facilities - The Rawls Course Home of Red Raider Golf Teams Fielding championship men’s and women’s golf teams in today’s fiercely competitive NCAA environment is a tall order. Still, Texas Tech golf teams have fared well in both the Southwest and Big 12 Conferences, earning multiple berths in post-season NCAA tournament play. Through his philanthropy, Jerry Rawls set out to employ the best talent in the world to create a paragon layout for intercollegiate golf nationwide. On every turn, Texas Tech’s premier golf course exudes excellence, giving Red Raider golf teams a competitive edge. From exclusive practice holes, featuring diverse putting surfaces they will experience at away tournaments, to sheltered hitting bays featuring the latest in video technology, and state-of-theart locker room and team meeting facilities, Texas Tech golfers enjoy a home course that is second to none. The Rawls Course Par 5, No. 18 (555 yards) is considered to be a Tom Doak masterpiece. Running along the 4.5acre lake toward a small, well-trapped green, the link is arguably one of the finest finishing holes in the world. Jerry Rawls When Texas Tech University publicly acknowledged their wish to build a golf course for the campus, Jerry Rawls was immediately interested in lending his support. A proud alumnus, Rawls graduated with a BS in Mechanical Engineering in 1967 where he was also a varsity member of the basketball team. But it wasn’t until he went to Purdue University for a Masters in Business Administration from the Krannert School of Management that he became interested in golf. Purdue had two golf courses on campus, and because of its close proximity, he started playing golf with his
classmates and some professors. Rawls realized their immeasurable value. The school, alums, golf program, and the city benefited from them. They helped in the recruitment of athletes, students, and faculty. There could host golf events for alums and donors during football weekends. It was especially beneficial that the course was on campus and easily accessible. “We didn’t know what we were missing at Texas Tech.” So in the spring of 2001, Rawls met with a group from Texas Tech who were spearheading the project, which included not only a golf course but state-of-the-art golf facility. He was involved on two conditions: that it become one of the finest collegiate golf facility in the country, and it also had to be located on-campus. The Tech group agreed with his vision and they got started. John Montford and David Schmidly, TTU’s Chancellor and President respectively at the time, agreed to move an agricultural research facility to a nearby location in order to free up 268 contiguous acres only minutes from campus center. Needless to say, the project would require a leading golf architect to make this dream a reality. Rawls listened to the advice from a friend and accomplished golf course developer, Mark Parsinen who spoke very highly of the work of Tom Doak. Rawls had read a book authored by Doak titled Anatomy of a Golf Course and had been impressed with his sophisticated opinions on golf course architecture. At the time, Doak’s reputation was becoming more well known, as it was increasingly linked with his design of Pacific Dunes in Oregon. Rawls and Doak met at Pacific Dunes in April of 2001 four months before it would open to the public. As they walked the course together, Rawls was given a full visual presentation on Doak’s philosophies and design/ construction talents. It was there on the windswept dunes of Oregon that Doak accepted Rawls’ offer to build a course in Lubbock.
Recent Honors for the Rawls Course • • •
Golfweek’s #2 Best Course that you can play in Texas Golfweek’s #3 University Golf Course in America Golf Digest’s #2 Most Affordable Public Golf Course in the U.S.
page 34 — 2012 Texas Tech Men’s Golf