The East Tennessee State men’s and women’s golf programs have always been an essential part of the university’s athletics department, but the units haven’t had a strong facility to work with.
This year, work began on the new Frederick B. Warren-William B. Greene Jr. Golf Center, a new state-of-the-art practice facility.
The $1.4 million dollar center is being placed on a 14-acre section on the south border of the university’s campus.
The outdoor portion of the combine, with a completion date scheduled for mid-2004, was designed by Tom Fazio, one of the world’s premier golf architects, and will feature a long shot tee, six target greens, a short game practice area and a putting green.
Topping things off will be the clubhouse section, which features a reception area, lounge, conference rooms, hall of fame, two indoor hitting bays and three decks on the second floor with two offices. It was designed by Johnson City’s Ken Ross Architects.
Named in honor of the current Buccaneer men’s golf coach (Warren) and one of the program’s largest donors (Greene), the center will be a crucial fixture in the south part of the ETSU campus.
Greene has had a successful career in the banking industry from an early age. His work with Carter County Bank, the United Tennessee Bankshares Corporation, Bank of Tennessee and the World Presidents’ Organization mark many of his achievements.
He has won several amateur tournaments and received the Rolex Achievement Award from the College Golf Foundation in 2000 for his career and contributions to society.
The ETSU team MVP award in men’s golf is also named in Greene’s honor, due to his contributions to the Buccaneer Golf program.
Greene also plays a big role in the annual Ridges Invitation Golf Tournament, which is sponsored by the Bank of Tennessee and concluded another run this weekend.
Coach Warren has had a very successful and respected run at East Tennessee State, leading teams to the NCAA Tournament 10 times with 11 SoCon titles, including the historic third-place finish in the 1996 NCAA Championships. He has coached 36 tournament victories, including six in the 1995-96 year, with the golf squad being the first program in ETSU history to rank number one in the nation.
Warren has also guided 15 All-American golfers and numerous All-Conference selections throughout his tenure.
Warren was unavailable for comment, due to his schedule and preparation for the Ridges Tournament, which featured 18 of the nation’s top golf squads. (Information courtesy of the ETSU Sports Information Department.)
RIDGES TOURNAMENT Only two squads were under par after the championship round of The Bank of Tennessee Intercollegiate Classic at The Ridges annual golf tournament, taking place at The Ridges Golf and Country Club in Jonesborough, Tenn.
The Florida Gators pulled out a team victory with a ten-under-par performance, despite a hard charge from Texas Christian University, who finished at 5-under for the tournament.
The ETSU Buccaneer squad shot only 6-over for the final day of the event, finishing 17th out of 18 of the nation’s best collegiate squads.
Noel Kavanagh led the Bucs with a 2-under performance in the final round, with an eagle and four birdies on the tough course.
Cennydd Mills birdied three holes with three bogeys to finish even in the final round for the event. Chase Baldwin was 3-over-par, while Rhys Davies finished 5-over for the afternoon.
Individually, Marco Trejos was tied for 17th in the final individual standings with an overall 3-over par performance. His best round was his first, with a 71 on the par 70 course.
Wake Forest Demon Deacon Bill Haas walked away with the tournament individual crown with a 10-under-par outing, despite a close race from South Carolina’s Martin Rominger and Florida’s Camillo Villegas, who both tied for second at 6-under.
Florida’s James Vargas finished fourth, while Texas Christian’s Colby Beckstrom came in fifth.