Walker Course The Walker Golf Course is one of the most picturesque areas on the Clemson campus. It is one of the top public courses in the state of South Carolina and features the signature Tiger Paw Hole, a challenging par three whose green and four sandtraps resemble the shape of Clemson’s famous logo.
The 20-year dream of golfers in the Clemson family became a reality on October 5,1995. Clemson University officials dedicated a new $8.6 million conference center and a $4.4 million golf course. The conference center is named the Madren Center and is managed by the Clemson University Conference Services. The center is a spacious 56,000 square foot facility, and includes $700,000 worth of state of the art audio and video equipment. It also houses dining facilities. The facility is named after the late Claude V. Madren. He was a Charleston businessman who established a $2.5 million trust fund that will go toward the center when it matures. The golf course is named after Colonel John Emmett Walker, Sr. (Clemson ’26) who’s son Dr. John Emmett Walker, Jr (Clemson ’58) donated $1 million to the course. Colonel Walker was a member of the Clemson football team and an honor military graduate. Another family made a significant contribution to the development of the Walker Course. The Charles B. Feller (Clemson ’43) family initially gave the University $75,000 for seed money to build a golf course in 1974. After the project began, the family supplemented the effort through additional gifts totaling $80,000. The practice facility is named for Charles B. Fellers. Four of the holes are dedicated in honor of former loyal athletic administrators as the result of a $400,000 donation by IPTAY. The holes recognize the contributions of Gene Willimon, Bob Smith, Bob Moorman and Bob Jones. Moorman and Jones were Clemson golf coaches,Willimon was executive secretary of IPTAY for 27 years and Smith was a Clemson football coach and administrator for 30 years. The course features Bermuda fairways and tees and bentgrass greens. The front nine extends along Honeycutt Creek from Old Stadium Road to the Botanical Gardens. The back nine runs high atop a hill overlooking Lake Hartwell and the Blue Ridge Mountains and extends down the edge of the lake with a look resembling a links course. The scenery along the back nine is eye-catching as the course winds near the lake. The signiture hole of the course is the 17th, a par three whose green and sandtrap layout is in the form of a Tiger Paw. Television analyst Steve Melnyk says, “This course is a perfectly balanced course. It has upland pasture holes, tree-lined fairways, and lakeside vistas. These are the three elements golf course architects love most.” Players of any skill level can enjoy the Walker Course, as there are five different sets of tees. A high handicapper can enjoy playing from the Red (4,667), Gold (5,405) or
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White (5,934), while the low handicapper can feel challenged by the Champion (6,560) or the Tiger (6,911) tees. After playing a round on the links, players can get a taste of South Carolina at the “Seasons by the Lake” restaurant. Located in the Madren Center overlooking the 18th green and Lake Hartwell, the restaurant features fresh products form South Carolina. The James F. Martin Inn was added to the site in July 1998. It is an 89-room Inn overlooking the golf course and lake and is connected to the Madren Conference Center. It is named for Clemson alumnus Jim Martin, who made a significant donation to the University for the creation of a faculty chair in the School of Business. Membership to the Walker Course is available for individuals and corporations on either a resident or non-resident basis. Public play is also welcome, including golf outings. For more information on the Walker Course, please visit their web site at www.clemson.edu/conference_center or contact the golf shop at (864) 656-0236. In the spring of 2009, the Walker Course was recognized both on national and state levels as a top golf course. Links Magazine rated the Walker Course as one of the top-25 collegiate courses in the country in its “Best Of” issue. Coming in at 23rd on the list the course was ranked with courses from schools including Yale, Duke, the University of North Carolina and Ohio State. In South Carolina, the course was voted the best public golf course in the Upstate by the South Carolina Golf Course Rating Panel. The panel is composed of golf enthusiasts representing a diverse range of occupations, handiSouth Carolina’s Top Public caps and backgrounds. The objective Courses of the panel is to promote excellence in South Carolina golf course design 1. Wild Dunes Links Course and operations through competitive (Charleston) 2. The Ocean Course rankings, education and public advo (Kiawah Island) cacy. 3. Harbor Town In determining their rating, (Hilton Head Island) panelists consider several criteria, 4. Tidewater Golf Club including routing of the course, (Myrtle Beach) aesthetics, distinctiveness and the va 5. Country Club of South Carolina riety of shot requirements a course (Myrtle Beach) 6. Osprey Point demands. (Kiawah Island) “These kinds of rankings are a 7. Golf Club of SC at Crickentree confirmation of the hard work that’s (Columbia) been done over the past 10 years to 8. Verdae Greens make the Walker Course what it is (Greenville) today,” said Walker Course profes 9. Walker Course sional Brent Jessup. “Clemson has a (Clemson University) course to be proud of, and recogni 10. Regent Park (Fort Mill) tion by others gives us even more *List compiled by Bob Gillespie, reason to be proud.”
2011-12 Clemson Golf
The State Newspaper of Columbia, SC