b'A n oft-heralded aspect of golf is its inclusivity, in how the game welcomes anyone, regardless of their age, experience level or size of the fairway divots they take.That was a message that, this past spring, rang true at the University of Montana, leading to the advent of Griz Golf Club. The co-ed club sport was designed for the very purpose of allowing Missoulas rookie or established student golfers an outlet to hone their skills. It is the first collegiate golf club in the state. The program is designed to be bang-for-buck too, offering near access to seven courses and unlimited driving range balls for $300 per year. There is not (and wont be) any restriction on how many students can join, and members are free to play recreationally or in National Collegiate Club Golf Association (NCCGA) tournaments, sanctioned by the PGA of America.Tucker Sargent, the associate director of club sports at the U of M, was part of the coalition that got the Titleist rolling this past spring and saw within weeks how fast it took off among the student body.We went from five, to 10, to 20 [members] in about two weeks with no marketing on campus whatsoever, just word of mouth, Sargent said of the early days. This fall, were goingWe have a varsity womens team, but no options for men. This to do a much bigger push to let the entire campus communitynew club is open to both men and women and competes in know its open to men and women.the NCCGA. This spring we sent two teams to their first ever Sargent, who only began his current role in February, alsoNCCGA event in Prescott, Idaho. manages UMs hockey program, and mentioned how some ofSargent himself has seen the high level of golf found right those players were part of Griz Golfs foundation. Ten playersin his community, having lived in Missoula since 2009.took part in NCCGA competition, he said, and found it to be aYou wouldnt think it was a golf place, he said of his fair city. tasty sample. But theres a lot of access to some really good golf around here. This spring we sent two teams to their first ever NCCGAWithin a couple hours drive, theres dozens of great courses.event in Prescott, Idaho, Sargent said. At first they wereAs Griz Golf enters its upcoming semester chock-full of excited to do it, he said. Then the ones that went to thestudent enthusiasm, Sargent is hopeful genuine connections tournament just said, Holy Smokes, I cant wait to go tocan continue to be made through it. another one. I just hope to see kids coming and continuing to play the On that note, theres not much about NCCGAs competitivegame, he said. I think its a great lifelong sport that really framework that indicates its not to be taken seriously. There arebenefits people later in life. It just opens the doors for a rankings of both teams and individual players acrosslifelong skill set, friendships and a community that is the 400 schools that participate in season-longonly growing within the U.S. and globally.races for national championships. Its beenLogan Groeneveld-Meijeraround for over a decade and is even sponsored by the recognizable Srixon and Cleveland Golf brands. Above: The team practices wherever And at the University ofthey can, including inside the clubhouse Montana, competing in suchat Preston G&CC prior to the NCCGA tournaments is a significantchampionship. opportunity, as the school lacks aLeft: Clay Walker (left) celebrates with mens varsity golf program. Thereteammate Gray Wagner, who won are so many good golfers in ourmedalist honors at the National Collegiate region and not many opportunities forClub Golf Association championship held at Preston (Idaho) G&CC. them to play collegiately, Sargent says. SEPT 2025|PACIFIC NORTHWEST GOLFER25'