October 19, 2017

Photo Gallery

By Dylan Edwards, SMUMustangs.com

SMU men's and women's golf have long been established as two of the premier programs in collegiate golf. Each team has claimed a national title, and the two programs have combined for 15 top-10 national finishes. SMU golfers have claimed three national championships and 21 times been named an All-American.
 
A phone call from the Dallas city manager to SMU president Gerald Turner in 2012 would be the starting point of a project in south Dallas that would continue to elevate SMU golf.
 
"It was absolutely crucial for SMU to be part of it," Turner said. "I get calls about a lot of things with great ideas that are going to happen. You kind of say, 'Yeah great. Let's keep an eye on that,' then you go on with your day. This one was going to happen."
 
That project would be turning a construction landfill into one of America's premier golf courses at Trinity Forest. Five years later, and with a collective effort from SMU, the city of Dallas, Trinity Forest, AT&T, the Salesmanship Club of Dallas, and the First Tee of Dallas, that vision is a reality.
 
"When this initial idea was proposed, I had just become athletics director not long before," Rick Hart said. "You hear about partnerships and ideas of this nature from time to time. Very rarely do they come together and come together this quickly and successfully."
 
The Payne Stewart SMU Golf Training Center at Trinity Forest Golf Club is one of the premier golf facilities anywhere in the nation. SMU's first-class facility sits on the course that will host a major PGA event, the AT&T Byron Nelson and is packed full of everything a golfer needs to perform at the highest level.
 
"This facility just reinforces what a first-class institution SMU is," Hart said. "It speaks to that from the moment you come in. I'm very happy our student-athletes get to enjoy this tremendous facility."
 
The 6,700-square foot facility has it all. In one place, SMU has its locker rooms, coaches' offices, conference room, workout center, and kitchen. It's also equipped with premier equipment for Mustangs to work on the mechanics of their swing. SMU golfers can then head over the teeing ground, putting and chipping green, or the nine-hole short course to further improve their game. The Payne Stewart SMU Golf Training Center has it all.
 
"Having a PGA TOUR course at our disposal, our own practice area, and a state-of-the-art golf house will provide advantages to the SMU golf programs that are unmatched in college golf," said men's golf head coach Jason Enloe. "We are so very grateful for the opportunity to call this our new home."
 
Home is what the training center has become for the players. That extends to more than just working on their golf game, too. For instance, the ping pong table is a favorite among the players.
 
"I can honestly say this is our home. It means so much to every single one of us on the team," junior Brigitte Dunne said. "We get to come here daily, go in our locker rooms, see our friends, workout in our gym, play ping pong. Most importantly, we're going to grow as golfers and people and as a team. It brings us all together."
 
Trophy cases sit on each side of the room when first entering the training center, one for the men and one for the women. They're full of trophies that represent the SMU golf has enjoyed in its history. With Trinity Forest, SMU golf's future looks even brighter.
 
"It will allow us to recruit players who want to work to improve daily and play at the highest level of competition," women's coach Jeanne Sutherland said. "Players can challenge themselves from any distance or condition. It's truly a game-changer."