University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
New Home for Southern Miss Golf, Giddis Golf Center, Set for Completion This Summer
2/1/2024 8:40:00 AM | Men's Golf, Women's Golf
HATTIESBURG, Miss. – A new era for Southern Miss golf is set to take place this summer with the addition of a new golf facility, the Giddis Golf Center, which is currently being built at the Hattiesburg Country Club.
Codaray Construction is building the 3,500 square foot facility on the north end of the Hattiesburg Country Club, located five miles northwest of the Golden Eagle campus, and will include three hitting bays and office spaces.
The facility also will feature an indoor putting studio with full club repair capabilities, a teaching bay to feature fitting equipment, as well as video swing analysis software and TrackMan in each hitting bay. The addition of a new tee box on the west side of the golf center will also take place, expanding the driving range distance to 340 yards.
The facility is named after lead donors Kevin and Sareh Giddis. Kevin Giddis, who signed to play golf at Southern Miss in 1979 for coach Danny Montgomery and whose collegiate career was hampered due to injury, is a retired financial service professional and a 1983 graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi with a B.B.A. in Banking and Finance.
"We are thrilled to play a role in the construction of the golf center," said Kevin Giddis. "It is our hope that this 'state of the art' facility will entice student-athletes around the world to come to Southern Mis and build on what is becoming one of the best golf programs in the country."
The long-time supporters of Southern Miss Golf also donated to the teams' practice facility, The Judson Center.
"For many years, our top priority has been to raise funds for the construction of a golf center," said Brescher. "After years of work, that dream is becoming a reality. This is a fantastic day for Southern Miss Golf. The addition of the Giddis Golf Center is going to be a tremendous asset to our team's future success. We will be able to operate as a top-notch golf program and properly train our players while making sure their equipment is dialed in for elite performance. We are beyond excited to call this golf center home and would like to thank Kevin Giddis and family for their lead donation and belief in our vision for Southern Miss Golf."
Southern Miss Director of Athletics Jeremy McClain echoed these sentiments and gives both a thank you to the donors that helped fund this project, as well as the members of the athletic department staff who worked tirelessly in helping to see this project come to fruition.
"Thank you to Sareh and Kevin Giddis for their generosity and their investment in our student-athletes," said McClain. "This golf center will be a game changer for our men's and women's golf programs. This project has been a priority for so many people close to our program, and we are thankful for the many donors who stepped up to help make it happen. We look forward to celebrating them all later in the year at our ribbon-cutting ceremony."
The facility construction is made possible by the continued partnership between Southern Miss and the staff of the Hattiesburg Country Club who make the facility and home course for the men's and women's golf programs one of the best in the state.
"We would also like to thank the staff at Hattiesburg Country Club for their continued support of Southern Miss Golf," said Brescher. "Frank Ogletree and his staff do a tremendous job maintaining HCC and The Judson year-round."
The Hattiesburg County Club is listed as the No. 1 private course in Mississippi via the 2023 Golfweek State Course rankings.
Gallery: (2-1-2024) Giddis Golf Center Designs
Codaray Construction is building the 3,500 square foot facility on the north end of the Hattiesburg Country Club, located five miles northwest of the Golden Eagle campus, and will include three hitting bays and office spaces.
The facility also will feature an indoor putting studio with full club repair capabilities, a teaching bay to feature fitting equipment, as well as video swing analysis software and TrackMan in each hitting bay. The addition of a new tee box on the west side of the golf center will also take place, expanding the driving range distance to 340 yards.
The facility is named after lead donors Kevin and Sareh Giddis. Kevin Giddis, who signed to play golf at Southern Miss in 1979 for coach Danny Montgomery and whose collegiate career was hampered due to injury, is a retired financial service professional and a 1983 graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi with a B.B.A. in Banking and Finance.
"We are thrilled to play a role in the construction of the golf center," said Kevin Giddis. "It is our hope that this 'state of the art' facility will entice student-athletes around the world to come to Southern Mis and build on what is becoming one of the best golf programs in the country."
The long-time supporters of Southern Miss Golf also donated to the teams' practice facility, The Judson Center.
"For many years, our top priority has been to raise funds for the construction of a golf center," said Brescher. "After years of work, that dream is becoming a reality. This is a fantastic day for Southern Miss Golf. The addition of the Giddis Golf Center is going to be a tremendous asset to our team's future success. We will be able to operate as a top-notch golf program and properly train our players while making sure their equipment is dialed in for elite performance. We are beyond excited to call this golf center home and would like to thank Kevin Giddis and family for their lead donation and belief in our vision for Southern Miss Golf."
Southern Miss Director of Athletics Jeremy McClain echoed these sentiments and gives both a thank you to the donors that helped fund this project, as well as the members of the athletic department staff who worked tirelessly in helping to see this project come to fruition.
"Thank you to Sareh and Kevin Giddis for their generosity and their investment in our student-athletes," said McClain. "This golf center will be a game changer for our men's and women's golf programs. This project has been a priority for so many people close to our program, and we are thankful for the many donors who stepped up to help make it happen. We look forward to celebrating them all later in the year at our ribbon-cutting ceremony."
The facility construction is made possible by the continued partnership between Southern Miss and the staff of the Hattiesburg Country Club who make the facility and home course for the men's and women's golf programs one of the best in the state.
"We would also like to thank the staff at Hattiesburg Country Club for their continued support of Southern Miss Golf," said Brescher. "Frank Ogletree and his staff do a tremendous job maintaining HCC and The Judson year-round."
The Hattiesburg County Club is listed as the No. 1 private course in Mississippi via the 2023 Golfweek State Course rankings.
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