Sept. 10, 2014

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COLUMBIA, S.C. — The South Carolina men’s and women’s golf programs have reached a long-term agreement with The Members Club at Woodcreek & WildeWood to make it a home course of the Gamecocks, South Carolina and The Members Club announced Wednesday.

The Members Club at Woodcreek & WildeWood joins Cobblestone Park as the official home courses for the Gamecock golf programs. The agreement gives South Carolina’s golfers and coaches full practice and playing privileges, allowing the teams to use both the Woodcreek and WildeWood golf courses, practice facilities and use of a portion of the pro shop as a meeting room and player lounge.

With the addition of The Members Club at Woodcreek & WildeWood, the South Carolina golf programs now call two of the premier clubs in South Carolina home. The Members Club was named the 2012 Club of the Year by the South Carolina Golf Association, while Cobblestone Park was recently named one of the 30 best courses you can play in South Carolina by the South Carolina Golf Course Ratings Panel.

The Members Club at Woodcreek & WildeWood – Woodcreek Course has a spacious 10-acre practice range with dual tees and a 6,000 square foot practice putting green. Currently, plans are being reviewed for an additional two-acre scoring game facility. The Woodcreek course was designed by world renowned golf course designer Tom Fazio and features a par-72, 7,022-yard layout from the back tees. The WildeWood course was designed by Russell Breeden and plays at par-72, 6,751 yards from the back tees.

What They Are Saying About The Members Club at Woodcreek & WildeWood
South Carolina Athletics Director Ray Tanner
“The addition of the prestigious Members Club at Woodcreek & WildeWood is another major step in providing our student-athletes with the finest facilities in the country. The two outstanding layouts, impressive practice facilities and enthusiastic membership greatly enhance our quest to be the very best. Many thanks to Members Club officials Charley Potok, Bill McDougall, Mark Black and many others who made this possible.”

South Carolina Director of Golf Development/Facilities and Associate Head Women’s Golf Coach Puggy Blackmon
“We are ecstatic about The Members Club at Woodcreek & WildeWood joining Cobblestone as dual home clubs of the Gamecocks. The two Tom Fazio and Russell Breeden layouts plus their impressive practice facilities provide our teams with a wide array of opportunities to become the very best.”

South Carolina Men’s Golf Coach Bill McDonald
“The addition of The Members Club at Woodcreek & WildeWood to our home facilities will most certainly help elevate our golf programs. The relationship we have developed over the past couple of years has already paid dividends, and our players enjoy the opportunity to play and practice at Woodcreek & WildeWood. Having The Members Club at Woodcreek & WildeWood as a home facility goes a long way toward helping us achieve our goals, both with our current teams and our recruits.”

South Carolina Women’s Golf Coach Kalen Harris
“Adding The Members Club as a home facility of Gamecock golf is an incredible opportunity. Our student-athletes have access to developing their skills at a premier private facility. From a recruiting perspective, our partnership is already proving to be beneficial. I am extremely excited for our student-athletes and coaching staff as well as appreciative of this opportunity provided by The Members Club and Gamecock athletics.”

The Members Club at Woodcreek & WildeWood President Charley Potok
“The Members Club at Woodcreek & WildeWood is excited to welcome the University of South Carolina men’s and women’s golf teams to the club. We look forward to watching the teams practice and play at what we believe are the two finest courses in the Midlands.”

About The Members Club at Woodcreek & WildeWood
• The Members Club at Woodcreek & WildeWood has been owned and operated by its membership since January 23, 2009.
• The club is celebrating its 40th anniversary next month with WildeWood, which was founded in October 1974. Woodcreek opened in 1996, and the two locations have always operated as one club.
• The Woodcreek facilities total 211 acres, while WildeWood is 161 acres. Both have separate clubhouses, tennis courts and swimming pools.
• Since becoming member owned in 2009, Woodcreek has hosted the following tournaments: The Woodcreek Classic, a NGA Pro Tour event that raises $15,000 per year for the Ronald McDonald House Charity, the SCGA Senior State Amateur Championship (2011), the SCGA State Amateur Championship (2013), the Women’s Trans National Amateur Championship (2012, 2014), the Midlands Chevy Dealers City Golf Tournament (2011, 2014) and various USGA and SCGA Qualifiers.

About the South Carolina Golf Programs
Entering her eighth season, head coach Kalen Harris has led South Carolina women’s golf to seven NCAA regional appearances, including two regional titles (2010, 2012), five-straight trips to the NCAA Championship and a runner-up finish at the 2014 SEC Championship. The Gamecocks did not finish outside the top six at a regular-season tournament last year, finishing in the top five at nine consecutive tournaments for the first time ever.

Under the guidance of head coach Bill McDonald, the South Carolina men’s golf program has won or shared 12 tournament titles, made six NCAA regional appearances and three NCAA Championship appearances, including two straight trips. Last season the Gamecocks finished ninth at the NCAA Championship, which is the second-best finish at the event in program history. During the regular season, the Gamecocks matched the school record with nine top-five finishes in 12 events, including three tournament wins.