![\"GolfCourse2\"](\"http:\/\/ww2.georgiasouthern.edu\/news\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/GolfCourse2.jpg\")
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Public play at the new championship 18-hole course began in early October, and tee times have been filling quickly because golf and Eagles just go well together.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis golf course is challenging yet friendly,\u201d said Director of Golf Marten Olsson. \u201cThese 18 holes will give opportunities to the golfer who\u2019s just starting to play as well as the experienced golfer who wants a challenge.\u201d<\/p>\n
Money collected from student fees paid for the transformation of the 167 acres located about six miles from campus. \u201cThis is an opportunity for us to provide an experience to our students and community members and expose them to the game of golf,\u201d said Gene Sherry, executive director of Campus Recreation and Intramurals (CRI). \u201cThis facility is a great addition to meet the needs of our active and growing student body as we promote healthy lifestyle habits.\u201d<\/p>\n
Three years ago, the University spent $650,000 to purchase Southern Links, which had been closed for several years. With $5 million spent on renovations and a new layout designed by Robert Walker, Georgia Southern students, faculty, staff and community members have another option to exercise and relax.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is what a student-centered University is all about,\u201d said Teresa Thompson, Ph.D., vice president of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management. \u201cWhat we were buying was the opportunity to expand our recreational and student activity opportunities. We have very bright students who have high expectations inside and outside the classroom.\u201d Thompson also pointed out the golf course could help keep students enrolled. \u201cWe have found in studies that students who are involved in recreational activities are retained and graduate at a higher rate.\u201d<\/p>\n
The golf course is another attractive addition to a long list of outstanding recreational facilities already available to students. \u201cThis represents a number of things that speak loudly and boldly about what Georgia Southern is and where we are going,\u201d said University President Brooks A. Keel, Ph.D. \u201cWe are a University on the move and are always looking for ways to better serve our students and community. This is one more way in which we can tell the world that we are different, and we are special.\u201d<\/p>\n
The course has five sets of tees and measures 6,900 yards from the back tees and 5,300 yards from the front tees. Water is in play on 11 of the 18 holes, and the course has 53 bunkers in the fairways and around the greens. \u201cThis is a very pretty and fun golf course to play with a lot of variety,\u201d said Patrick Reinhardt, golf course superintendent. \u201cThe students were the driving force behind this, and they are so excited about having a golf course available as a recreational activity.\u201d<\/p>\n
The facility also has a driving range, practice putting and chipping greens, along with a renovated 8,000 square foot clubhouse, which includes a pro shop, snack bar and meeting space. Find out about greens fees, schedule tee times and learn more about the course by visiting GeorgiaSouthern.edu\/golf<\/a>. \u00a0\u2013 Casey Jones<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" New University Course Benefits the Campus and Community<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":4625,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[42],"class_list":["post-1298","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-athletics","tag-fall-2013"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ww2.georgiasouthern.edu\/news\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1298","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ww2.georgiasouthern.edu\/news\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ww2.georgiasouthern.edu\/news\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ww2.georgiasouthern.edu\/news\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ww2.georgiasouthern.edu\/news\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1298"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ww2.georgiasouthern.edu\/news\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1298\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ww2.georgiasouthern.edu\/news\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4625"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ww2.georgiasouthern.edu\/news\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1298"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ww2.georgiasouthern.edu\/news\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1298"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ww2.georgiasouthern.edu\/news\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1298"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}