The Golf Clubhouse features a lounge area with a ping-pong table, seating and Pepperdine Waves branding. The space gives players an area to study, relax and spend time together between practices. Photos by Guinevere Hesse
For Pepperdine Golf, practice now extends beyond the course.
Since the Golf Clubhouse opened Sept. 4, the Men’s and Women’s Golf teams have had access to indoor training technology, team spaces and areas where they can go to study and spend time together.
The clubhouse sits on the second floor of Firestone Fieldhouse inside the Charles B. Runnels Sports and Recreation Village and spans 8,000 square feet. The facility was part of a $13 million investment in Pepperdine’s Men’s and Women’s Golf programs, providing the teams with an on-campus space for training and team activities.
“We’ve never had a locker room before,” said Nick Robinson, Men’s Golf assistant coach. “We’ve never had a place that they can call their own.”
Robinson said having a space of their own gives the men’s team an opportunity to build camaraderie while making the daily student-athlete experience more convenient. Players can study, spend time together in the lounge and shower after workouts before heading to class.
Women’s Golf junior Grace Anderson said the clubhouse has quickly become part of the team’s routine.
“If we’re not practicing, we’re studying here,” Anderson said. “If we’re not studying, we’re playing ping-pong or cooking something.”
The Pepperdine Golf logo is displayed on a wall of the Golf Clubhouse. The clubhouse provides both teams an on-campus space for training and team activities.
The clubhouse also expands the programs’ preparation process before competitions.
The TrackMan simulators allow players to analyze their swings and numbers, while the TOURPUTT simulator provides another resource for improving their putting. Robinson said the additional technology gives coaches and players more information to work with.
“More data gives us the opportunity to answer more questions,” Robinson said.
Anderson said the facility allows players to learn from their performance and identify areas for improvement.
“It just gives us so much access,” Anderson said. “That was the big thing, just access to these new facilities.”
The indoor facility also gives the teams an alternative when outdoor practice is limited by weather or darkness. Anderson said Alumni Park, where the teams usually practice outdoors, can be affected by limited space and weather conditions.
“In the times that we can’t use Alumni [and] we can’t practice outside, we can come inside,” Anderson said. “Darkness is no longer a limiting factor.”
Beyond training, the clubhouse has created a shared space for both programs. Anderson said having a place where the men’s and women’s teams can practice and spend time together has strengthened the connection between them.
“It’s not only brought the women’s team closer, but it also unites both of our teams,” Anderson said.
For Robinson, the clubhouse also serves as a reminder of what Pepperdine’s Golf programs have already accomplished.
Robinson pointed to the Men’s Golf program’s two national championships and its history of All-Americans and decorated players as part of the legacy current athletes inherit.
“Pepperdine was and always will be a golf school and we’re proud of that,” Robinson said.
Robinson said the facility could also influence recruiting. The new training and team spaces give Pepperdine another resource when competing for recruits alongside other programs across the country.
The Men’s Golf team’s 2021 NCAA national championship trophy is displayed inside the Golf Clubhouse. Pepperdine defeated Oklahoma 3-2 on June 2, 2021 to win its second national championship, according to Pepperdine Athletics.
For the coaching staff, the clubhouse also provides more opportunities to interact with players. Robinson said having coaches and athletes working in the same space allows them to spend more time together and develop deeper relationships.
The clubhouse represents the support surrounding the Women’s Golf program as well. Anderson said the facility shows that Pepperdine is investing not only in the athletes they are today, but also in who they can become.
“This school has never made me feel like I am limited,” Anderson said. “They’ve only ever made me feel like I’m supported and they want to see me grow and reach the highest level possible.”
Now, both programs are looking toward what comes next.
The women’s team reached the NCAA Championship and advanced to the Elite Eight last season. Both the men’s and women’s teams also won their respective West Coast Conference (WCC) Championships this spring. The women claimed their title in April and the men secured their second consecutive championship in May, according to Pepperdine Athletics.
Anderson said the team’s goal is to return to the national tournament and advance even further.
“We’re here to win an NCAA championship,” Anderson said. “We want to be the best.”
For Pepperdine Golf, the clubhouse now marks the beginning of what comes next: stronger teams, deeper connections and another chance at an NCAA championship.
This story was copy edited by Olivia Schlossin.
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Contact Alyssa Avelar via email: alyssa.avelar@pepperdine.edu