Ferris State Awarded Opportunity To Host 2018 NCAA Women's Golf Super Regional Championships
Big Rapids, Mich. - Ferris State University has been selected to host an NCAA Championship event as the 2018 NCAA Division II Women's Golf Super Regional, which will be held May 7-9 at Katke Golf Course on the FSU campus, was recently awarded by the NCAA.
A total of 66 participants from 12 schools will compete in the 54-hole super regional championships with the top three teams from each region advancing to the national championships. The opportunity to host the event came as part of the NCAA's championship bid process.
"We're ecstatic to have been selected to host the 2018 NCAA Division II Women's Golf Super Regional," said FSU Athletics Director Perk Weisenburger. "Playing this tournament at a premiere location such as Katke Golf Course will make this a great experience for the student-athletes. We have a great partnership in place with Katke Golf Course and the PGA Golf Management Program to make this a first-class event and we're looking forward to hosting this championship event."
Located at the highest point in Mecosta County, Katke Golf Course has become a premiere destination for championship golf with the rolling terrain creating a variety of conditions for golfers to play their best game along with a blend of links-style and tree-lined holes which keep the course interesting.
"We're honored to have Katke Golf Course selected as the venue for the 2018 NCAA Women's Golf Super Regional Championships," said Ian Ziska, Manager and Head Golf Professional at Katke Golf Course. "We look forward to hosting some of the most talented women's collegiate golfers in the country. I have no doubt our course will be tournament ready and in outstanding shape to host this competition."
The university-owned 18-hole golf course situated on the western flank of the Ferris State campus serves as the home site of all Bulldog men's and women's golf events. Katke, which opened in 1974, has hosted various league and regional championships over the years in both cross country and golf. However, this will be the school's first opportunity to host a NCAA golf regional since 2007.
The course is named after Mr. and Mrs. Marvin L. Katke, whose generous donation influenced campus development and the initial phase of the golf course. Katke, a friend of Ferris and a Mecosta County native, was vice president for manufacturing of the Ford Motor Company and a 1967 recipient of an honorary degree from FSU.
A new clubhouse, which was added in the summer of 1999, houses the Professional Golf Management (PGM) Learning Center at Ferris State. The PGM program, which is designed for the individual who is interested in a career as a golf professional, has over 300 students and is a source of national recognition and a revenue producer for the university. Established in 1975, the PGM program was the first of its kind in the nation sanctioned by the prestigious Professional Golfers' Association of America (PGA).
Recently, the course has made major improvements with the reconstruction of bunkers, drainage work, new tee boxes along with expansion of various greens. The course was also recently chosen as the new home of the Michigan Golf Hall of Fame.
Originally designed by Robert Beard, Katke Golf Course has received multiple awards including the Top 100 Golf Practice Facility in America by Golf Range Magazine and the Mecosta County People's Choice Award for favorite Golf Range and Course.
The Ferris State University men's and women's golf programs have a long history of success, which includes a current 14-year NCAA Championship appearance streak in men's golf that ranks as one of the longest active stretches in the country. The women's golf program has advanced to the NCAA regional championships 13 of the past 15 years.