s argument. Then-Chief Justice David Brock disagreed, writing in his dissent, “for centuries, Americans have rightly believed that they enjoy a legally protected right to choose the objects of their bounty and to bequeath their property by will, as they see fit. Neither our state nor our federal constitution requires this court to write a ‘better’ will for a decedent in terms which reflect the breadth of concern and conception characteristic of a public welfare program.”
In other cases, the Charitable Trusts Unit has opposed a modification request or asked an organization to modify it. About two years ago, Catholic Charities told the unit it wanted to change restrictions on eligibility for the Liberty House, its transitional housing for veterans in Manchester.
The donor who had gifted the property many years ago required that it be available to only Vietnam veterans. As that population dwindled, Catholic Charities wanted court permission to lift the restriction and allow it to welcome all veterans.
Quinlan said her office told the court it would agree, but only if Vietnam veterans were given first preference. The court agreed with the unit’s recommendation, she said.
“The problem, of course, is that when someone gives the gift, and when the charity accepts the gift, they can’t always predict what might happen in the future that might frustrate the purpose of that gift,” she said
In 1928, a woman left $1,000 to provide poor residents in Manchester ice, which was then needed to refrigerate food. The trustees asked a court in 1984 to use the money instead to help needy residents with electric bills. The court agreed.
“It seemed like a good idea at the time,” Quinlan said, “but by 1984 (when the city requested to repurpose the gift), the purpose really became impractical because who, ‘Who had an icebox? Nobody.’”
‘Honorably return the money’
After Keeler graduated from Dartmouth in 1936, he earned a law degree from Yale and joined an Ohio law firm founded by the oldest son of former President William Howard Taft. He partnered with a cousin to develop 7,000 acres into a pulp and paper company that became the main supplier for Time Inc., according to his obituary.
He also continued golfing, up to two years before he died at his home in Vermont.
While an institution must notify the Charitable Trusts Unit that it is requesting court permission to modify a gift, it does not have to tell the donor. In the Dartmouth case, Peter Mithoefer, executor of Keeler’s estate and president and trustee of the foundation, learned the school was closing the golf course from a friend, who’d read about it in a golf magazine.
Mithoefer contacted Dartmouth and asked that the remainder of Keeler’s gift be given to the foundation, as Keeler requested. He said the school’s lawyer declined. In October, Mithoefer put his request to the school in writing.
He called Dartmouth’s decision to modify the terms of Keeler’s gift a betrayal and violation of the agreement. He said he had no doubt Keeler would have opposed any other use of his gift, including “golf-related” expenses. Mithoefer shared that he’d encouraged Keeler to instead leave the school money for scholarships and academics.
“His response was very clear,” Mithoefer wrote. “He was leaving money to maintain the golf course because he felt it would be a great asset for the alumni.” It would keep alumni connected to the school, often a first step in soliciting alumni gifts.
Mithoefer characterized the school’s financial argument for closing the course as misleading. He cited the school’s interest in using the land for student housing. He accused the Charitable Trusts Unit of failing to investigate the school’s real reasons for closing the school.
“I do not begrudge Dartmouth doing what it believes to be in the best interest of the college – expand its physical plant,” Mithoefer wrote, “but it should accept the ramifications of such a decision and honorably return the money given specifically to maintain the 18-hole golf course to the only other beneficiary named in (Keeler’s) will, his foundation.”
Annmarie Timmins is a Senior Reporter for the New Hampshire Bulletin, an independent, nonprofit news organization. This story first appeared in the New Hampshire Bulletin.
When talking about the best facilities in college golf, Arizona State’s Thunderbirds Golf Complex is on that list.
Located about five miles away from ASU’s campus, the 7,000 square-foot facility resides at Papago Golf Course, a City of Phoenix municipal course which became the home of Arizona State’s men’s and women’s golf programs on Nov. 1, 2018. It features a grand entry lobby, national championship displays, a gym, locker rooms for both men’s and women’s teams, a fueling station, study lounge, team lounge, indoor hitting bays and more.
Six-time major winner Phil Mickelson, an ASU alum, had a hand in the design. It includes a four-acre practice area consisting of five practice greens, four practice bunkers and a three-acre fairway and rough designed to practice every possible golf shot.
Originally built in 1963, Papago Golf Course has become a prominent feature in the college golf world, thanks to “The Bird.”
A good number of NCAA Div. I schools will be jealous of this new Div. II facility in northwest Ohio.
The University of Findlay recently unveiled the Beall Oilers Golf Center, the new $400,000 on-campus home of both the men’s and women’s golf teams. Lead donors John and Pam Beall committed to the project in the winter of 2021 and the rest was funded privately by alumni, friends, family, and other supporters of the programs.
