At the end of 2017-18 golf season, ASU will move from the Karsten Golf Course to the Papago Golf Course, located in eastern Phoenix.
According to a Golfweek article published in February, "ASU signed a 30-year agreement to use Papago as its home course for its men’s and women’s golf teams."
ASU uses Karsten Golf Course as its current home course because the athletic department signed a development deal that would allow it to pay for other projects.
Phil Mickelson graduated from ASU in 1992, winning three NCAA individual championships and three Haskins Awards (1990,1991,1992).
He is helping with ASU's transition to the new course.
“Phil Mickelson is helping us,” women’s head coach Missy Farr-Kaye said. “He’s designing the practice area, and it's gonna be phenomenal.”
Mickelson claims that the new facility will be state of the art.
“Arizona State’s facility is going to be home to the single-greatest short game training space in the country,” Mickelson said in the Golfweek article.
Scott Nelson, senior associate athletic director for ASU, said the land where Papago Golf Course is going to be redeveloped as part of the ASU Novus Innovation Corridor.
“Phil is designing our driving range and short game practice area,” Nelson said. "We expect (the golf teams) to move in and start using it when the facility opens in August of 2018 and really ramp up their practice at the facilities in October 2018."
The Sun Devils will be moving move from a 2,400 square foot practice facility to a facility almost three times its size. The new renovation will also include air-conditioning and an exterior covered space at Papago.
“It’s gonna help us in many ways,” men’s head coach Matt Thurmond said. “It shows our community, team members and recruits that we are focused on moving forward and building for the future.
Thurmond also said that ASU has an amazing golf history, but he also wants to make sure his teams will have an amazing future – it is all about moving forward and building a new era.
The Sun Devils will look to continue the history of turning college golfers into professionals as they add new recruits to both teams.
“When they imagine themselves practicing at (Papago), they will have a very hard time not to come here because the facilities will be so good,” Thurmond said.
The women's team has been successful in recents years, and this move to the new building will continue to make the Sun Devils a top team in the country.
"I think it's important that we are always going to create an environment where our players can come and be successful – attracting players around the world that want to be at an amazing university and get a great education and have access to phenomenal facilities, Farr-Kaye said."
Reach the reporter at sbemanue@asu.edu or follow @SebastianEman24 on Twitter.
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