On Friday, Oct. 4, the Rhodes Golf Center and Grover Page Team Room were finally unveiled to the public in a special dedication ceremony.
Final construction started in July and after two years the project is finally finished for the golf team to take over. The center is named in honor of Bill and Amy Rhodes and the team room is named in honor of former UTM head coach Grover Page.
During his time at UTM, Rhodes was an honorable mention All-American and an academic All-American. Rhodes’ wife, Amy, graduated UTM in 1991 and according to her husband Bill, has been instrumental throughout the entire process.
Page founded the golf team in 1967 and led them to five Tennessee Intercollegiate championships and two national rankings.
Current head coach Jerry Carpenter credits Page for not only the success of the program during Page’s time as the coach, but as one of his biggest mentors.
For a team that has already won one event this year, the new practice facility will provide the team an opportunity to practice within walking distance of their classes and will make recruiting athletes much easier, Carpenter said.
At the ceremony, there was even talk of the possible addition of a women’s golf team, but according to several of the speakers at the event, the possible addition of another team isn’t expected to be soon. However, the building was designed to house two separate teams.
The center itself features two covered and climate-controlled hitting bays, computerized video and swing analysis cameras, a 600-square-foot true putting green, a lounge for the team, office space, as well as a kitchenette and restrooms.
Outside of the building is a 6,000-square-foot putting and chipping green made up of Tif-Eagle Bermuda grass surface, an 8,000-square-foot tee box and a 1,600-square-foot elevated tee box with Meyer and Palisades zoysia grass.
There is also an auxiliary tee box next to a 4,500-square-foot putting green with Mini-Verde Bermuda grass and mini target greens with flags at 50, 75, 100, 150, 200 and 250-yards.
In addition, there are two sand bunkers that cover 1,200 square feet and 400 square feet and a state-of-the-art programmable irrigation system to help maintain the course.
