Short Game Training Center

For most golfers, amateurs and professionals alike, the quickest way to shave strokes off the scorecard is to possess a strong short game. The ability to effectively pitch, chip and putt during a round of golf will help keep scores lower. For the members of El Macero Country Club along with the men’s and women’s golf teams at UC Davis, testing their skills on a variety of shots from 40 yards and in has become a part of their practice schedule.

El Macero Country Club has opened a state-of-the-art practice facility featuring two large putting greens, two deep bunkers outfitted with two types of grass – rye and bermuda to help players chip from varying surfaces. The John and Diane Watson Short Game Training Center is a public-private partnership between UC Davis Athletics, El Macero Country Club and Troon Golf and was funded by alumni, families and friends of the UC Davis golf program. John Watson was a third team All American golfer at UC Davis in 1978 and a four year letter winner on the team. He is the former CEO of Chevron and made the naming gift that started this project. A wedge range with numerous targets at multiple distances is also part of the new facility. El Macero Country Club is the home course for the Aggie golf teams.

"One of the values of our Club is that ‘golf is our core passion.’ We want golfers in our region to enjoy the overall golf experience at El Macero and know it is a place to develop their skills. This new quarter of a million dollar short game practice facility is a great example of this. The UC Davis golf supporters contributed to this state-of-the-art training center for the benefit of not only the Aggie golf teams, but for the El Macero CC members as well.”

"This state-of-the-art training facility gives us a customized short-game area that is second to none. Club members and our Aggie team members can go out and spend as much time as needed to work on the shots that ultimately make the most difference in a round of golf -- pitches, chips and putts,” said Coach Williams. "It’s also a wonderful resource and recruiting tool for our golf programs in our ever-continuing efforts to maintain a level of excellence with our golf program.”

The practice putting greens and surrounding areas of the new El Macero Country Club practice facility have been designed with sizable slope and contour to offer golfers challenging shots onto the greens. There are also two teeing areas at the back of the driving range with twelve cement circle targets at various distances. Golfers can hit wedge shots from 30-120 yards out and calibrate their wedge carry distances using the "feedback block” targets, visibly seeing when a ball bounces off the cement target.

"We strongly believe that our new training facilities will attract golfers who value player development and game improvement and moreover, assist the UC Davis golf teams in their overall recruiting process.”