New golf center at Tucson Country Club 'completely legitimizes' Arizona men's program

Back in Tucson for the first time since January, the Arizona Wildcats men’s golf team will host the Arizona Thunderbirds Intercollegiate at Tucson Country Club, its relatively new home for the program.

The two-day tournament will feature 15 teams, including New Mexico, Nevada, Wyoming, Utah State, UTEP and Long Beach State, on Monday and Tuesday. Each player on Monday will play 36 holes, then finish out with 18 on Tuesday. Admission at Tucson Country Club is free for fans and spectators.

“Great afternoon and a great time hosting,” said Arizona men’s golf head coach Jim Anderson. “The golf course is in great shape. ... The teams coming in are going to be tested and we’re really excited to put on a great event and showcase our new home at Tucson Country Club.”

Three of Arizona’s next four tournaments, including the upcoming Arizona Thunderbirds Intercollegiate in Tucson, are in Arizona. A few weeks after the Wildcats’ home tournament, they’ll play in rival Arizona State’s Thunderbird Collegiate at Papago Golf Course, then return to the Valley later in the month for the Pac-12 Championships at Desert Forest Golf Club in Carefree.

“We’ll have an opportunity to play some courses that we’re familiar with and some environments that we’re very familiar with and build some confidence going into the final leg of the season,” Anderson said. “Some of that was luck with scheduling, but having ASU be the host for Pac-12 Championships at the end of April is not normal in our rotation.

“But getting to play at home at Tucson Country Club and also having Arizona State on the schedule with the Thunderbird Collegiate as well gives us an opportunity to see a lot of great players play good golf heading into the postseason, and that’s when we want to be playing our best.”

By the time Arizona finishes the regular season, its brand new golf facility, the William M. “Bill” Clements Golf Center, will likely be open at Tucson Country Club. The $14 million facility, which received donations from UA greats Annika Sörenstam and Jim Furyk, will become the home base for both Arizona men’s and women’s golf programs.

Anderson talked about the Clements Golf Center with “Spears and Ali” on ESPN Tucson earlier this week. Here’s what he said:

What is the status of the Clements Golf Center at Tucson Country Club?

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A: “The construction is going great. We’re very lucky, very excited for the opening. It’s looking (to open) at the end of April and there’s some last-minute permitting and last-minute checklist items and things of that nature, but we’re tracking towards the end of April. Both our team and (UA women’s golf head coach Laura Ianello’s) team, who is having a great year, we’re really excited to get moved in and really start getting into our new home and have the practice facilities up and running. Our team is playing great golf and we’re looking forward to the end of the season with a chance of success on the horizon.”

What’s your favorite part about the Clements Golf Center?

A: “Personally, I’m excited to have an office at the course, because how it is now and the last 12 years at the U of A for me, I enjoy getting work done in the office and being able to be close to the computer. The job entails things to be at the office at certain times, and then there are times when you’re not at the office. But being able to be out at the facility and if someone wants to work on some putting or check some wedges or use the TrackMan (radar), you don’t have to pack up your things and drive 30-45 minutes to the golf course, spend 30-45 minutes with that player and then wish you were back at the office being productive. For me, that’s what I’m looking forward to.”

“For the players, I’m sure they’re excited about the technology we’re adding to the building. That’s part of the game and something they’re enjoying using. They’ll have the ability to take a short break, work on some academic stuff, check out Golf Channel, those kind of things right at the golf course. The idea is you can show up after class at 12:30 or 1 in the afternoon, you can be there until dark and be productive with golf, be productive with your academics, be a good teammate and build team bonding and just relax a little bit. It’s going to be an all-encompassing facility and we couldn’t be more excited proud to show it our current team, future teams and celebrate past teams as well.”

How does this facility improve your program, especially on the recruiting trail?

A: “One of the things that’s been the reason we’ve had success is we have great weather, an awesome university to recruit to with offerings of academics across the board, which is attractive for all different types of students. We play a great schedule and we’re in a great conference with the Pac-12 and will be moving to the Big 12, which is one of the major conferences. Having those strengths in our corner is a big reason why we’ve been successful to this point.

“But having a facility open up and have a home to recruit to, it completely legitimizes the whole operation. Having a place to bring a recruit and say, ‘This is yours. This is your home and where you’ll be.’ It’s a home, both figuratively and literally. It’s huge. Now that we have that in place, it’s going to help us go from a school people are considering to a school that people are picking. There’s a big gap there. It’s one thing to be a part of the conversation, but it’s another thing to be the winner at the end.

“That’s what I’m most excited about: showcasing a place that a young man, who is going to be a part of our team in the future, can call this place his home. He’s going to have a place where he can show up and hit his wedges and chip without having to bounce around to the great courses in town.”