TEMPE, AZ — Home to one of the strongest collegiate golf programs in the country, the ASU Karsten Golf Course is a classic Pete Dye, links-style course set in the shadows of ASU’s Sun Devil Stadium. Awarded 4 1/2 stars by the prestigious Golf Digest Rating Panel, this well maintained and challenging design features Dye’s signature mounding and creative bunkering – making proper club selection essential for low scoring. Top PGA and LPGA TOUR professionals such as Phil Mickelson, Billy Mayfair, Grace Park and Anna Nordqvist have all sharpened their skills at this premier facility.
ASU Karsten Golf Course opened September 15, 1989. No tax dollars or university funds were used to build the golf course, only private funds. The largest single contributor to the project was Karsten Solheim, founder of PING golf equipment. Over the last 20-plus years, more than 1 million rounds have been played on the Pete Dye designed course, including 52,000 by the ASU men’s and ladies golf teams. The golf course was built by the Sun Angel Foundation, is owned by Arizona State University and is managed by Lyon Golf.
Founded in 1947, the Sun Angel Foundation is dedicated to academics and excellence at Arizona State University. In January 1988, ground was broken for the ASU/Karsten Golf Course and the course opened for play in September 1989. Not only have the Sun Angels helped build the ASU/Karsten Golf Course, they were instrumental in building the Sun Angel Clubhouse and the Bob and Karen Hobb’s Player Facility. Designed by Jones Studio and constructed by Homes & Son Contractors, Inc., ASU/Karsten was entirely funded through the Sun Angel Foundation and private contributions. The Collegiate Golf Foundation leases the Karsten facilities from the Arizona Board of Regents and contracts a professional course management company for the day-to-day management activities. ASU/Karsten is self-sustaining with considerable monies reverting back to ASU in support of the golf program and other athletic sports.
One of the strongest collegiate golf programs in the country, the ASU Golf Team has a premier training facility on the ASU Karsten grounds. This facility serves two objectives- for the Sun Devils to sharpen their game and as a strong recruiting tool for top collegiate-entry players. The first college program to win both the Men’s and Women’s NCAA championships in the same season, the teams continue to have laudable success. They remain nationally ranked year after year, and continually produce All-American and future PGA and LPGA Tour stars. These players include LPGA Hall of Fame Joanne Carner, the late Heather Farr, tour event winner Grace Park, ASU All American Billy Mayfair and Masters Champion Phil Mickelson.