HATTIESBURG, Miss. – Southern Miss will announce plans for a fundraising project to build a new training facility for the men’s and women’s golf programs, Tuesday, Feb. 1, at the Hattiesburg Country Club, from 5:30 to 7 p.m.
The new training facility offers the potential for a significant recruiting advantage over many of other Conference USA institutions and many top collegiate golf programs around the southeast region.
Pending approval by the IHL Board, it will make its home at the Hattiesburg Country Club – a former PGA Tour stop recognized nationally as one of the best clubs in the Southeast and currently ranked the 4th overall golf course in Mississippi by Golf Digest magazine.
The project fundraising goal is $1,500,000 and will include a large and rolling 10,000 square foot chipping/pitching green that will be accessible from multiple directions, offering a wide variety of shots to practice from chipping up to 120 yards. Multiple bunkers of various sizes and depths will help stimulate various real-world playing scenarios for players to use during practice.
Surrounds and approaches will vary in depth and cut from fringe to deep rough to help simulate every possible lie Southern Miss players might encounter in a round of golf.
The Learning Center will contain two hitting bays that will have state of the art video equipment for the players to view the progress of their swings. The Center will be built immediately behind the new team practice tee at the back of the Hattiesburg CC practice range so that players can easily walk back and forth from the short game area, practice tee, putting green, and team building within a localized area.
The teams will also enjoy a new state-of-the-art players’ clubhouse. The new building will measure 5,200 square feet and will include amenities such as player locker rooms, coaches’ offices, conference room, indoor putting lab, bag storage, and a club repair room.
The facility will be called the Southern Miss Golf Training Complex/Hattiesburg Country Club in Honor of Jim and Beth Judson, who are the parents of current Golden Eagle golfer, Lauren, who were killed in a plane crash during the fall of 2010.
For those interested in the project, please call John Miller, Associate Athletic Director for Major Gifts at 601-606-6005.
