Rutgers Athletics Unveils New Indoor Golf Facility

Members of Rutgers’ men’s and women’s golf teams will now be able to perfect their swings and short games year-round, thanks to a new training facility in the College Avenue Gym at Rutgers University–New Brunswick. The Class of 1957 Golf Training Center is a high-tech facility that features a putting space and hitting bay.

A fundraising campaign to create the facility was spearheaded by Rutgers’ Class of 1957 and its president, Tom Carpenter RC’57, and vice president, Harold Kaplan RC’57. The class previously provided funding for the purchase of a van to transport members of the golf teams to tournaments.

Kaplan said that the idea for the center took root a decade ago. “However, after the project took on expanded costs, it was put on hold,” he added. “Over the years, our interest of providing some type of golf facility never wavered. In 2018, (athletic director) Pat Hobbs gave approval. We are proud of our efforts and contributions that made the Class of 1957 Golf Training Center a reality.”

The indoor facility will help both teams as they continue their improvements within the Big Ten® Conference.

“This is a game changer for our student-athletes to be able to train right where they live,” said men’s head coach Rob Shutte. “Our student-athletes are busier than ever so the location and technology inside the facility make this a winning formula for our entire program.”

“We are very excited about the Class of 1957 training center,” said women’s head coach Kari Williams. “This new space provides our golf athletes access to practice year-round with the newest technology; we now have the ability to do the all the work in the off-season that we have been lacking.”

Reigning Big Ten Player of the Year Christopher Gotterup, a senior, said, “All of the technology, including the trackman simulator, force plate measurements, and cameras able to capture every angle of our swings, will be vital toward our team’s progress in the future.”

“The new indoor facility is incredible,” added senior Eun Won Park. “To have the ability to work inside whenever we need to, in addition to all of the technology and tools, is really exciting and motivating. We now have the chance to focus on the details and continue improving our swings during the winter months.”

Coming off one of the best seasons in program history, the men’s team finished 86th out of 294 Division I teams nationally according to GolfStat and 79th in the country according to Golf Week.

Last year’s women’s team had the second-lowest team scoring average in program history at 300.85 before the 2019–20 season was cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic.