Oklahoma Christian University’s golf program will start its journey in the NCAA Division II with plans of a new indoor practice facility inside Enterprise Square.
According to Director of Golf David Lynn, the facility will include a 3,000 square-foot putting and chipping green with another 1,000 square feet of rough and fringe surrounding it.
“It will be the only indoor facility of its kind on a college campus in the state of Oklahoma,” Lynn said. “We really think it will have a very positive effect on future recruiting because of the advantages it will provide.”
The facility will have two golf simulator bays with launch monitors, screens, computers and projectors so the team will be able to play full rounds of golf on many different golf courses and practice on the range. Also included are coaches’ offices, storage space, and men and women’s restrooms.
Junior Lorentz is funding the project with a donation of $250,000. Lynn said the facility will be named in Lorentz’s honor.
Lorentz’s son, Brian, graduated from Oklahoma Christian. Lynn developed a friendship with Brian and Junior through golf.
“I shared my vision for what both my dad and I had dreamed would be a great scenario for our teams, and when we approached [Lorentz] about the project he was very interested and wanted to be a part of it,” Lynn said. “It was something he could put his name on and support the school and support the golf program.”
The new facility provides solutions to various issues the golf teams have faced in past years.
Lynn said the golf program’s practice schedule depended greatly on the weather, and often would get cancelled due to snow or rain.
“It gives us so much flexibility we have never had because we have always relied on outside facilities,” Lynn said.
The 4,000 square feet of practice area for putting and chipping also play a key role for the teams as they continue to grow.
Along with creating a private space for the teams to work, the facility presents the opportunity for dramatic improvement for the current and future teams.
“It is allowing us to purchase equipment that will enable us to take advantage of the latest technology in order to better help our players improve and reach their potential,” Lynn said.
Apart from the solutions, advancements and recruiting possibilities, the facility will provide one important thing all sports teams look for – a home for the team.
“To have a facility like that where we can all go in as a team and practice is a unique opportunity for us that we’ve never had in the history of the team,” Lynn said. “A place to call their own when they’ve had basically nothing.”
The golf department will be sharing Enterprise Square with the Office of Advancement, the Alumni Office and the Church Relations Office. Enterprise Square was an economics museum dedicated to teaching the free enterprise system. The museum opened in 1982 and closed in 1999.
The facility is projected to be completed by Oct. 31.
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