Eastern Michigan Adds High-Class Indoor Facility
By Tom Lang
Eastern Michigan opened the GameAbove Golf Performance Center at Eagle Crest Golf Course in mid-January, marking the culmination of a visionary project that could redefine collegiate golf training for EMU.
The two-story facility, which sits high above the course’s 18th green and the property’s view of Ford Lake, was made possible through an $8 million gift from GameAbove, a dedicated group of Eastern Michigan alumni.
The facility spans 13,000 square feet, including locker rooms, meeting spaces, the latest in simulators and an indoor putting and chipping area alone covering 5,383 square feet. There are also two TrackMan 4 Simulators, totaling 1,974 square feet.
EMU broke ground for the facility on Sept. 30, 2022.
GameAbove dedicated the facility to EMU men's golf coach Bruce Cunningham, who is in his 31st year at Eastern Michigan, and was named the MAC Coach of the Year in 2007, 2008, and 2019. He is one of only four men's golf coaches in league history to earn that title three-or-more times in a career.
"The EMU women's golf team is so appreciative and thankful for this facility," added head women's golf coach Stephanie Jennings. "As an alum and former student-athlete, it brings me to tears because I'm thrilled about the progress of our program over the last 20-plus years and the heights to which we can now reach. The new golf facility will be a complete game changer in how we recruit, how we train, and how we strive to achieve our goals of winning the MAC Championship and being a nationally ranked team."
College Season Resumes in February
We take a look back at some highlights for Michigan college programs from the fall as we move into the 2024 spring season:
University of Michigan Men's Golf:
• Michigan won two team titles – the Island Resort Intercollegiate and the Virtues Intercollegiate, while capturing three medalist honors in five fall events.
• Hunter Thomson finished the fall season with a 69.53 scoring average -- a U-M record pace. He fired 13 of his 15 rounds at-or-below par with a team-best nine sub-par tallies.
• Ben Hoagland had a career-best fall, averaging 71.00 per round -- nearly four shots better than any other season. With seven sub-par rounds, Hoagland fired a career-low 64 (-8) in the second round of the Island Resort Intercollegiate, which tied the second-lowest round in U-M history.
University of Michigan Women's Golf:
• Michigan posted 19 rounds of par-or-better, including 13 sub-par tallies and six sub-70s. As a team, the Wolverines combined for a 293.42 team average.
• Michigan had at least one lady Wolverine finish among the top 10 in all five fall events.
• Monet Chun finished the fall season holding a career-best scoring average 72.44, including a U-M fall best 67 (-5) two times – at the Glass City Invitational (final) and the Ruth's Chris Invitational (first).
• Returning for a fifth year, Hailey Borja finished the fall averaging a career-best-pace 72.42 per round, while finishing in the top 20 in three of four events.
• During holiday break, Chun was the runner-up at the Women’s Orlando International Amateur.
Grand Valley State University Men:
Won three tournaments in the fall, taking the Folds of Honor Challenge (Sep. 10, Meadows Golf Course in Allendale, Mich.), the Indianapolis Invitational (Sep. 25-26 at the Broadmoor Country Club in Indianapolis), and the Doc Spragg Invitational (Oct. 16-17 at the Findlay Country Club in Findlay, Ohio)
Drew Coble won the Folds of Honor Challenge and is ranked No. 12 nationally in D2.
Nick Krueger won the Doc Spragg Invitational
Team ranked #4 by Spikemark following the fall season
Grand Valley State Women:
Team won two tournaments in the fall, earning the titles at the Gilda’s Club Laker Fall Invite (Sep. 23, Meadows Golf Course in Allendale, Mich) and the Lady Bulldog Invitational (Sep. 24-25, at the Katke Golf Club in Big Rapids, Mich.).
Olivia Stoll won the Gilda’s Club Laker Fall Invite
The women were ranked 21st by Spikemark following the fall season, and Stoll is ranked 15th individually.
Central Michigan University:
The Central Michigan men closed the fall portion of their season strong, recording a number of program bests at The Buddy, hosted by Murray State, in Murray, Ky.
Sophomores Philippe Yturralde and Jeffrey Andrus both shot 67 in the final round, setting the program 18-hole record. Yturralde finished the tournament with a 5-under par 208, good for third place in the 67-player field – all ranking as the best for a CMU player since the resurrection of the men’s program in 2022-23 after a 37-year hiatus.
Senior Ashley Goh hit the high notes for the CMU women’s program during the fall season, finishing tied for second in the Southern Miss-hosted The Judson in Hattiesburg, Miss., and tied for eighth in the Shirley Spork EMU Invitational in Ypsilanti.
Michigan State University:
While not a college fall season highlight, MSU senior August Meekhof became just the 13th golfer in 102 years to win back-to-back GAM Championships and just the 10th Michigan golfer to win the GAM title and the Michigan Amateur Championship in the same summer.
His historic wins in the state’s top two amateur tournaments earned Meekhof the Player of the Year in Michigan amateur golf, it was announced in December. He plans to turn professional in 2024, but is waiting to decide when based on some amateur qualifiers for state and USGA events.
