RUTLAND—College of St. Joseph recently added its eighth intercollegiate varsity sport with the launch of men’s golf.
The team began USCAA Division II competition this fall. The addition of a golf program marks the second expansion of the Saints’ athletic offerings in the last year, with women’s volleyball joining the athletic roster last fall.
Green Mountain National Golf Course will serve as the home course for practices and tournaments. Green Mountain National, located in nearby Killington, Vt., is an 18-hole municipal golf course that features panoramic views in a spectacular setting.
“It’s one of the top golf courses in the state of Vermont,” said David Soucy, golf director and general manager at GMNGC. “That will be a draw to some of the players, that they get the chance to play on a course that’s in great condition in a beautiful setting.”
CSJ Athletic Director Jeff Brown will coach the team for their first season before handing the reins to Soucy.
Soucy is an experienced golf professional who has served as general manager of the top-ranked golf course for 11 seasons. Soucy also serves on the New England PGA board and is a past-president of the Vermont PGA. He is the recipient of multiple Professional of the Year honors by the Vermont PGA, and has won over 30 golfing events in Vermont.
“I’m excited that CSJ is committed to golf and I’m looking forward to building a new program,” he said.
Green Mountain National and the town of Killington will also begin offering internships for CSJ students, both at the course running tournaments and helping to oversee daily operations, as well as through other town-led departments including parks and recreation and events and marketing. Soucy also hopes that businesses in Killington will allow students into their establishments to develop their skills.
“There’s the food and beverage aspect at Green Mountain National, then there’s the golf side of it. As a municipal golf course, we also have the town of Killington and will be utilizing some interns there as well,” he said. “We’d also like to see it expand to some of the businesses on the Access Road, as there’s lots of hotels and restaurants up there. We thought it would be a good fit for CSJ interns.”
