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While the Club Golf program at Pittsburg State University went through some rough times at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, recent years have seen the program grow into an example of affordable fun for Pitt State students.
Club Golf is an organization at Pittsburg State University that offers students the opportunity to play golf in a series of tournaments throughout the school year. The organization also offers a lot of perks for its membership due to its status as a National Collegiate Club Golf Association (NCCGA) member organization.
“(The club) started in 2013 or 2014,” said Andrew Fuentez, senior in political science and president of PSU Club Golf. “A whole bunch of people got together and we joined the NCCGA, which is the collegiate club golf association, so basically it’s just organized through schools all around. Then something passed where we didn’t fill out the club certification, so I had to bring the club back in fall of 2020. We got re-established, had people participate that spring.”
While 2020 saw the group gain back a little of its initial momentum, the short timespan of the university experience eventually gave the group membership problems once again.
“Last year we had a bit of a downturn where we had all of the people on the team before left and (the club) got shut down for a few semesters,” Fuentez said. “Honestly, this last year nobody really wanted to participate. I tried to throw fundraisers and stuff; I just think everybody was really busy, and a majority of the people either had graduated or were graduating in the fall. That kind of put a damper on things. However, this year we already have four new members, and we’re looking to have a full team participate at the last tournament, so things are definitely looking up this semester.”
One of Fuentez’s main goals for the organization this year is recruitment, in an effort to maintain the progress he has made with the group as its president.
“(I’ve been) trying to get more involvement this semester,” Fuentez said. “I know that I’m going to be leaving soon, and I don’t want the club to go back to what it was before I picked it back up.”
While golf equipment is not provided, a major benefit of membership in the organization, especially for students interested in improving their golf game, is the opportunities the organization’s many partnerships afford its members.
“Yes, you have to provide your own equipment, but there are perks that come with signing up for the club,” Fuentez said. “We get a reduced rate at Crestwood Country Club, the nicest course in town. We also get up to 45 percent off anything Srixon or Cleveland Golf with the deal that NCCGA have with (those companies). There’s a lot of other perks, like rangefinders and different things like that that you’re going to get cheaper through working with us.
More information on Club Golf can be found through Gorilla Engage or the Club Sports page on the PSU Recreation Center’s website.