TicketsCINCINNATI – The University of Cincinnati Athletics Department has unveiled a new indoor practice facility north of campus for the men's and women's golf programs in advance of their inaugural Big 12 campaigns.
"This is an exciting time for our Cincinnati men's and women's golf programs, and I am thrilled to see this indoor facility project come to fruition," said Director of Athletics John Cunningham. "It epitomizes our Day One Ready campaign, providing a signature facility for our golf teams, which will give our Bearcats permanent access to the resources they need to compete for championships and excel off the course. This will have a profound impact on our student-athletes and coaches as we enter the Big 12 this season."
There are several features included in the finished product, which couples with UC's pre-existing short-game site near the Lindner Athletic Center weight rooms. The new arrangement features four TrackMan hitting bays, a team meeting room, lounge, nutrition station and a putt-view room. Overall, it has 2,200 square feet of putting, with 3,000 of that for chipping.
Jim McCarthy, whose son, Joey, lettered for the Bearcats from 2019-22 before beginning his pro career, served as a lead visionary for the facility. As a real estate person, he says head men's coach Doug Martin mentioned the university was contemplating an indoor facility and asked McCarthy to find a potential location.
"As a father of a recent UC golf graduate, I saw firsthand all the positives provided by Coach Martin and Frick," McCarthy said. "My partners and I had recently purchased a building at the site and were in the beginning stages of its redevelopment. Coach and I toured the facility, and he immediately had a vision for the space … I'm proud to be a supporter of the UC golf program as it enters an incredible era of prosperity."
Martin enters his 15th season at the helm of the men's team, last year leading the Bearcats to their first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance and reaching the top-25, their highest-ever ranking.
"The Big 12, in my opinion, is the premier golf conference in the country along with the SEC," Martin said. "We needed to do some upgrades from a facility standpoint. This is a great start for us. All of these things were needed to help our players continue their development and our program to grow. I want to thank everyone from John Cunningham to our donors and everyone who had this vision, including Jim McCarthy who presented the facility to me. All these things were part of this day where we are right now."
First-year women's golf coach Aimee Ponte, who like Martin was a conference Coach of the Year last season, shared her excitement as well.
"It's super exciting walking into this new position, with this new team and new conference and having a new indoor facility," Ponte said. "It will be huge for us to get better and improve over the winter months. It can easily house 10-12 people, all practicing at the same time. I think it is going to be instrumental for our recruiting classes over the coming years. It is totally what is needed for the program, and I'm glad to be a part of it in the new beginning."
The men's team tees off its fall season Sept. 3 at the Marquette Intercollegiate, while the women begin Sept. 11 at its own Jennifer Duke Invitational at Losantiville Country Club.
"This is an exciting time for our Cincinnati men's and women's golf programs, and I am thrilled to see this indoor facility project come to fruition," said Director of Athletics John Cunningham. "It epitomizes our Day One Ready campaign, providing a signature facility for our golf teams, which will give our Bearcats permanent access to the resources they need to compete for championships and excel off the course. This will have a profound impact on our student-athletes and coaches as we enter the Big 12 this season."
There are several features included in the finished product, which couples with UC's pre-existing short-game site near the Lindner Athletic Center weight rooms. The new arrangement features four TrackMan hitting bays, a team meeting room, lounge, nutrition station and a putt-view room. Overall, it has 2,200 square feet of putting, with 3,000 of that for chipping.
Jim McCarthy, whose son, Joey, lettered for the Bearcats from 2019-22 before beginning his pro career, served as a lead visionary for the facility. As a real estate person, he says head men's coach Doug Martin mentioned the university was contemplating an indoor facility and asked McCarthy to find a potential location.
"As a father of a recent UC golf graduate, I saw firsthand all the positives provided by Coach Martin and Frick," McCarthy said. "My partners and I had recently purchased a building at the site and were in the beginning stages of its redevelopment. Coach and I toured the facility, and he immediately had a vision for the space … I'm proud to be a supporter of the UC golf program as it enters an incredible era of prosperity."
Martin enters his 15th season at the helm of the men's team, last year leading the Bearcats to their first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance and reaching the top-25, their highest-ever ranking.
"The Big 12, in my opinion, is the premier golf conference in the country along with the SEC," Martin said. "We needed to do some upgrades from a facility standpoint. This is a great start for us. All of these things were needed to help our players continue their development and our program to grow. I want to thank everyone from John Cunningham to our donors and everyone who had this vision, including Jim McCarthy who presented the facility to me. All these things were part of this day where we are right now."
First-year women's golf coach Aimee Ponte, who like Martin was a conference Coach of the Year last season, shared her excitement as well.
"It's super exciting walking into this new position, with this new team and new conference and having a new indoor facility," Ponte said. "It will be huge for us to get better and improve over the winter months. It can easily house 10-12 people, all practicing at the same time. I think it is going to be instrumental for our recruiting classes over the coming years. It is totally what is needed for the program, and I'm glad to be a part of it in the new beginning."
The men's team tees off its fall season Sept. 3 at the Marquette Intercollegiate, while the women begin Sept. 11 at its own Jennifer Duke Invitational at Losantiville Country Club.