The Rawls Course

PAGE 1 — 2012 TEXAS TECH MEN’S GOLF

FACILITIES - THE RAWLS COURSEHOME OF RED RAIDER GOLFFielding championship men’s and women’s golf teams in today’s fiercely competitive NCAA environment is a tall order. Still, Texas Tech golf teams have fared well in both the Southwest and Big 12 Conferences, earning multiple berths in post-season NCAA tournament play. Through his philanthropy, Jerry Rawls set out to employ the best talent in the world to create a paragon layout for intercollegiate golf nationwide. On every turn, Texas Tech’s premier golf course exudes excellence, giving Red Raider golf teams a competitive edge. From exclusive practice holes, featuring diverse putting surfaces they will experience at away tournaments, to sheltered hitting bays featuring the latest in video technology, and state-of-the-art locker room and team meeting facilities, Texas Tech golfers enjoy a home course that is second to none.

The Rawls Course Par 5, No. 18 (555 yards) is considered to be a Tom Doak masterpiece. Running along the 4.5-acre lake toward a small, well-trapped green, the link is arguably one of the finest finishing holes in the world.

JERRY RAWLSWhen Texas Tech University publicly acknowledged their wish to build a golf course for the campus, Jerry Rawls was immediately interested in lending his support. A proud alumnus, Rawls graduated with a BS in Mechanical Engineering in 1967 where he was also a varsity member of the basketball team. But it wasn’t until he went to Purdue University for a

Masters in Business Administration from the Krannert School of Management that he became interested in golf. Purdue had two golf courses on campus, and because of its close proximity, he started playing golf with his

classmates and some professors. Rawls realized their immeasurable value. The school, alums, golf program, and the city benefited from them. They helped in the recruitment of athletes, students, and faculty. There could host golf events for alums and donors during football weekends. It was especially beneficial that the course was on campus and easily accessible. “We didn’t know what we were missing at Texas Tech.”

So in the spring of 2001, Rawls met with a group from Texas Tech who were spearheading the project, which included not only a golf course but state-of-the-art golf facility. He was involved on two conditions: that it become one of the finest collegiate golf facility in the country, and it also had to be located on-campus. The Tech group agreed with his vision and they got started. John Montford and David Schmidly, TTU’s Chancellor and President respectively at the time, agreed to move an agricultural research facility to a nearby location in order to free up 268 contiguous acres only minutes from campus center.

Needless to say, the project would require a leading golf architect to make this dream a reality. Rawls listened to the advice from a friend and accomplished golf course developer, Mark Parsinen who spoke very highly of the work of Tom Doak. Rawls had read a book authored by Doak titled Anatomy of a Golf Course and had been impressed with his sophisticated opinions on golf course architecture. At the time, Doak’s reputation was becoming more well known, as it was increasingly linked with his design of Pacific Dunes in Oregon.

Rawls and Doak met at Pacific Dunes in April of 2001 four months before it would open to the public. As they walked the course together, Rawls was given a full visual presentation on Doak’s philosophies and design/construction talents. It was there on the windswept dunes of Oregon that Doak accepted Rawls’ offer to build a course in Lubbock.

RECENT HONORS FOR THE RAWLS COURSE

• Golfweek’s #2 Best Course you can play in Texas• Golfweek’s #3 University Golf Course in America• Golf Digest’s #2 Most Affordable Public Golf Course in the U.S.


FACILITIES - THE RAWLS COURSEHISTORYIt was a most unlikely place for renowned golf course architect Tom Doak to follow up his Oregon masterpiece Pacific Dunes: a flat cotton field in Lubbock, Texas. And yet, on the high plains of the West Texas panhandle, where the sky is big and blue, the wind is unabated and the land is dry and flat, Doak created the Rawls Course for Texas Tech University, immediately one of the finest university courses in the country.

A minimalist by reputation, Doak and his team from Renaissance Golf stepped out of that role for this design, moving 1.3 million yards of topsoil to sculp a course. Creating an entire landscape from scratch, they shaped the earth to mimic the land east and south of Lubbock, where the great plain suddenly starts falling into the valleys and canyons that lead to the Caprock region. The result is a 7,207-yard, par-72, feat of engineering that fully exemplifies Doak’s philosophies on design and strategy, most notably the unusually wide fairways and boldly contoured greens.

