On 5th May last week, was the final day to play at ASU Karsten Golf Course (managed by OB Sports) before permanently closing after 30 years of public golf.
The Pete Dye-designed (with Perry Dye) ASU Karsten Golf Course also served as the home course for Arizona State University’s golf teams since opening in September 1989.
On the land where today the golf course can be found is scheduled for future development, athletic fields, and other university facilities.
This is why I thought to dedicate this post to the ASU Karsten Golf Course.
ASU Karsten Golf Course & Thunderbirds Golf Complex
The ASU golf teams already made the move to nearby Thunderbirds Golf Complex at Papago Golf Course in Phoenix.
It is a 7,000-square foot facility and spans across 12-acres designed by Phil Mickelson, former Sun Devil standout.
Phil Mickelson posted two NCAA Men’s Golf Individual Championships (1990 and 1992).
These elements of the Thunderbirds Golf Complex really impressed me:
- 3,000-square-foot covered outdoor team patio;
- 22,000-square-foot practice range tee;
- 6-acre range hitting area with 21 target greens and seven (7) fairway bunkers;
- 5,600 square feet of synthetic turf tee area, consisting of three types of hitting surfaces;
- Innovative synthetic turf “Phil Mickelson” practice putting pads, consisting of three (3) 15-foot by 15-foot square putting surfaces at 2%, 3% and 4% slope each;
- 10,000 square foot practice putting green, an innovative space designed for putting with dedicated areas of 1%, 2%, 3%, and 4% slopes;
- 4-acre short game area, consisting of five (5) practice greens totaling 30,000 square feet, four (4) practice bunkers totaling 3,600 square feet and a three-acre fairway and rough area designed to practice every possible golf shot, while promoting team building and high-level competition;
- Innovative “Phil Mickelson” wedge control targets, consisting of 8 synthetic turf target providing distance control practice for every yardage from 30 yards to 145 yards.
Other interesting features of the facility
- a grand entry lobby,
- national championship displays,
- a team gym and locker rooms for both men’s and women’s teams,
- a fueling station,
- study lounge, team lounge,
- indoor hitting bays and more.
Synthetic turf usage
There are several benefits of using synthetic turf (e.g. saving on water costs, reduces carbon emissions, it will never be toxic, can last up to a good 25 years etc.).
I hope the developers of the Thunderbirds Golf Complex will use recyclable synthetic turf.
We should find out also before investing in synthetic turf, the available reuse and recycling options, the proximity of the synthetic turf to the removal, reuse, recycling or power generation site.