{"id":872,"date":"2008-10-01T16:18:32","date_gmt":"2008-10-01T21:18:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ezing.me\/transfer\/?p=872"},"modified":"2014-09-23T08:41:29","modified_gmt":"2014-09-23T13:41:29","slug":"golf-course-reopens","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/web20.olemiss.edu\/news\/wordpress\/golf-course-reopens\/","title":{"rendered":"UM Golf Course Reopened Wednesday Following a $3.5 Million Renovation"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n\"golf01.jpg\"<\/a><\/p>\n
\nJudy Trott (left), Roy Sheffield, Nell Cochran and Eddie Crawford tee off Wednesday morning at the University of Mississippi Golf Course. The facility reopened Wednesday following a massive renovation that improved and enlarged the course. More improvements, including a new pro shop and putting area, are to be completed soon.<\/b> UM photo by Robert Jordan.\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

OXFORD, Miss. – Wearing a yellow embroidered sweater, Nell Cochran
\naddressed the ball. With a solid whack, the 79-year-old University of
\nMississippi Golf Course legend was the first player to tee off at the
\nnewly renovated facility.<\/p>\n

\n\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

\nThe dedication ceremony to reopen the course drew nearly 100 people
\nWednesday morning, despite temperatures in the mid-50s. With fog still
\nlifting from the fairway, Cochran and 15 other golfers were honored
\nduring the ceremony as Ole Miss Golf Course legends.\n<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\n“This means a whole lot,” said Cochran, who has played the game for
\nmore than 40 years. “I’m excited about the reopening, and to tee off
\nfirst has been a pleasure.”\n<\/p>\n

\nThe course has been closed for nearly a year, and renovation efforts
\ninclude green complexes rebuilt to USGA specifications, fairways
\nsprigged with 419 Bermuda grass, new cart paths, a fleet of 60 new
\nelectric golf carts, a state-of-the-art 900 sprinkler head irrigation
\nsystem capable of pumping out more than 850,000 gallons of water a
\nnight, rebuilt sand bunkers and the addition of back tees on several
\nholes, pushing the course to more than 7,000 yards in length. Also, the
\ndriving range has been doubled in size. Watermark Golf LLC\/Nathan Crace
\nDesign was responsible for the $3.5 million renovation project.\n<\/p>\n

\n“We’ve been waiting on this day for a long time,” said pro shop manager Gerald Barron. “Now, we are ready.”\n<\/p>\n

\nBesides the course itself, other items in the renovation effort – to be
\ncompleted by year’s end – include a new pro shop with a grill, complete
\nwith a drive-through window and dining area. A new driveway to the
\ncourse, short-game putting area, exterior signage and tee and hole
\nsigns also should be completed soon.\n<\/p>\n

\n\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

\n\"golf03.jpg\"<\/p>\n
\nA golf course attendant rakes one of the new fairway bunkers. <\/b>UM photo by Robert Jordan.\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Assistant course director David Jumper informed golfers of some changes
\non the new course. Instead of one pin placement on 17, the hole has
\neight pin placement options, he said. He also offered some tips.<\/p>\n

\n\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

\n“On 18, don’t be short on your second shot,” said Jumper, as a few
\nobservers snickered. “And watch out for the six new bunkers on 13.
\nThat’s going to be a tough hole.\n<\/p>\n

\n“This course is something to be proud of. Come May, when we’ve had time
\nfor the turfgrass to take hold, this will be one of the best public
\ncourses around.”\n<\/p>\n

\nUM men’s golf coach Ernest Ross said that before the renovation, his
\nteam – ranked No. 11 nationally – couldn’t even practice, much less
\nplay the old course: “The course was too short, only 6,670 yards,” he
\nsaid. “Now, it’s over 7,000 yards. A top-level, modern course.”\n<\/p>\n

\nIt’s definitely a far cry from the course he played as an Ole Miss
\nfreshman in 1970. Then, a gravel road led to a simple trailer that
\nserved as the clubhouse.\n<\/p>\n

\n“I’m excited for our team, our university and our town,” Ross said. “This is simply a great day to step forward.”\n<\/p>\n

\nUM women’s golf coach Michele Drinkard echoed Ross’ remarks, saying the
\nnew course is a first-class facility that will help improve both player
\ndevelopment and recruiting. In her second year as coach, Drinkard said
\nshe was particularly excited about the dedication, in light of her
\nteam’s Tuesday win in the Johnie Imes Invitational in Columbia, Mo. It
\nwas the team’s first tournament victory since 2004.\n<\/p>\n

\n“To open a magnificent course like this is another step closer to being
\na SEC champion,” Drinkard said. “This course will help build our golf
\nprogram.”\n<\/p>\n

\nChancellor Robert Khayat summed up the morning by noting that for
\nyears, he has listened to people speak highly of the university’s
\nbeautiful campus, only to say, “too bad about the golf course.”\n<\/p>\n

\n“We’ve made huge changes out here,” he said. “This new course is truly something that Ole Miss can be proud of.”\n<\/p>\n

\nThe Pro Shop is open 7 a.m.-6 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. For more information, visit http:\/\/www.olemiss.edu\/depts\/<\/wbr>golf<\/a>, or call 662-234-4816.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Judy Trott (left), Roy Sheffield, Nell Cochran and Eddie Crawford tee off Wednesday morning at the University of Mississippi Golf Course. The facility reopened Wednesday following a massive renovation that improved and enlarged the course. More improvements, including a new pro shop and putting area, are to be completed soon. UM photo by Robert Jordan.Read the story …<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[222],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\nUM Golf Course Reopened Wednesday Following a $3.5 Million Renovation - Ole Miss News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"http:\/\/news.olemiss.edu\/golf-course-reopens\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"UM Golf Course Reopened Wednesday Following a $3.5 Million Renovation - Ole Miss News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Judy Trott (left), Roy Sheffield, Nell Cochran and Eddie Crawford tee off Wednesday morning at the University of Mississippi Golf Course. The facility reopened Wednesday following a massive renovation that improved and enlarged the course. More improvements, including a new pro shop and putting area, are to be completed soon. 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