Photo by: Paul White
ACU Golf unveils Byron Nelson Clubhouse
2/23/2020 12:39:00 PM | Men's Golf
"You know what you can always say about ACU; whatever they do is excellent, and this facility is excellent." – Eric Oliver, Byron Nelson Clubhouse Planning Team
ABILENE – Abilene Christian University opened the doors over the weekend to its newest athletics facility – the Byron Nelson Clubhouse – to showcase the Wildcat golf team's first-class amenities in addition to the awards and memorabilia collected by its namesake, the late Byron Nelson. A private dinner for donors was held Friday night and a ribbon-cutting dedication on Saturday.
Nelson's widow, Peggy Nelson Jaros, donated several one-of-a-kind items from his career for display during the opening weekend, including his Congressional Gold Medal, a replica of the U.S. Open trophy, and items representing his wins at and longtime association with the Masters Tournament and Ryder Cup. Display cases in the clubhouse include equipment he used in his record-setting career, Nelson memorabilia, and rare artifacts from the history of golf.
While he played just 11 years on the PGA Tour, Nelson made history in the sport. He won 52 PGA tournaments (64 overall), including 18 tournaments – and 11 in a row – in 1945, regarded by many as the greatest year in golf and an accomplishment no one has seriously challenged since.
Jack Maxwell, ACU professor emeritus of art and design, was commissioned to create two distinctive pieces for the clubhouse. His painting of the 12th green and Byron Nelson Bridge at Augusta National Golf Club is displayed along the east wall. Maxwell also collaborated with Geoff Broderick, associate professor of art and design, to create a bronze bust of Nelson with a golf club in hand.
While Nelson never attended ACU, he proved to be a lifelong friend and avid supporter of the university. He served as a member of ACU's Board of Trustees from 1965-74 and chaired the Fort Worth Region of its National Development Council.
In May 1984, ACU raised more than $350,000 to establish the Byron and Louise Nelson Golf Endowment Fund in their honor at the university. Since then the annual Byron Nelson Golf Tournaments benefiting the endowment have been held each year in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. The Mira Vista Country Club in Fort Worth played host to the 2019 tournament in November.
"We started the ACU golf endowment to make sure we didn't lose the legacy of golf at ACU and Byron Nelson's connection," said Jon Bradley, a Wildcat golf letter winner and member of the ACU Sports Hall of Fame's 2005 Centennial Class. "This clubhouse is going to keep Byron Nelson's legacy alive a long time."
Byron Nelson Clubhouse Reveal
Located along Judge Ely Boulevard, the clubhouse overlooks ACU's short-game practice venue, "The Jim," and features the Oliver Family Training Room, which includes swing-simulation technology (McGlothlin Simulator Bay), and a snack station.
There's also a full-size living area complete with flat-screen HDTV, offices for head coach Tom Shaw and assistant coach Rob Bennett, men's and women's locker rooms, a College Golf Fellowship Conference Room, a kitchen, and a garage for the team's Sprinter van. The men's locker room is named for the late Vince Jarrett, former head coach.
"Each year we close the gap with conference golf heavyweights Sam Houston, Lamar and Stephen F. Austin, said sixth-year head coach Tom Shaw. "The facility you're in indeed helps our recruiting and helps us to get better and better student-athletes. Undoubtedly, it helps our current team improve and that's what we saw last week (winning the La Tour Collegiate Invitational) … Now conference championships and future NCAA berths are being discussed as real possibilities instead of motivational coach-speak."
Bradley pointed out during his remarks that the team averaged 68.33 strokes per round during its tournament win the same week they opened the Byron Nelson Clubhouse, matching Nelson's scoring average during his historic 1945 season, which has been surpassed just once on the PGA Tour in 70 years.
Bradley further engaged the audience with several Nelson anecdotes and impressed many with his encyclopedic knowledge of Nelson's records and career highlights. He then talked at length about the bond forged between Nelson and the Wildcat golfers, whom he affectionately referred to as, 'His Boys.'
"When the team would come to Dallas, we would meet with the team in Byron's den or at a restaurant," said Bradley. "He would sit there and tell stories – he was a Hall of Fame Storyteller. That's where he developed his real affection for the team. That's why he started calling them 'His Boys'. He really cared about this golf team."
At the conclusion of his speech, Bradley announced that the Byron Nelson Foundation would be making a five-year commitment to the golf team's budget at $50,000 per year, a figure that would be matched by the Mark and April Anthony family.
Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony
Mark Anthony, an ACU golf letter winner who served as this weekend's master of ceremonies, was one of Nelson's 'Boys,' and used his time at the podium Saturday to highlight Nelson's Christian values.
"Byron's life was a pure reflection of the fruits of the holy spirit," he said. "He loved everyone he knew and his joy was immeasurable. He thrived on peace and never pursued confrontation, except maybe on the golf course ... He was kind, good and gentle to those close to him, and to those strangers as well, especially those in need. He was faithful to his savior, meek beyond compare, never sought praise, and under all circumstances he exhibited self control.
"To have Byron Nelson's name associated with ACU, our golf program, and this facility, is quite an honor. Almost 40 years ago, he took a special interest in ACU golf, especially to the guys he called, 'His Boys,' the players on the team which I was one of. His influence on so many of us who played golf at ACU lives on today, and will continue to live for a long, long time."
Friday's special guest was Bill Rogers, 1981 PGA Player of the Year who shares connections to the two giants of ACU golf: Nelson and the late Jarrett, Wildcat head golf coach from 1985-2003. Both Rogers and Jarrett are University of Houston graduates.
Rogers won six PGA events, including the 1981 Open Championship, and is a frequent speaker at retreats sponsored by College Golf Fellowship. He shared his faith story with the ACU team during a meeting earlier in the day.
"I see a lot of significant things happening here," Rogers said in his closing comments. "The vision is good. The team is good. Everything's good, and the bottom line is congratulations. I'm in. I'm anxious to see what the next chapter looks like.
"Everything I've heard and observed here is happening because the people financially supporting this program are doing it with passion," he said. "The golf coaches, president and athletics director are all walking in the same direction. This is what it's supposed to look like. We represent a Kingdom and a King, and this game of golf is a wonderful platform from which to share his message."
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