USC golf program getting a new 17-acre practice facility

The South Carolina golf program will be getting a new 17-acre practice facility. The state-of-the-art complex, located behind Gamecock Park, will feature more than 400 yards of hitting space, as well as three greens totaling 18,000 square feet.

The facility is being built by USC Foundations through private gifts. Construction is underway, and grassing is scheduled to be completed by July. The men’s and women’s golf teams are expected to begin utilizing the new complex in mid-October 2016.

Golf course designer Beau Welling, a USC alumnus, has planned the facility, which is focused on providing players an opportunity to work on every aspect of the game, from putting, chipping, and bunker play to pitch shots and standard range exercises.

For the past four years, the Gamecocks’ primary driving range and short game facility has been The Coop Practice Facility, located near the Par Tee Driving Range in West Columbia.