North Carolina State University Athletics
NC State hosts Jimmy V Golf Classic
8/20/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Golf
Aug. 20, 2010
RALEIGH, N.C. - A little over a year after the Lonnie Poole Golf Course opened for its first round, the challenging course on NC State's Centennial Campus has established itself as a signature venue on NC State's sprawling campus.
The par-71, 6,901-yard course, located across the street from the Roy and Dorothy Park Alumni Center, has vistas that span from the Memorial Belltower to the State College smokestack to downtown Raleigh. It is home for the NC State men's and women's golf teams, the NC State Professional Golf Management program, the nation's top turfgrass management departments and one of the school's largest working outdoor laboratories.
This weekend, for the second year in a row, it will host the golf portion of the 2010 Jimmy V Celebrity Golf Classic, bringing in a slew of familiar NC State faces like Tommy Burleson, Lorenzo Charles, Rodney Monroe, Terry Gannon, Ernie Myers and Chuck Nevitt, as well as current head basketball coaches Sidney Lowe and Kellie Harper. They will participate with a slew of other sports celebrities in Sunday's golf event, which begins at 9 a.m.
A full schedule of events and a list of celebrities are available here.
While this is one of the most prominent events on the LPGC calendar, it is one of more than 50 tournaments hosted at the course since its grand opening last July 31 with Arnold Palmer, whose design company built the signature course, thanks to input from Palmer Design architects Erik Larsen and Brandon Johnson, both NC State graduates.
Among the most prominent events were The Wolfpack Intercollegiate, the State Cup fundraiser for the Wolfpack golf teams, the Gen. Hugh Shelton Leadership Tournament, the North Carolina Bar Association Golf Classic, the PGA Tour Nationwide qualifying tournament, the Wolfpack Carolinas PGA Pro-Am, the North Carolina Amateur qualifier, and the Holt Foundation Celebrity Golf Tournament.
In all, according to LPGC general manager and NC State assistant golf coach Chip Watson, the course hosted 36,250 rounds in its first year, just about exactly what was budgeted. The course has about 310 Charter Partners, but is open for public play.
"When we were building the golf course, we had hopes it would serve the university community and the local community," said Watson. "I think we have done a great job of fulfilling that mission and more. We have hosted events for men, women, amateur, professional, seniors and juniors.
"We've done charity events and events for the university. We are hoping to continue that as we begin our second year of operation."
The course has been nominated as the best new course in the country, the best new course in the state and the best college course in the country.
But there is still room to grow. The course is looking for a naming donor to give a $2.5 million gift to build the proposed 25,000 square foot clubhouse. And there are multiple other naming opportunities, said Becky Bumgardner, NC State's executive director of university development.
This weekend, however, will be another opportunity to showcase the course to the participants and spectators at the Jimmy V Celebrity Golf Classic, and show off one of NC State's best new venues.
You may contact Tim Peeler at tim_peeler@ncsu.edu.
