Feb. 6, 2007

CLEVELAND - Canterbury Golf Club, which is of one of the most prestigious and storied golf courses in the nation, will serve as the home of the Cleveland State men's and women's golf teams thanks to a recent partnership between the Club and the CSU Athletics Department.

"It's a great honor for our student-athletes to be able to practice and play on a daily basis on one of the top courses in the country," CSU head coach Brian Varsey said. "The course is extremely well conditioned and has great practice facilities. The membership has always been very supportive of the community and we are pleased to have been extended this invitation."

Canterbury, which is located in Beachwood, less than 10 miles from downtown Cleveland, has hosted 13 major tournaments and championships since its founding in 1921 and is a fixture in Golf Digest's yearly rankings of the nation's Top 100 Courses. Among the major championships that called Canterbury home were the 1940 and 1946 U.S. Opens, a pair of U.S. Amateurs (1964 and 1979), the 1973 PGA Championship and the 1996 U.S. Senior Open.

"I think this partnership will expose the student-athletes in this area to a great venue as well as allowing the membership at Canterbury to give back to the greater Cleveland area," Canterbury Golf Chairman Craig Bashein said. "Ultimately, Canterbury would like to build a relationship with an eye towards hosting an NCAA Regional and possibly the NCAA Championship."

The par 72 course plays 6,942 yards from the tips and features one of the toughest closing four-hole stretches anywhere.

The Vikings open the Spring portion of their schedule on Mar. 12-13 at the Butler North/South Invitational in Jacksonville, Fla.