New Facility Boosts Commodore Golf

New Facility Boosts Commodore Golf

9/9/2004

New Facility Boosts Commodore Golf

Vanderbilt’s nationally ranked men’s and women’s golf programs are experiencing an extra boost in their early fall practice sessions.

The teams have been working on their newly completed short game facility at the Vanderbilt Legends Club.  It is a convenient facility, adjacent the driving range, that gives the Commodores a competitive boost that most other programs do not have.

“This facility gives us the opportunity for every player to work on every aspect of their short games — to become great from 130 yards and in,” women’s coach Martha Richard Freitag said.  “Just about every shot you can dream of is something we can practice.”  “Along with our 36 championship holes, the already strong practice facilities that exist at Legends, and The Little Course – we have amazing facilities.”

“Our facilities at Vanderbilt Legends Club combined with the ability to play all of the great courses in Nashville give us a golf set up that is tough to beat.,” Freitag, the two-time SEC Coach of the Year said.

Men’s coach Press McPhaul concurred.

“The short game facility gives a tremendous boost to our program,” McPhaul said.  “It allows us the opportunity to concentrate on ‘scoring’ shots — the inside 130 yard shots that are such a key to playing well.

“The facility also allows us to simulate the course conditions we will see with an upcoming tournament,” McPhaul continues.  “There are different grasses on this facility that enables us to prepare on the same turf that we will play on, which will improve the quality of our preparation leading into an event.”

The women’s team, defending Southeastern Conference champions, is rated 14th by Golf World while the men, who have made the NCAA Championships two consecutive years, have been rated in the Top 25 in all pre-season polls.

A view of this state-of-the-art facility under construction.
Virtually any shot under 130-yards can be practiced on multiple types of grasses.