The $250,000 John and Diane Watson Short Game Training Center will open November 9 as a public-private partnership with the University of California-Davis.
El Macero (Calif.) Country Club, a Troon Privé -managed property, is preparing to unveil a new $250,000 practice facility on November 9. The John and Diane Watson Short Game Training Facility features two large putting greens, two deep bunkers, a wedge range with numerous targets at multiple distances, and two types of grass (rye and Bermuda) to help players chip from varying surface.
The facility has been created as a public-private partnership between El Macero, Troon Golf and the University of California-Davis athletics department, and was funded by alumni, families and friends of the UC-Davis golf program; El Macero CC is the home course for the Aggie golf teams.
John Watson, currently Chief Executive Officer of Chevron, made the naming gift to start the project. Watson was a third-team, All-American golfer at UC-Davis in 1978 and a four-year letter winner on the team.
“One of the values of our club is that ‘golf is our core passion,’ “said David Knox, PGA General Manager of El Macero CC. “We want golfers in our region to enjoy the overall golf experience at El Macero and know it is a place to develop their skills,
“This new quarter-of-a-million-dollar short-game practice facility is a great example of this,” Knox added. “The UC-Davis golf supporters contributed to this state-of-the-art training center for the benefit of not only the Aggie golf teams, but for the El Macero members as well.”
A ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new facility will take place at 12 noon on Sunday, November 9. After the dedication ceremonies, interactive demonstrations, clinics and instruction will take place for members to learn how to best utilize the new facility.
On hand for the practice facility grand opening will be UC-Davis men’s and women’s golf coaches, Cy Williams and Anna Temple; EMCC’s Head Golf Professional, Bruce Summerhays Jr.; and EMCC’s Player Development Ambassador and former PGA TOUR pro, David Sutherland.
“This state-of-the-art training facility gives us a customized short-game area that is second to none,” said Williams. “Club members and our Aggie team members can go out and spend as much time as needed to work on the shots that ultimately make the most difference in a round of golf—pitches, chips and putts, It’s also a wonderful resource and recruiting tool, in our ever-continuing efforts to maintain a level of excellence with our golf program.”
The practice putting greens and surrounding areas of the new facility have been designed with sizable slope and contour, to offer golfers challenging shots onto the greens. There are also two teeing areas at the back of the driving range, with sixteen cement circle targets at various distances. Golfers can hit wedge shots from 30-120 yards out and calibrate their wedge-carry distances using the “feedback block” targets, visibly seeing when a ball bounces off the cement target.
“We strongly believe that our new training facilities will attract golfers who value player development and game improvement and moreover, assist the UC-Davis golf teams in their overall recruiting process,” added Knox.
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