THE VISIONIt took a visionary like Jerry Rawls to imagine that a truly world-class golf course could be carved out of a cotton farm in the West Texas Panhandle. Positioned on the Texas South Plains on a short-grass prairie, Lubbock, Texas may, at first, seem an unlikely site for a course design that will position Texas Tech as a leader in NCAA championship golf. The wind-swept Llano Estacado, where the skies are big and blue, sunsets are boastful, the wind is unabated and the land is dry and flat, is a far cry from the likes of Pebble Beach, Augusta or Torrey Pines. Those who have played Texas Tech’s brilliant collegiate golf course agree that its designer has created a masterpiece on the High Plains.

This parkland course, with its undulating greens, vast fairways and long, picturesque views, provides a top-flight setting that few golfers experience on a regular basis. The natural texture of the landscape—like the course—reflects the wearing down of the land from wind and water over time. Fairway contours, roughs and bunkers are all reminiscent of these narrow, gouged-out landforms. Rustic, lively and beautiful, The Rawls Course provides for an unforgettable round of golf that will keep you coming back for more.

Images courtesy of Troon Golf.


FACILITIES - THE CASH FAMILY TEAM

CLUBHOUSE AT THE RAWLSOnce again, Jerry Rawls reached out to a leader in the field to ensure that the clubhouse facilities are par for a course of this caliber. Robert McKinney, a Lubbock native, former Red Raider golfer and Southwest Conference Champion, is perhaps the foremost authority on golf course clubhouses in the country. McKinney has drawn on his vast golfing experience to design a visually stunning yet extremely functional clubhouse. Texas Tech’s dynamic golf facility will provide a stunning entrance to the northern edge of the Texas Tech campus. The resort-style structure, with its Texas Tech brick and clay tile roof, will be highly visible. The clubhouse is positioned at the bend of the forthcoming Texas Tech Parkway, which connects nearby North Loop 289 to the southern edge of the Texas Tech campus.

PAVILION & GUEST FACILITIESThe sizeable pavilion, situated on the opposite end of the clubhouse, offers a dramatic view of the course. The pavilion is the site for receptions, conferences and other special events. The 22,000-square foot clubhouse contains spacious facilities for the women’s and men’s golf teams, a fully-equipped pro shop and public locker rooms. The addition of this outstanding facility will secure Texas Tech as a host for Big 12 and NCAA championships and professional tour circuits. The Rawls Course golf complex is a calling card for Lubbock-area recreation and tourism, attracting Texas Tech alumni and supporters who can now fill out a weekend stay during Red Raider football and basketball weekends or for concerts and scholastic events.

CASH FAMILY TEAM FACILITYOpened in August 2012, the new clubhouse and home for the nationally prominent Texas Tech Men’s and Women’s Golf Teams is simply one of the finest in the nation. It is best highlighted by the images on the following pages.

COURSE OVERVIEWElevation - 3,200 feet above sea levelGrade - Elevation change up to 30 feetBerms - Surrounding entire course, 10 and 15 feet above playing surfaceIrrigation - The most sophisticated ever devised. Computerized irrigation system utilizes 2,500 sprinkler heads to deliver up to 4,500 gallons a minute.Designer - Tom Doak, Renaissance Golf Design Inc., Traverse City, MichiganEstimated rounds per year - 30,000 - 35,000

YARDAGETotal Yardage - 7,207 from the championship teesPar: 72, women; 72, men.Par Fours - 10 (five on each side)Par Threes - 4Par Fives - 4 including back-to-back fives on 17 and 18Bunkers - 96

ARCHITECTUREGreens - Dominance plus bent grassRough - grasses, jackpot, blue gramma, bahiaWater Hazards - one central 4.5 acre, man-made lakeFairways - 115 to 125 acres of fairway

FACILITIES AND SERVICESDriving Range - 375-yard horse shoe shaped, three target greens

Short game facility - Three hole practice course for Texas Tech golfers only

Indoor hitting bays - Three bays shelter golfers from inclement weather

Video teaching aid - Equipped with video technology for instructional purposes










Documents

The Rawls Course