(Photo: Sun Devil Athletics)
As the ASU men’s golf season winds down, rumors have begun to swirl on whether or not this will be the last the Sun Devils see of ASU Karsten Golf Course.
While the approximate timetable for this shift is still unknown, Karsten’s days are numbered with each passing golf season.
On May 7, 2014, Phoenix City Council voted in favor of ASU acting as the primary operator of the Papago Golf Facility. Tim Gallen of the Phoenix Business Journal first reported the agreement.
“ASU will construct a new clubhouse for the course within three years, and use the course for up to two NCAA golf tournaments a year, a fundraising event and one Pac-12 men’s and women’s tournament,” Gallen wrote.
The partnership with the city of Phoenix and Papago Golf Course will be the second such partnership that ASU has with Phoenix – the first being the the baseball team’s partnership with Phoenix Municipal Stadium.
In 2008, Papago Golf course underwent a $5.8 million renovation process to rejuvenate the course and its facilities. This included lengthening the course, removing a number of trees, filling many of the bunkers with fresh sand, as well as adding a few new bunkers.
All of these changes were meant to increase the difficulty, as well as enhance the views and sights of the surrounding Papago Park.
While the course currently lacks a proper clubhouse, it does hold two distinct advantages over Karsten. Head coach Tim Mickelson says Papago is a much lengthier course and has a layout that better fits the changes in collegiate golf.
“When we do move over to Papago, whether it be this year or in the next couple, I think it’s going to benefit us a great deal,” Mickelson said. “Both the length of the course and how it’s designed have benefited us when we’ve played there. This move simply makes sense with how collegiate golf has changed since we started playing at Karsten.”
Mickelson also said Papago Golf Course is more suited for golf in the desert – something to which his team is accustomed. Although it’s had a lot of success at Karsten, he thinks his team’s success will grow more once they move.
“A lot of our practice takes place in the desert and a lot of our recruits are from the Valley, so as a team, we’re accustomed to playing in the desert,” Mickelson said. “Papago was designed for Arizona and therefore the desert, so it’s a great fit.”
Mickelson also said the course makes for better home-field advantage.
“Karsten was more all over the place,” he said. “Any team could come in and feel comfortable, that’s not what we want. We want a clear home-field advantage.”
Senior Alberto Sanchez loved four years of competing at Karsten, but he understands the school’s decision to move to a new course.
“It’s bittersweet for me. I love that I got to play this course for four years, but at the same time It’s going to be great for this team to move to Papago,” Sanchez said. “I don’t know the extent of it, but it’s a business decision and they’re moving to a better course. That will never take away the memories I have here though.”
The Sun Devils will kick off the postseason at the Pac-12 Championships in Salt Lake City, Utah on Friday, April 29. This starts off the Sun Devil’s hunt to the National Championship, where they could potentially host their last tournament at Karsten.