“First and foremost I want to offer a big thank you to all of the donors who made this building possible, with a special thank you to John and Pam (Beall) and Brant Rhoad and family who believed in this project from it’s inception,” said Director of Golf Dominic Guarnieri. “The Beall Oilers Golf Center will be a vital tool in the improvement and preparation of our players during the winter months and on bad weather days. The completion of this project is a dream come true for myself and our players and we are excited to call the Beall Oilers Golf Center home now and for years to come.”
Highlights include a 1,100 square foot putting green, the Brant Rhoad and Family Short Game Area and two hitting bays with Foresight GCQuad launch monitors. The facility also includes a lounge with flat screen TVs, couches and a place for players to study. The school also unveiled a new logo for the golf program, “Swingin’ Derrick.”
The Drenttel is a 2,750 square foot facility that features three heated hitting bays for the cold Minnesota months.
In order to remain competitive, Gustavus Adolphus College – a private liberal arts college in St. Peter, Minnesota – needs an indoor facility for its student-athletes to practice year-round. That’s where the Drenttel Golf Facility comes in handy.
The Drenttel is a 2,750-square-foot facility that features three heated hitting bays for the cold months as well as two Foresight Quads and two Flightscopes, with three bays used as simulators. The facility also contains locker and weight rooms, a gathering area and putting green.
The facility is named after 1981 graduate Ed and Sandy Drenttel, whose three daughters Taylor (2012), Jordan (2015) and Mallory (2017) all played for the Gusties, and is open year-round for the team.
The Watson and Tressel families presented Youngstown State University with a $1 million donation and four years later in the fall of 2011 the Watson and Tressel Training Site (WATTS) opened on-campus. The facility offers Penguin athletics one of the finest complexes in the Horizon League and is a training ground for the men’s and women’s golf programs.
Both teams can work on their games throughout the cold Northeast Ohio winters on the mezzanine at the state-of-the-art putting surface and short-game area that spans approximately 1,600 square feet.
“The WATTS is a unique indoor golf facility,” said head women’s golf coach Nate Miklos. “We’re able to hit shots and see ball flight for anywhere from 30-50 yards, which makes a huge difference in helping our players prepare for our spring season.”
Earlier this fall before the North Texas vs. UAB football game, Bruzzy’s UNT Golf Facility opened after nearly two years of planning and construction.
North Texas president Neal J. Smatresk, Vice President and Director of Athletics Wren Baker, members of the UNT System Board of Regents and the facility’s namesake and lead donor Jerome “Bruzzy” Westheimer were all present for the opening of the $3 million on-campus practice facility.
Bruzzy’s is 5,047 square feet and features two hitting bays with the latest swing analysis and technology, a virtual putting green, locker rooms, a study space, coaches offices, and a lounge and kitchen area.
The new facility will be located on campus and feature both indoor and outdoor training areas.
Phil Mickelson will design a new $2 million golf training facility for the University of San Diego, Athletic Director Bill McGillis announced on Monday.
The Purcell Family Short-Game Practice Facility will be located on campus and feature a one-acre natural turf short-game area fit with a large putting green, practice bunkers and fairway and rough area so players can practice any shot they’d face in competition.
“As a result of the generosity of the Purcell family, and a strong commitment from the University of San Diego, I could not be more thrilled to be designing a state-of-the art on-campus golf practice facility for the Toreros,” said Phil Mickelson via a release. “The University of San Diego holds a special place in the hearts of the Mickelson family, and I’m excited to partner with (head coach Chris) Riley in developing something truly special for the young men in the USD program.”
A rendering of the Purcell Family Short-Game Practice Facility, set to be designed by Phil Mickelson at the University of San Diego. (Photo: Courtesy)
The facility’s namesake, Paul M. Purcell, is a San Diego alumnus and Board of Trustees member. Plans have been submitted submitted to the City of San Diego and are under review by city planners. Development and construction will begin immediately following city approval.
A 3,000-square foot clubhouse will also be built to include a team locker room, lounge, indoor/outdoor hospitality space, coaches office, storage, study and conference areas, as well as a hitting bay and golf lab fit with “cutting-edge technology and equipment.”
“This was years in the making, and I am thrilled that the day has finally come for USD Golf to have all the tools to compete at the highest level,” said Riley, who noted the facilities ability to help players improve from inside 100 yards.
“Our family is honored to give back to institutions that are very important to us — USD and the game of golf,” said Purcell. “Our hope is this facility will advance the mission of USD, not just to compete at the top levels of the NCAA, but also make the entire community better through the game of golf.”
The university will also look to serve the community through partnerships with Pro Kids, First Tee and other local organizations.
