In the wake of a roughly three year gap, the golf club is making a triumphant return to Saint Louis University.
While the university once boasted an active golf club, its presence was temporarily stymied by the disruptive force of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The president of the golf club, Rowan Bhagar, desired to play golf when he was a freshman but could not find any club that could help him achieve his goals.
“When I came as a freshman at SLU, I looked to join the golf club, but I couldn’t really find anything that was going on,” Bhagar said. “So now, two years later, I’m trying to get that opportunity back because I know there’s a lot of other students who like to play as well in college.”
Bhagar requested spot funding for the new club through Student Government Association (SGA). Spot funding is a process where SGA lends money to student organizations for different activities to fund and support the club for its endeavors, in this case, it includes practices and tournaments.
In order to receive the funding, the president presented to the SGA senate their action plan, so that the club could start its activities as soon as Spring 2024.
As of Oct. 4, SGA had officially approved the spot funding for the golf club, granting $7,336, although Bhagar originally requested $16,452 to provide an annual budget for the club.
Emma Lercher, the vice president of finance, said that they approved funds to approximately 17 different clubs this year, with a cumulative allocation ranging between $13,000 and $15,000.
“That’s the average [funding] of each club. It depends on the type of club and how they will spend that money,” said Lercher.
According to Lercher, many sport clubs need to travel and join tournaments which often include expenses, while other organizations may only need $100 for their events.
“Club lacrosse, for example, just requested [funding] and they’re getting about $1,300 to go to a tournament in Texas, but a lot of that money is for registration costs and travel,” Lercher said.
The club plans to host and attend two tournaments in the spring semester. As far as practices go, Bhagar believes they will be able to have at least two practices this fall, and a variation of practices in the spring including some range practices.
Members are required to bring their own golf clubs, and it costs $75 to join the club this semester. This fee includes a polo with the SLU club golf logo that Bhagar designed and 3 scheduled team TopGolf outings in the winter.
Bhagar also said, “Instead of scheduled team practices at Forest Park, all club golf members get 50% off to play at Forest Park whenever they want.” This opportunity gives them more flexibility to play whenever they want based on their schedule.
For registration, it is closed this semester, but will open up in January for the spring season. For more information, check out their Instagram @SLUClubGolf.
“Golf isn’t just a sport; it’s a pathway to building a close-knit community.” Bhagar said. “It’s a sport where both novices and seasoned players come together to learn and grow, supporting one another every step of the way.”
