Simulator Donation Allows Chargers Golf Teams to Work on Game Year-Round
Aaron Frey
Friday, April 9, 2021 2:55 PM
Athletics, Campus News
Galesburg, IL
When rain, snow and frigid temperatures blanket the Midwest, members of the Carl Sandburg College men’s and women’s golf teams will be able to play 18 holes under clear skies and sunshine.
And they won’t even have to leave campus to do it.
Thanks to a donation from Mark and Jeannette Kleine, owners and operators of Kleine Companies in Galesburg, Sandburg received an aboutGOLF simulator that allows Chargers golfers to test their game on dozens of courses around the country and hone their skills with video analysis. The simulator had been located in the Players’ Lounge at Iron Spike Brewing Company in Galesburg.
“We’re very grateful to the Kleine family for reaching out to support our golf programs with this generous donation,” Sandburg President Dr. Seamus Reilly said. “Our coaches were incredibly excited when they heard the news about it, and it will be a great addition and resource for both of our teams.”
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The simulator is set up on Sandburg’s Main Campus, just a short walk away from the gymnasium. Players hit off a mat and into a large projection screen using real clubs and golf balls while a computer diagnoses their swing speed, path and impact to simulate where their shot would land on the course.
“This is a huge addition for our program,” Chargers women’s golf coach Gail Hannam said. “We don’t have to worry about not being able to practice for a few days if it’s rainy or too cold out, and it gives us a way to work on things in the winter as well. This allows us to turn golf from an eight- or nine-month sport into a year-round sport, and it’s right here for us to use whenever we need it.”
Another feature of the simulator is that it has cameras that can record a player’s swing. Afterward, they can go back to review the video and make adjustments.
“It’s one thing for us to be able to play anytime we want, but the video component means it can also be a great teaching tool for us,” Hannam said. “It’s going to be really valuable for our players to see their swing path and look at things that they’re doing right and for ways they can improve.”
Sandburg plans to make the simulator available for use through its Corporate & Leisure College as well so that it can be available to the greater community in addition to its athletes. The system will be yet another strong selling point to recruits for Sandburg’s golf teams, which have combined for seven NJCAA national tournament appearances since 2010.
“This is something that very few other colleges — whether it’s community colleges or four-year schools — have such great access to,” Sandburg men’s golf coach Ryan Twaddle said. “For us to have something like this right at our fingertips really sets us apart from a lot of other programs.”
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