News        from ABAC

Michael D. Chason Director of Public Relations ABAC 30 -- 2802 Moore Highway Tifton, GA 31793-2601 Phone 229-391-5055 Fax 229-391-5051 mchason@abac.edu

IMMEDIATE March 26, 2009

ABAC Foundation President Melvin Merrill, Debra Moorman, Dr. Larry Moorman, and ABAC President David Bridges stand on the porch of the clubhouse at Forest Lakes which is now going to be used by Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College.

MOORMANS DONATE CLUBHOUSE AT FOREST LAKES TO ABAC

TIFTON - When Dr. Larry Moorman and his wife, Debra, donated the nine-hole Forest Lakes Golf Course to the ABAC Foundation in 2002, their intent at some point in time was to transition ownership of the Forest Lakes clubhouse to Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College. That time has come.

ABAC President David Bridges announced today that the Tifton ophthalmologist and his wife have fulfilled their commitment.

“Dr. Moorman and Debra had assured us that it was just a matter of time,” Bridges said. “The addition of the clubhouse adds to what has become a very valuable asset to our academic curriculum.”

ABAC students use the 91-acre Forest Lakes course on almost a daily basis in the college’s brand new bachelor’s degree in Turfgrass and Golf Course Management as well as with a variety of other classes as a unique outdoor learning laboratory. Students in programs such as horticulture, agricultural engineering, forestry, wildlife, physical education, and agriculture equipment technology also use the course.

"It's a perfect fit," Moorman said in 2002. "A golf course used for educational purposes is great for the students. It will provide valuable hands-on experience, putting students in real life situations. Actually being on a golf course will give students a totally different perspective than what they learn from text books. I am a big supporter of ABAC, and for me, this donation is all about ABAC”.

The ABAC Public Service and Business Outreach Center uses the course for golf classes for its continuing education programs. Now other programs on campus might be able to make use of the clubhouse.

“There are probably some of our faculty members who can figure out some creative uses for the clubhouse,” Bridges said. “And there are probably some uses for it we haven’t even thought of yet.”   

The ABAC Foundation owns Forest Lakes, and the college is responsible for its management and operation. Dr. Tim Marshall, Dean of the School of Agriculture and Natural Resources, has oversight responsibility for the course, and Golf Course Superintendent John Layton maintains the course on a daily basis.

“The development of a multimedia classroom and other teaching facilities in the clubhouse will allow lecture and application activities on the course, all day rather than a two-hour lab period,” Marshall said.  “This facility will enhance the quality of our programs, which will enhance the value of our graduates to the turfgrass industry.”

ABAC Foundation President Melvin Merrill said "The purpose of the ABAC Foundation is to support the college in any way it can. This outdoor lab and the addition of the clubhouse provide an environment where our students can gain marketable skills. They will have credentials that students at other institutions will not have."

The course also remains open for public play. The par 72 course plays 6,970 yards from the gold tees over 18 holes.

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