New simulator takes BGSU Club Golf to new heights

After revamping new indoor practice space, BGSU Club Golf puts together best-ever season

The 2024-25 season proved to be a banner year for club golf at Bowling Green State University.

Thanks to the addition of a new golf simulator inside Perry Field House on campus – which allows the team to conduct practices indoors no matter the weather, even simulating play on world-famous courses like St. Andrews – BGSU club golf took a giant step forward.

The new space, named the Weaver Family Golf Facility after the family organized and contributed to its implementation, paid immediate dividends for the team.

For the first time in program history, the club won two tournaments as a team, finished second in two others and qualified for nationals.

During the national tournament on April 26-27, BGSU tied for 15th in the country, by far its best-ever finish.

"Being able to get a club in your hands every single day has been huge for us, and we’ve really been able to see it in the numbers this season,” said BGSU junior Max Weaver. “Golf is one of the sports where, the less you train, the more inconsistent you get. Especially since we play so many other teams up north, having this technology has been a huge advantage over the competition before we even step into the tee box.”

One of the biggest challenges of playing golf in the Great Lakes region is one of the simplest: weather makes playing the sport outside unfeasible for large portions of the year.

With the new simulator, however, club golfers at BGSU are able to keep practicing through the rain, cold and snow just like NCAA golf teams.

“Most of the time during the winter, you’re just putting around on any flat surface you can work on,” said Keaton Schnipke, a member of BGSU Club Golf. “Even if it’s raining out, we can catch a shuttle or drive over here and play golf with your teammates, which is really convenient and nice. It’s a lot easier for us to practice.

“The numbers part of it – just knowing exactly how far you hit certain swings or certain clubs is really useful knowledge when you actually get out on the course.”

The new addition has allowed club golfers at BGSU to experience the best of both worlds during their time at the University.

Club athletes at BGSU can choose from nationally ranked programs like business, construction management, aviation or education and continue playing their sport in a competitive setting for a top-25 program.

“Off the course as well, I would say this brought us closer as a team, and being in a room like this where we can all work together is huge for us, and I think the group growing together has led to better golf,” Weaver said. “A lot of club players didn’t grow up with a ton of access to technology like this.

“Seeing some of our guys exposed to this technology has made them better players and has accelerated their development as players, for sure. We played really well this year.”

Weaver said having the indoor facility has made a major difference for the program, and he hopes his family’s effort to make the space a reality will have lasting effects for years to come.

“Originally, we were going to hit into a net in the field house, and it slowly snowballed into the idea to actually take over some rooms and turn them into a facility,” Weaver said. “We were able to partner with BGSU and get some other funding and eventually create this.

“To know that this place will be here when I come back to BGSU is pretty cool.”