In the latter part of 2022, Andrew Larkin, Santa Clara University golf coach, approached me with the idea and plans for a golf facility on the Santa Clara University campus. The idea was a good one but when I reviewed the plans, I thought it might not be a permanent solution. Santa Clara athletic facilities have had a lot of success in soccer, baseball and other outdoor endeavors and I felt that these plans might not provide a permanent home for the golf program. Additional input was provided to ensure that there would be a place for the team to study, collaborate and communicate. Plans were revised and the golf facility was born in a place tucked away near the soccer field providing enough space and permanency to the facility that the university will be hard pressed toy reclaim it in the future.
Thanks to a wonderful seed gift from Gary Wipfler, the project became a reality and the facility was opened on December 7. You might wonder why a university golf team needs a practice facility when the team has access to many private clubs in the area. On December 7, the University opened the new golf center for the men’s and women’s golf teams. The idea was developed out of the need to give the teams a place to practice on campus and also further the notion of team chemistry. You might wonder why a place to practice on campus is desirable when these teams have access to most of the private country clubs in the area in mostly year round California sunshine. In my view, there are number of benefits of the golf center on campus:
–demonstrates commitment of the university to the golf programs, which is a great recruiting event in the age of NIL (name, image and likeness)
–gives the players the opportunity to work on technique conveniently on campus especially short game mechanics
–gives the players the opportunity to be more collaborative in golf technique but also their studies and areas they need to focus on
–a big plus for the coaches is to be able to impart some of their experience to the players and enable player development.
Coach Larkin states “We are so thankful for this new space on campus…..It will be a major asset in allowing us to not only attract top talent but to develop it….a home on campus for a golf team is rare….” Women’s golf, Krystal Kelly commented, “The Wipfler Family Golf Facility is a place that we can work on our craft by fostering growth, development, community and competition.”
The facility dedication on December 7 was boosted by alumnus and PGA Professional, Matt McCarty who attended the event. Having turned pro in 2021, Matt won his first PGA Tour title at the Black Desert Championship and into the top 50 of the Official World Golf Ranking.
The facility boasts two simulators and the Putt View Lab. The simulators are full swing capability and presents a variety of courses that can be played. The digital green by Puttview is adjustable up to a 4% slope and can also demonstrate statistics to enable green reading. The exterior area allows for efficient practice of the short game with bunkering and an additional green. It’s truly a fun site and I believe it will provide significant benefits to the team as well as the individual looking to work on improving their technique.
Thanks to Gary Wipfler for his generous sponsorship and a number of other alumni donors that supported the project. It brings the university community further together with a first class idea and facility.
Scottie Scheffler
Scheffler dominated the professional field again and walked away with the Hero Challenge in the Bahamas over the weekend. Scheffler went to wire while demonstrating a new putting grip. The view has been that if Scheffler had a weakness, it might be his putting stroke. I don’t know how to characterize putting as a weakness for Scheffler any longer. Scheffler is as dominant in the game as Tiger was without demonstrating hardly any emotion. Scheffler evokes comparisons with Ben Hogan’s dominance on tour and a steely but nonchalant demeanor of workmanlike behavior. Scheffler’s attitude is a big advantage on the field–he doesn’t relinquish leads and pursues in a very measured way. Justin Thomas and Tom Kim gave it a good shot but you simply can’t make any mistakes against Scheffler. It was a frustrating but promising week for Justin Thomas who played very well as he continues his comeback from a frustrating year. Thomas will win again and he seems positioned well for a run in 2025.
My thanks to Gary and all those who supported this facility at Santa Clara University. I know I received a great education at SCU, but the best thing about my time there was meeting and falling in love with Pam, now my wife of 49 years.