I'd love to see the course be incorporated into the next university-wide campaign. Raise some money upfront to invest in a redesign and make it a better course. You can't make it longer and it won't be a college competition course but you can make it more interesting/challenging. You can make it an asset for the university community and beyond.
OT: RU Golf course
- Thread starter RUBubba
- Start date
It is what it is. 2 years ago there was a monster snowstorm in early March and the course didn't open until mid-April and it was wet/damaged. Last year I played on Good Friday and early June. On GF, you couldn't distinguish the fairways from the rough and there were bare spots. Thing had improved--some--by mid June, but it still wasn't as good as it had been in previous years.
For an average duffer like me, it's fine--not too long and enough of a challenge. For the lower handicap set, it's closer to being a dog track.
Michigan State has courses on/near campus as well. I've played on two of them and they were definitely better than the Rutgers course.
For an average duffer like me, it's fine--not too long and enough of a challenge. For the lower handicap set, it's closer to being a dog track.
Michigan State has courses on/near campus as well. I've played on two of them and they were definitely better than the Rutgers course.
RU can look at acquiring land adjacent to the RU golf driving range and parking lot. That will give the golf course a larger footprint to accommodate a future championship redesign.
A championship level golf course, especially onsite, is an asset to RU imo. Leveling what we have for 6 game days of FB parking is a poor use of the asset. Of course RU would need to invest to make a golf course expansion plan to happen.
Another option is for RU to buy a struggling local country club, like Metuchen CC, and put the RU brand on it. Metuchen has bar/restaurant/event facilities and RU can drive enough biz through it to break even or better. They can then develop the existing RU golf course into their future master plan.
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Having a course on campus is totally not necessary.
So is owning one. Just have an agreement with a Championship caliber course close by.
If we aren't maintaining it, don't have the money to maintain it, and it's too short for competitions, then we should just convert all or half of it into new facilities and parking. You could build plenty of new academic and athletic facilities there.
The notion that we aren't maintaining the course is not accurate. It's not been a great year or so but the course has generally been in very good condition. It's an asset to the university and can be a stronger asset with more investment.
There appears to be available land across Hoes Lane where the golf course driving range/parking lot are located. It's possible the land is already owned by Rutgers or can be donated/acquired from Colgate-Palmolive. Hire the right architect (think Hanse) with that added land and you could develop an impressive track with an matching multi-purpose club house/restaurant/event center. The Ag school should maintain it as part of a sustainable environmental program. Of course green fees would need to sky-rocket for the general public or tourists. Alumni get to be "members" with the proper donation levels.
As an armchair architect, I'd relocate the club house and driving range closer to the soccer/lacrosse fields and use the range for parking on game day.
As an armchair architect, I'd relocate the club house and driving range closer to the soccer/lacrosse fields and use the range for parking on game day.
I learned the game at Rutgers. $8 greens fee with student ID on weekdays. Skipped a lot of classes to get rounds in.
I have been saying this for almost 20 years. Turn that space into an expanded "Green" lot for football, soccer and Lacrosse games. Hell, even move the tennis courts over there to make room for the indoor football facility.
UCLA uses the golf course surrounding the Rose Bowl for tailgating. I recall the greens/tees/bunkers being cordoned off and that course seems to survive. Then again SoCal typically lacks the fall/winter weather issues impacting the turf.
As a golf purist, and someone who skipped so many RU classes to play for less than $10 a day, I am not a fan of repurposing this asset. Alas, annual golf rounds in the country have been diminishing over the last decade with nearly 1,000 courses closed...
As a golf purist, and someone who skipped so many RU classes to play for less than $10 a day, I am not a fan of repurposing this asset. Alas, annual golf rounds in the country have been diminishing over the last decade with nearly 1,000 courses closed...
That can be argued I suppose - but considering how it pays for itself, unlike a lot of things at the university (and in the athletic department) - it is certainly not a drain, and deserves more favorable consideration than being turned into a parking lot.
But it is useless for the golf program except for the practice facilities. It's land value is worth big $$. Any many better uses for the land if it's not sold. I always enjoyed playing but I know any practice rounds there did nothing to improve my game. In the summers I worked at Spring Meadow. Another fun place to play and was always in great shape back then. Since I worked in the pro shop there I had free access at most courses in NJ. Howell and Hominy Hills were my choices and Manasquan on Mondays. We had to play 2 rounds a week at Rutgers as certified practice to be eligible to play in the next event. The rest of the time we played elsewhere.