SMCC Golf Programs Announce New Practice Facility

The South Mountain Community College men's and women's golf programs and head coach Marcus Smith are excited to announce the creation of a new practice facility on the west side of the SMCC Campus. The facility will provide Cougar golfers with two tee areas to play to three smaller greens and two larger greens, helping them improve multiple aspects of their games.

 

 

The SMCC men's golf program is one of the nation's most successful NJCAA Division II programs. The Cougars have won eight NJCAA Division II National Championships since 2004 (2004, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2019, and 2022) and finished in the top three on multiple occasions, including a third-place finish at the 2025 National Championships.

 

This facility, which will exist within the confines of the current track on the west side of the SMCC campus near the softball field, will provide more practice opportunities for the Cougars, and will help as green fees continue to increase. For now, this area, including the track, will be closed to the public, as assessment, construction and refurbishment of the area continues.

 

The first tee line is a seven-foot by 65-foot box on the north end of the facility, with the second tee line consisting of three extra bays to hit from at a further distance than the first line.  

 

Golfers will have three 10x10-foot target greens, one medium-sized practice green for targets, and one larger practice green for putting and targeting. There will be five chipping platforms throughout the facility so Cougars can practice whatever shot type they like.

 

The facility will also be fully adjustable, so Smith and crew can change the size or location of the greens with minor adjustments. 

 

"This facility will provide our golfers with one of the nation's best on-campus college golf facilities. I think this facility stays true to the traditions and goals of our great programs, and provides our student-athletes with the resources and opportunities to improve and compete at the highest level," said Smith. "It is a testament to SMCC President Dr. Veronica Hipolito and the entire SMCC administration for believing in the development of our student-athletes and supporting Cougar men's and women's golf."

 

SMCC men's golf enters the 2026 spring season with its annual lofty expectations. Sophomore Jorge Parada returns to the squad after earning 2025 NJCAA Division II First Team All-American and Phil Mickelson Freshman of the Year honors. Sophomores PJ Segerstrom, who earned 2025 Honorable Mention NJCAA All-American honors, and Luke Padilla also return to help lead the Cougars.

 

Freshmen Quinton Breuer, Lucian Meller, Cooper Perkinson, Hudson Ross, Ed Wade, and Tyler Weihe have all gained invaluable experience after a competitive 2025 fall slate that saw the team produce four individual medalists, compete in tournaments in New Mexico and Mississippi, and saw sophomore Jack Taylor accept a scholarship to play immediately at Kansas State University.

 

In 2022, SMCC head coach Chelsea Carroll became the first woman head coach to lead an NJCAA men's team to a National Championship. She was featured in the Arizona Republic and on Channel 12 News in Phoenix. Additionally, that season, Cecil Belisle won his second-straight NJCAA Individual National Championship, received the 2022 NJCAA Jack Nicklaus Award, and transferred to the University of Kansas. Carroll is currently an assistant coach for the women's golf team at Grand Canyon University, while Belisle is pursuing a professional career in the sport.

 

Before Belisle, Leon D'Souza became the first golfer to win back-to-back NJCAA Division II men's golf titles since 1993 when he pulled off the feat in 2018 and 2019, earning two-time NJCAA DII Men's Golf All-American honors. He would transfer to the University of Southern California to continue his intercollegiate career. 

 

On the women's side, Smith has helped recalibrate the Cougars' standards, and things are turning around quickly. The team won the 2026 ACCAC Spring Opener on Jan. 27-28 at Tres Rios Golf Course in Goodyear, Ariz., and freshman Lexi Tuinstra took home Individual Medalist honors at +16 (158) with two rounds of eight-over, 79.

 

Tuinstra posted the identical 79s behind some steady play on the links. She closed with four straight pars and totaled 10 overall in her first round, and posted six more on the front nine of her second round. On the back nine, she posted a birdie on the par-three No. 13 and rebounded from a double-bogey on No. 17 to post a par and win the tournament championship on No. 18.

 

"Another great thing about this practice facility is that Cougar golfers will no longer have to leave campus to practice, and I think having them around on campus will only help the camaraderie they develop with their fellow Cougar students and student-athletes," Smith added. "Having us on campus allows people who may not be as familiar with golf learn about the sport, and that can only help grow the game."