ABAC President Mike Vollmer said the college will put the course to immediate use in the golf club management major as a unique outdoor learning laboratory. He said the course will also be used in many other programs, such as horticulture, agricultural engineering, forestry, wildlife, physical education, youth connection, agriculture equipment technology, and golf turf management.
"Through the Moormans' generous gift, we will be able to provide our students with the very best in learning and real world experience," Vollmer said. "It's one thing to talk about how to manage a golf course. It's quite another to actually go to that course and put theory into practice."
Moorman said he and his wife decided to donate the golf course to ABAC because it will work well with the college's golf club and turf programs.
"It's a perfect fit," Moorman said. "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 Foundation will lease Forest Lakes to ABAC for $1 per year, and the college will be responsible for its management and operation. Dr. Larry Allen, Chair of the Division of Agriculture and Forest Resources, will be in charge of the course. To emphasize the significance of the project, Allen and his faculty members devised an educational model that demonstrated to the ABAC Foundation exactly how the golf course will benefit students.
Ray Jensen, Chair of the ABAC Foundation's Finance and Investment Committee, said the course will put ABAC students way ahead of the game.
"By having this golf course, students will gain practical, hands-on experience," Jensen, whose background includes years of work in the turf industry, said. "Their experience will not just be theoretical, consisting of what they have learned in the classroom, they will also gain experience working on a golf course. There is no substitute for this kind of experience. When they get a job, they'll have the practical knowledge to go right to work."
ABAC Foundation Chair Carolyn Branch said the Foundation is very excited about the contribution.
"Forest Lakes will be an asset to ABAC and a great teaching tool for the students," Branch said. "The Foundation wishes to extend our thanks and appreciation to Dr. Moorman for this generous gift."
ABAC Foundation President Melvin Merrill added, "The purpose of the ABAC Foundation is to support the college in any way it can. This outdoor lab will provide an environment where our students can gain marketable skills. They will have credentials that students at other institutions will not have."
Allen said the course will remain open for public play. Former ABAC golf coach Wayne Cooper now manages the day-to-day operations of the course.
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