PURDUE UNIVERSITY
NCAA Basketball
Ranking: No. 19
GRAA March Practice Rank: No. 1
Practice Facility: Tom Spurgeon Golf Training Center at the Birch Boilermaker Golf Complex
The Tom Spurgeon Golf Training Center is named in honor of the Purdue alumnus who made the lead donation toward the 11,400- square-foot training center. The state-of-the-art range and practice facility is open to the public and features indoor hitting bays that allow golfers to practice inside under gas heaters, hitting outside onto the range. In addition, the adjacent Birch Boilermaker Golf Complex has a full-service short game area that includes two putting greens. The on-campus facility boasts two 18-hole layouts: the Ackerman-Allen Course and Kampen Course, which have hosted both the NCAA Championships and NCAA Regionals in years past.
TEXAS A&M
NCAA Basketball Ranking: No. 21
GRAA March Practice Rank: No. 2
Practice Facility: Goodman Family Aggie Golf Complex
The Goodman Family Aggie Golf Complex was dedicated in the spring of 2014, and gives the Texas A&M golf programs exclusive use of one of the finest facilities of its kind. It expanded the Aggies’ practice facility to over 25 acres, 15 of which are dedicated to perfecting a golfer’s short game. The unique design gives players the ability to practice any type of shot, from chips and putts to shots up to 230 yards, in any wind direction. Included in the facility are seven Champion Bermuda greens, 15 bunkers, a dedicated wedge area, a lighted putting green and water hazards.
IOWA STATE
NCAA Basketball Ranking: No. 17
GRAA March Practice Rank: No. 3
Practice Facility: The Golf Performance Center
Anytime you have someone who was trusted to make changes to Augusta National as your chief designer, you’re in good hands. The Golf Performance Center, designed by renowned architect Keith Foster, is home for the Iowa State men’s and women’s golf programs and debuted in the fall of 2013. Located 3 miles from campus, the 16-acre home for Cyclone golf was built at a cost of $2 million and is used solely by the Iowa State golf teams. In addition to Augusta, Foster and his team have provided renovations to Southern Hills Country Club and Colonial Country Club.
NOTRE DAME
NCAA Basketball Ranking: No. 20
GRAA March Practice Rank: No. 4
Practice Facility: Warren Golf Course
The Robert and Marilyn Rolfs Family All-Season Varsity Golf Facility, which is located at the Warren Golf Course on the northeast corner of the University of Notre Dame’s campus, opened in 2006. The $2.1 million, 10,333-square foot facility is used by both the Irish men’s and women’s golf programs. There are six hitting stations located within the building that lead out to the Warren Golf Course practice range, as well as a 5,000-square foot short game area that allows players to work on their swings in all weather conditions.
UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA
NCAA Basketball Ranking: No. 4
GRAA March Practice Rank: No.5
Practice Facility:Charlie Coe Golf Center
The Charlie Coe Center has gained reputation as a model facility for college golf. Funded by private donations, it is located at the south end of the driving range at the Jimmie Austin OU Golf Club, which underwent a $5 million facelift in 1997. The 7,000-square foot, indoor-outdoor facility allows golfers to practice every day. There are three hitting bays that the players can use to practice with or without state-of-the-art video. The center also includes an expansive outdoor practice area designed exclusively for the OU golf teams. The south end complex has two satellite chipping greens, as well as a 12,000-square foot bent grass chipping area with seven bunkers to cover a myriad of sand and stance possibilities. There are also bent grass and Bermuda grass putting greens.
MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY
NCAA Basketball Ranking: No.7
GRAA March Practice Rank: No.6 Practice
Facility: MSU Golf Center at Forest Akers Golf Course
The MSU Golf Center, located at Forest Akers East Course, is touted as one Michigan’s premier practice facilities. The $1.2 million state-of-the-art facility opened in May 1997 to rave reviews and steady crowds. It includes a three-acre bent grass practice tee, a separate teaching tee, practice bunkers, target greens and a 20,000- square foot putting green. The practice facilities serve as a major attraction in recruiting top high school golfers to MSU, as a teeing area is set aside exclusively for the Spartan men and women. MSU’s Golf Center, combined with Forest Akers East and West Courses, offer dynamic and diversified golf experiences, with two 18-hole championship layouts and two full-service golf shops. The layouts are recognized as two of the best public golf courses in Michigan.
UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA
NCAA Basketball Ranking: No. 3
GRAA March Practice Rank: No. 7
Practice Facility: Birdwood Golf Course
With a mature 18-hole golf course that meanders through tall oaks, ponds, scenic terrain, Birdwood Golf Course was ranked by Golf Digest as one of the top-10 collegiate courses in the country. It has a terrific practice facility to boot, featuring a three-tired driving range and the $850,000 Lew Oehmig Short Game Practice Facility.
UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS
NCAA Basketball Ranking: No. 25
GRAA March Practice Rank: No. 8
Practice Facility: University of Texas Golf Club & Academy
The University of Texas Golf Club is located at Steiner Ranch, overlooking Lake Austin and is the new home of the Texas men’s and women’s golf teams. The UT Golf Club has a 7,412-yard, par 71 championship golf course created by Bechtol Russell Golf Design. The 5,100-square foot $1.2 million academy area includes locker rooms, team rooms, academic facilities and other service areas. The highlight of the building is the three all-weather hitting bays, each with its own launch monitor viewing and recording system. The UT Golf Academy is also surrounded by a vast short-game practice area, which features five greens, three bunkers and wedge-only tee area.
DUKE UNIVERSITY
NCAA Basketball Ranking:No. 18
GRAA March Practice Rank:No. 9
Practice Facility:Duke University Golf Club
Having opened in 1957, there’s no denying that Duke University boast one of the most historic facilities in the country. Even with all of that history, they still have a state-of-the-art practice facility that stretches across more than 20 acres and includes a 20,000-square foot putting/chipping green.
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA
NCAA Basketball Ranking:No. 6
GRAA March Practice Rank:No. 10
Practice Facility: UNC Finley Golf Club
UNC Finley has a state-of-the-art practice facility with five target greens to shoot at from the 500-foot long grass practice tee or from 42 mats. The range is designed to emulate on-course play, with target green placements that allow golfers to visualize shot shapes. In addition, bunker placements around the greens give golfers the on-course feel.
UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI
NCAA Basketball Ranking: No. 11
GRAA March Practice Rank: No. 11
Practice Facility:The Biltmore Golf Course
University of Miami golf teams practice with one of Florida’s, and the nation’s, most historic hotels serving as its backdrop – the 100-year-old Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables. Its posh amenities and classic Donald Ross design has attracted dignitaries, celebrities and sports industry leaders for years. The Biltmore Golf Course is an 18-hole, par 71, which reopened in November of 2007 following a $5 million renovation. Its full feature practice area has everything you’d expect from a luxury resort, including a massive double-sided range, inclusive short game areas and private lesson/practice tees. It was not only enough to attract The U, but also the Golf Channel – as they chose the Biltmore as a Golf Channel Academy site.
UNIVERSITY OF IOWA
NCAA Basketball Ranking: No. 8
GRAA March Practice Rank: No. 12
Practice Facility: James M. Hoak Family Golf Facility
Former Iowa Hawkeye Steven Ihm, who currently competes of the PGA Tour Latinoamerica can better describe the James M. Hoak Family Golf Facility than we can: Click here to watch video.
UNIVERSITY OF OREGON
NCAA Basketball Ranking: No. 13
GRAA March PracticeRank: No. 14
Practice Facility:Emerald Valley Resort and Golf Club
The University of Oregon utilizes multiple championship courses to play and practice, including Eugene Country Club (host of the 2016 Div I NCAA Championship)and Sunriver Resort (host of multiple PGA Professional Championships, with another slated for 2017). However, it’s Emerald Valley Resort and Golf Club that’s is home to Oregon Golf’s year-round highly-regarded practice facility that offers a private covered grass driving range, a wedge area to practice every shot imaginable from 100 yards in, and a 75-yard wide putting green. The Oregon Golf Association ranked the par-73, 6,200-yard layout “Golf Course of the Year” in 2004.
BAYLOR UNIVERSITY
NCAA Basketball Ranking: No. 16
GRAA March Practice Rank: No. 15
Practice Facility:Twin Rivers Golf Course
As a Baylor student, Billy Williams lettered in football in 1962 before going onto a lucrative career in finance, business and investing. Prior to passing away last December, Williams contributed a multi-million dollar gift to the university for the construction of a state-of-the-art golf center. The planned 14-acre facility will include a practice course and range, as well as a clubhouse. It will serves as a complement to the Twin Rivers Golf Course, which Baylor will still use as its home course for tournaments. Construction is scheduled to begin this year.
UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA
NCAA Basketball Ranking: No. 10
GRAA March Practice Rank: No. 17
Practice Facility: Sewailo Golf Club
The University of Arizona recently extended its partnership with Sewailo Golf Club, making it the Home of Wildcat Golf through 2020. The Notah Begay-designed layout is a challenging course that measures 7,400 yards from the championship tees. In addition, the teams are afforded exclusive access to a separate practice range, which includes bunkering and a pristine short game complex.
INDIANA UNIVERSITY
NCAA Basketball Ranking:No. 15
GRAA March Practice Rank:No. 16
Practice Facility:Cecil D. Weathers Golf Team Center
Indiana men’s and women’s golf teams haven’t had their new training facility adjacent to the Cecil W. Weathers Golf Team Center very long. The new year-round training complex was dedicated this year after construction finished over the winter. It features a pair of training stations equipped with some of the latest technological innovations introduced to help the Hoosiers hone and analyze their swings regardless of the weather.
KANSAS
NCAA Basketball Ranking: No. 2
GRAA March Practice Rank: No. 18
Practice Facility:Knapheide Family Practice Facility at Alvamar Golf Club
The Kansas golf programs have called the Knapheide Family Practice Facility at Alvamar Golf Club home since 2008 and changes are in the works. The fundraising process has begun to make the facility nearly fivetimes larger with even more all-weather amenities. The current practice facility includes four heated hitting bays, one with a V1 video system featuring a Trackman launch monitor. The bays are part of a climate-controlled facility that allows the Kansas golfers to hit balls out into the driving range at Alvamar Golf Club, regardless of the season.
UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY
NCAA Basketball Ranking: No. 14
GRAA March Practice Rank: No. 19
Practice Facility:University Club of Kentucky
The 36-Hole University Club of Kentucky features two large putting greens, an expansive practice tee with a huge assortment of target greens, and a full short game practice area with sculpted bunkers.
UNIVERSITY OF UTAH
NCAABasketball Ranking: No. 23
GRAA March Practice Rank: No. 20
Practice Facility:Jeremy Ranch Golf & Country Club; Salt Lake Country Club
The home course of the Utes, Jeremy Ranch Golf & Country Club, features a classic outdoor practice facility. But what sets them apart is the Trugolf Technique Prestige simulator with E6Golf Software, and the TruTrac Tracking System with an integrated swing analyzer. This simulator features a longer, fairway style turf between the projector and the screen, creating a more immersive indoor golf experience. It also features more than 50 courses. The Utes also call one of the area’s most exclusive private facilities home: Salt Lake Country Club. Located near the mouth of Parley’s Canyon, the18-hole private golf course is nestled in the shadow of the rugged Wasatch Mountain Range and bestows breathtaking views at every hole.
XAVIER UNIVERSITY
NCAA Basketball Ranking: No. 5
GRAA March Practice Rank: No. 13
Practice Facility: Francis Xavier Homan Golf Center at Maketewah Country Club
Xavier men’s and women’s golf teams compete and practice at Maketewah Country Club, home of the Francis Xavier Homan Golf Center. The 10,000-square-foot practice facility features a large indoor putting and chipping green, Xavier’s golf offices, Xavier’s men’s and women’s locker rooms, an executive board room, a Maketewah member lounge, and four heated hitting bays which open onto a “best-in-region” short game practice area. Maketewah Country Club partnered with Xavier for the project and provided the land. In addition, it’s the first regional Cobra Puma fitting center in the area. Bob Philion, the president and CEO of Cobra Puma, played on Xavier’s men’s team from 1989-1993.
UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND
NCAA Basketball Ranking: No. 9
GRAA March Practice Rank: No. 21
Practice Facility: University of Maryland Golf Course
The historic University of Maryland Golf Course (1955) offers an impressive practice facility with more than 40 hitting bays, six target greens, three practice greens and two practice bunkers (fairway and greenside). In addition to being the home course of the Terps, clinics, fittings, demo days and private lessons are available to all interested players.
WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY
NCAA Basketball Ranking: No. 12
GRAA March Practice Rank: No. 22
Practice Facility:Seven different locations
The Mountaineers practice and compete at seven different home courses: Lakeview Golf Course, Mountainview Golf Course, Nemacolin Golf Academy, Mystic Rock, Pete Dye Golf Club, The Pines Country Club and the Arnold Palmer Signature Course at Stonewall Resort. The practice facility at Nemacolin Golf Academy features TrackMan indoor hitting bays, large putting greens, a short game area and a double-ended driving range. In addition, WVU has an on-campus indoor golf studio located inside the WVU Coliseum that features an indoor putting green, chipping areas and a TrackMan.
PROVIDENCE COLLEGE
NCAA Basketball Ranking: No. 24
GRAA March Practice Rank: No. 23
Practice Facility: Wannamoisett Country Club
Although the golf team at Providence College lost its varsity status in 2000, they continue to compete as a club team and maintain one of the most historic locations as a practice site. Wannamoisett Country Club, the par-69 Donald Ross masterpiece that has been ranked among the “Top 50” courses in the nation by Golf Magazine, Golfweek and Golf Digest, serves as their home base. The host site of the 1931 PGA Championship offers premium conditions and state-of-the-art practice facilities on top of a layout that’s widely considered among Ross’s best designs.
VILLANOVA
NCAA Basketball Ranking: No. 1
GRAA March Practice Rank: No. 24
Practice Facility:White Manor Country Club and GolfTec
After a redesign in 2003, White Manor Country Club was met with rave reviews that included being ranked No. 3 in “Modern Design” and No. 14 in the state of Pennsylvania by Golfweek. An all-weather driving range with heated bays and covers offers six target greens ranging from 60 to 240 yards. The coolest element is a two-hole short game area with seven bunkers, which allows Villanova players to work on their bunker game from as far as 90 yards. The university also arranged a deal with a local GolfTEC so players can have access to high-speed cameras and launch monitors.
DAYTON UNIVERSITY
NCAA Basketball Ranking: No. 22
GRAA March Practice Rank: No. 25
Practice Facility:NCR Country Club
The Dayton University golf teams practices out of the private NCR Country Club in Kettering, Ohio. A unique short game area that no one else in the Miami Valley offers bolsters the facility. Built over six acres, it houses five practice greens, fairway and rough turfgrass areas, as well as several bunkers.
