Crimson Corner: Alabama Golf Teams 'Jumping Up and Down' for New Facility

The announced new golf house and nine-hole golf course will provide both the men's and women's teams with much-needed space and private areas to practice.

Author:
Joey Blackwell
Publish date:
Feb 16, 2022 2:00 PM EST

Less than two weeks ago, Alabama Athletics announced the latest project in The Crimson Standard program to be a new basketball arena. The news caused excitement to run rampant through the Crimson Tide fanbase, who have been clamoring for a new arena for quite some time.

Almost lost completely in the news was the second part of Phase II of The Crimson Standard: a $26.8 million golf facility for both Alabama men's and women's golf teams.

According to the current plans released by Alabama Athletics, the new facility would be a first-of-its-kind facility, featuring a brand new, nine-hold golf course along with a driving range, short game practice area and an 18,000 square foot golf house. The clubhouse would contain a Hall of Fam lobby, golf heritage display and wings dedicated to each team. The wings would also house the coaches' offices, bag storage and fitting rooms, a team lounge and locker room, stretch room, putting studio and three indoor hitting bays.

Just north of the clubhouse will sit a practice range with multiple regulation greens, as well as a short game practice area located west. East of the golf house will be a new nine-hole golf course with multiple routing options for on-course practice.

Needless to say, the coaches and players for both the men's and women's teams are quite excited.

“If I wasn’t on Zoom, I’d jump up and down for you if I could,” Alabama men's golf coach Jay Seawell grinned. “It’s an exciting time, it really is. I’m thankful to all involved from all the administration — especially Greg Byrne, our athletic director. He’s worked really tirelessly for about four years with us and others to make this a reality. It’s a truly unique place that will be something that not only transforms our golf programs in a facility but I believe adds something to Tuscaloosa, to our athletic department that is unlike anything else. We have shown it to recruits, and so far everyone we’ve shown is part of Alabama golf now, so that gives you an idea of how important facilities are in the recruiting process.

"Excited that we’re going to have something that’s state-of-the-art. We’re gonna go from the back of our own conference back to the front of the entire country again and I think that’s what Alabama is about and I’m thankful that our administration believes that also.”

Both Alabama golf teams currently practice at the Ol' Colony Golf Complex, a public golf course located just across the Black Warrior River north of the University of Alabama's campus. While the facilities at Ol' Colony are quite stellar, the fact that the teams have to play alongside the public has long hindered their ability to practice.

Along with saying his personal thoughts on the new golf course, Alabama women's golf coach Mic Potter elaborated on how no longer having to play alongside the public will benefit both programs.

“Words can’t express,” Potter said. “It’s going to be phenomenal. A couple of things: No. 1, I think it’s always good in the recruiting process to have proximity to campus, and then when the student-athletes arrive there to have something that benefits them and helps them get better every day. This meets both of those needs. Some exclusivity is nice especially where a golf course is concerned, so the plan is for nine holes — a championship golf course that can be played a number of ways. For us, a lot of our training has to take place on the golf course now. I was in a seminar with Rick Sessinghaus — who is Collin Morikawa’s coach since he was eight years old — and he said 80 percent of their training is on the golf course, on a nine-hole golf course. They experimented with things, they hit different shots. When we have players of Polly’s ability, she needs to work on ‘How do I score better?’ and you do that on a golf course.

"The idea of not having to wait for people and not having people wait for us while we hit three or four balls I think is a really appealing idea to me along with the best training facilities in the world. In this day and age we have to have data to drive our practices and I think we’ll be at the top of intercollegiate golf programs when all is said and done.”

The new facility will be located south of Jack Warner Parkway alongside Kicker Road in Tuscaloosa.