Michigan Golf Journal January 2019

Guest Column Guest Column: WHAT COLLEGE GOLF BRINGS TO THE COMMUNITY :ĂŶ ŽǁůŝŶŐ͕ hŶŝǀĞƌƐŝƚLJ ŽĨ DŝĐŚŝŐĂŶ tŽŵĞŶ͛Ɛ 'ŽůĨ ŽĂĐŚ dŚŝƐ ƋƵĞƐƟŽŶ ǁĂƐ ƉŽƐĞĚ ƚŽ ŵĞ ƚŚĞ ŽƚŚĞƌ ĚĂLJ͖ ǁŚĂƚ ĞdžĂĐƚůLJ does collegiate golf bring to a community? It’s an important ĂŶĚ ŝŶƚĞƌĞƐƟŶŐ ƋƵĞƐƟŽŶ ƚŽ ĂŶƐǁĞƌ ĐŽŶƐŝĚĞƌŝŶŐ ƚŚĞ direct and indirect impact a collegiate golf program has ƚŚƌŽƵŐŚŽƵƚ DŝĐŚŝŐĂŶ ĂƐ ǁĞůů ĂƐ ƚŚĞ ĞŶƟƌĞ ĐŽƵŶƚƌLJ͘ There are almost 300 men’s ĂŶĚ ϮϳϬ ǁŽŵĞŶ͛Ɛ ĐŽůůĞŐŝĂƚĞ ŐŽůĨ ƉƌŽŐƌĂŵƐ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ hŶŝƚĞĚ ^ƚĂƚĞƐ Ăƚ ƚŚĞ ŝǀŝƐŝŽŶ / ůĞǀĞů͕ ĂůŽŶĞ͘ tŝƚŚ ĂŶ ĂǀĞƌĂŐĞ ƌŽƐƚĞƌ ŽĨ ϭϬ ĂƚŚůĞƚĞƐ ƉĞƌ ƚĞĂŵ͕ ƚŚĂƚ͛Ɛ ĂƉƉƌŽdžŝŵĂƚĞůLJ ϱ͕ϳϬϬ ƐƚƵĚĞŶƚƐ ĐƵƌƌĞŶƚůLJ ĐŽŵƉĞƟŶŐ around the country for their ƌĞƐƉĞĐƚĞĚ ƵŶŝǀĞƌƐŝƚLJ͘ dŽ ďĞŐŝŶ͕ ŵĂŶLJ ƐĐŚŽŽůƐ ŚĂǀĞ Ă ĐĂŵƉƵƐ ŐŽůĨ ĐŽƵƌƐĞ ĂĸůŝĂƚĞĚ ǁŝƚŚ ƚŚĞŝƌ ƵŶŝǀĞƌƐŝƚLJ͘ ĞƐŝĚĞƐ being a great training ground ĨŽƌ ƚŚĞ ŐŽůĨ ƚĞĂŵƐ͕ ƚŚĞLJ ƉƌŽǀŝĚĞ ĂŶ ĂƐƐŽƌƚŵĞŶƚ ŽĨ ďĞŶĞĮƚƐ ƚŽ ƚŚĞ ĞŶƟƌĞ ĐŽŵŵƵŶŝƚLJ͘ tĞ ŚĂǀĞ ƚǁŽ ƐĞƉĂƌĂƚĞ ĨĂĐŝůŝƟĞƐ Ăƚ ƚŚĞ hŶŝǀĞƌƐŝƚLJ ŽĨ DŝĐŚŝŐĂŶ ƚŚĂƚ ĂƌĞ ŽƉĞŶ ƚŽ ĨĂĐƵůƚLJ͕ ƐƚĂī͕ ƐƚƵĚĞŶƚƐ ĂŶĚ ƚŚĞ ŐĞŶĞƌĂů ƉƵďůŝĐ͘ dŚĞ hͲD 'ŽůĨ ŽƵƌƐĞ ĂŶĚ ZĂĚƌŝĐŬ &ĂƌŵƐ 'ŽůĨ ŽƵƌƐĞ ǁĞƌĞ ĚĞƐŝŐŶĞĚ ďLJ ǁŽƌůĚ ƌĞŶŽǁŶĞĚ ĂƌĐŚŝƚĞĐƚƐ ʹ ůŝƐƚĞƌ DĂĐ<ĞŶnjŝĞ ĂŶĚ WĞƚĞ LJĞ͕ ƌĞƐƉĞĐƞƵůůLJ ʹ ĂĚĚŝŶŐ Ă ƐŝŐŶŝĮĐĂŶƚ ŚŝƐƚŽƌŝĐĂů ƌĞůĞǀĂŶĐĞ ƚŽ ƚŚĞ ŐĂŵĞ͘ Our golf courses provide ĐŽƐƚ ĞīĞĐƟǀĞ ĂĐĐĞƐƐ ƚŽ ƚŚĞ hŶŝǀĞƌƐŝƚLJ ĐŽŵŵƵŶŝƚLJ ĂŶĚ ĂƐƐŝƐƚ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ŝŶƚƌŽĚƵĐƟŽŶ ĂŶĚ ŐƌŽǁƚŚ ŽĨ Ă ůŝĨĞůŽŶŐ ƐƉŽƌƚ͘ ĚĚŝƟŽŶĂůůLJ͕ ƚŚĞ ƉƌŽƉĞƌƚLJ ŝƐ ƵƟůŝnjĞĚ ĨŽƌ environmental research and ƉƌŽũĞĐƚƐ ŝŶ ĚŝǀĞƌƐĞ ĂĐĂĚĞŵŝĐ ƉƌŽŐƌĂŵƐ͘ dŚĞƐĞ ŝŶĐůƵĚĞ ƚŚĞ ZŽƐƐ ^ĐŚŽŽů ŽĨ ƵƐŝŶĞƐƐ͕ School of Environment and ^ƵƐƚĂŝŶĂďŝůŝƚLJ͕ ĂŶĚ ƚŚĞ ^ĐŚŽŽů ŽĨ <ŝŶĞƐŝŽůŽŐLJ͕ ƚŽ ŶĂŵĞ Ă ĨĞǁ͘ >ĂƐƚůLJ͕ ƐƚƵĚĞŶƚƐ ĂƌĞ ŽŌĞŶ ŚŝƌĞĚ ǁŝƚŚŝŶ ƚŚĞ ĐůƵƵƐĞ ĂŶĚ ŵĂŝŶƚĞŶĂŶĐĞ ĨĂĐŝůŝƟĞƐ ǁŚŝĐŚ ƉƌŽǀŝĚĞ ŇĞdžŝďůĞ ŚĂŶĚƐͲ ŽŶ ǁŽƌŬ ĞdžƉĞƌŝĞŶĐĞ͘ Another instance of community impact is ƚŚĞ ŝŶƚƌŽĚƵĐƟŽŶ ƚŽ ĂŶĚ