The Wolverine

April 2012

The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports

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Cheryl Stacy said. "The team cama- raderie has already gotten better be- cause they have more time together instead of having some of them here, some of them there. We can all prac- tice in one spot, all at the same time, and we've never had that before." Both Whitten and Stacy believe the new facility will increase their recruit- ing appeal — they've already expe- rienced a dramatic uptick in interest — but the greatest benefit is to the team, and the opportunities provided to the Maize and Blue during harsh winter months. "The putting and chipping green is so nice because it's so big, and the type of grass is very realistic," Stacy said. "When you chip, it reacts like a Bermuda grass in Florida, gives a little bit of a spin to the ball. When we were in the basement last year, you'd chip and it would hit and bounce be- cause there was concrete underneath the turf." "It helps to be on grass every day," Whitten added, "but we can do a lot of things in this facility to help our kids improve regardless of whatever the weather conditions are outside." ❑ ABOVE: The chipping and putting areas are almost four times bigger than what U-M had been using and are designed to mimic reactions of real grass. LEFT: The facility occupies land in the southwest corner of the U-M Golf Course, near the corner of Ann Arbor-Saline Road and S. Main. LEFT: Head coaches Chris Whitten and Cheryl Stacy can use video equipment in the largest and final driving range bay to capture and analyze their athletes' swings. ABOVE: Heated driving range bays afford the Maize and Blue the opportunity to hit golf balls during the cold winter months. ABOVE RIGHT: The facility includes coaches' offices and locker rooms for both the men's and women's teams. APRIL 2012 THE WOLVERINE 89

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