RUTGERS GOLF HISTORY
RUTGERS MEN’S GOLF HISTORY The Rutgers men’s golf team has competed in the prestigious BIG EAST Conference since 1995. In 2004, the men’s team was victorious in four fall events and competed in the NCAA Championships in the spring of 2005, marking the first time since 1984 the Scarlet Knights advanced to the NCAA’s. Following the historic 2004-05 season, Rutgers head coach Maura Ballard was named the 2005 BIG EAST Men’s Golf Coach of the Year. “I am flattered to have received this honor,” said Waters at the time. “This is the most talented team I’ve had and it has been a very exciting year. This group has worked extremely hard and I am very proud of them.” The Rutgers men’s golf program has produced a number of top players in its long and proud history. Current professionals who starred at Rutgers include Bill King (Spring Lake Golf Club), Frank Esposito (Brooklake Country Club), Mark Giuliano (Fairmount Country Club), Jim Mrva (Monroe Golf Club, Rochester, NY), John Fagan (Raritan Valley Country Club), and John Schob (Huntington Crescent Club, Huntington, NY). Rutgers has also produced its share of top amateur players, including Bob Marzoli, the 1971 MGA champion, two-time All-American James Guerra, Barry Wiseman, Bruce Young, Ryan MacDonald and Brent Pittman, to name a few. Two men who played a central role in the evolution and history of Rutgers Golf are former long-time head coach Fred Gruninger and former head professional Art DeBlasio. Gruninger, who later went on to serve a long tenure as RU’s athletic director, was a highly-successful head coach at Rutgers, leading the Scarlet Knights to a 109-30-2 record between 1963 and 1972. Art DeBlasio, the Rutgers head pro from 1966-2001, assisted with both the men’s and women’s teams during his 35 years “On the Banks.”
Rutgers University Golf Course The Rutgers University Golf Course was founded in 1961 with the construction of the present day 18-hole layout that was expertly designed by Hal Purdy, a noted golf architect. The course was officially opened May 29, 1963. Today, the par-71 Rutgers Golf Course (par-72 for women) can be stretched to 6,337 yards and features a course rating of 70.5 and a slope of 130. Over the past decade, the Rutgers Golf Course has undergone extensive renovations and updates, which include a modern irrigation system, the addition of several bunkers and the planting of many trees, including a host of impressive evergreens. Once a rather wide-open tract, today’s Rutgers Golf Course features a host of tree-lined holes, featuring undulating greens and water that comes into play on five holes. A round of golf at the Rutgers Golf Course offers a panoramic view of a plethora of academic buildings, including the world famous Waksman Institute of Microbiology, a stately structure that rests to the left of the first fairway. Every golfer who enjoys the Rutgers Golf Course can also gaze at several athletic-related complexes. To the left of the fifth and sixth hole offers a view of the Indoor Bubble, in which the Rutgers football team trains during inclement weather. Rising majestically to the left of the sixth green is Rutgers Stadium, the home of the Scarlet Knight football team. The Rutgers Golf Course features a newly-expanded driving range, and a 12,000 square foot short game practice facility and putting green. Jill Jerauld, a former Futures Tour and European Tour player, joined the Rutgers University Golf Course as the Course Pro/Manager in November 2001. She is the only female Professional Golf Association (PGA) - certified head pro in the state of New Jersey. For 10 years prior to joining Rutgers University Golf Course, she was the head pro at Blueberry Hill Golf Course in Russell, PA. Since Jerauld took over management of the Rutgers University Golf Course, she has successfully implemented a pace-of-play system that has decreased the time of an average round of golf by as much as one hour. DID YOU KNOW? Every hole at the Rutgers Golf Course is named for a tree that can be found on the course and that the par-3 11th hole, named Sour Gum, is home to the oldest Japanese sour gum tree in the state. Contact Information Rutgers University Golf Course 777 Hoes Lane West Piscataway, NJ 08854-8022 732/445-2637 (pro shop)
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