Arizona Unveils the William M. "Bill" Clements Golf Center - University of Arizona Athletics (2024)

Mike Christy / Arizona Athletics

Men's Golf 04/19/2024 Arizona Athletics

TUCSON, Ariz. – As Arizona's former Hall of Fame coach Rick LaRose observed, "this beautiful home has been a long time coming." The journey to the opening of the William M. "Bill" Clements Golf Center was decades in the making for a pair of golf programs that have won a combined four national championships. However, the unveiling of the $14.8 million facility at Tucson Country Club was a powerful homecoming moment.

The William M. "Bill" Clements Golf Center was named in honor of philanthropist and community icon Bill Clements who passed away in 1995. The naming gift was given by Ginny L. Clements to recognize her late husband, in this special way, for his generosity to the University of Arizona Golf programs and to Southern Arizona.Ginny L. Clements spoke about the powerful impact of community in her remarks.

"My family and I are truly humbled and overwhelmed by seeing this incredible building dedicated to my late husband and the father of Kimberly and Chris, William M. "Bill" Clements," she said. "He had a motto that he shared on his desk at Golden Eagle Distributors; "Be humble to everyone". And he lived by that motto. Bill was always generous and kind to many organizations in the community, and one of them was the University of Arizona golf programs and his dear friend Rick LaRose. I am incredibly honored to have Bill's name on this amazing building. I want to also thank the many people who helped create this absolutely beautiful facility. Ladies and gentlemen, please enjoy this moment and enjoy this building."

The facility's design is open with an excess of windows for the abundance of natural light. In addition to new locker room spaces, coaching offices and a physio room, the building has a dedicated covered hitting bay adjacent to an outdoor driving range and the Peter and Nancy Salter Short Game Area. The new short game area allows for an abundance of chipping and pitching on an impeccably manicured green. The Furyk Golf Lab features a state-of-the-art projection Putt View technology inside the east side of the facility.

The long-awaited opening of the home of both golf programs left a powerful mark on Arizona Women's Golf's Gile Bite Starkute. A fifth-year senior from Lithuania, Starkute saw the opening of her new home as the realization of many of her dreams.

"I committed to Arizona six years ago, and I knew was going to play for a program of champions and have the opportunity of a lifetime," Starkute said. "We have a team made up of young women from all over the United States and the world, but what brings us together is the heart we all have when we are competing for the University of Arizona. None of our successes and growth would be possible without our community, which is all of you Wildcats."

"You believe in us, invest in our future and education, and support us through our journeys. Now we have this amazing home, and I want to thank all of you for making our dreams come true."

The Champions Room welcomes visitors as they enter the building, displaying the rich tradition of both programs that includes four national championships, 21 conference championships, 129 All-Americans and a litany of other athletic and academic honors. The room's display also includes some open shelves and spaces on display for the future chapters of excellence to be written by both programs. Sam Sommerhauser, a senior on the Arizona Men's Golf team, spoke about the strong community support of both programs.

"I can't thank all of the donors who made this facility a reality enough," he said. "The people of Tucson always support us through our ups and downs. We feel that support as student-athletes and now we can see it represented in this beautiful facility. I want to thank everyone in attendance tonight again for making all of us proud to be Arizona Wildcats."

Part of the design also utilized an open-air layout with large glass doors that can open onto the patio to enjoy Arizona's tremendous weather. A back patio area, the Thunderbirds Courtyard, overlooks the driving range and transitions right into the facility through the wall-sized glass doors.

Members of both programs wasted no time utilizing their facility with Arizona golfers putting inside the Furyk Golf Lab and hitting balls out on the range immediately after the ceremony.