Headline: Freshman establishes GV club golf program

Subhead: Club could serve as feeder organization for varsity golf team

By: Steven Garber

[email protected]

When freshman Elliot Blok arrived on campus he had no idea he’d be leading the initiative in bringing a new club to campus. 

At the Campus Life Night event held Sept. 2, Blok saw hundreds of registered student organizations as well as dozens of non-profits and campus resources. But Blok’s eyes saw something noticeably missing and saw a need to step up early at Grand Valley State University.

He started GVSU’s new golf club weeks after the event because he said, “It sucks that we don’t have one.”

“It’s been a lot of work,” Blok said. “It hasn’t been easy.”

Blok picked up golf four years ago while working at The Moors Golf Club throughout high school. Now a freshman at GVSU, he plays in his free time but wanted to engage more with the sport.

He was compelled to bring in something new to expand the growing programs here. He got the idea to start a club from his brother – a med student – who explained to his little brother – a future med student hopeful – that showing initiative on campus would be huge for the younger Blok.

Blok took the advice. He talked with Club Sports Coordinator Eric Garvelink to start on the path to launching the club.

His first task was finding members who could carry the program for years after he leaves.

Despite his desire to see the club grow at GVSU, Blok doesn’t have a goal for numbers, simply saying he wants an avenue for people to compete and enjoy golf.

“I’d just like to get some guys,” he said. “I know there’s a lot of guys out there who don’t play for the team but are good enough who probably enjoy playing.”

The club’s initial member total currently sits around 15. They’ve already begun some club bonding at The Meadows.

“Just maybe once a week we try to go out, but we’re really going to get the rest of it started in the spring,” Blok said.

When spring rolls around, the hope is that the fledging club will get to compete multiple times per weekend.

Dues for the club still have to be calculated. The university covers costs to enter the league, but members’ dues will alleviate the greens fees each person would have had to pay. Dues would be factored by the number of members to start the spring session.

GVSU men’s golf coach Gary Bissell expressed his liking of the new club, saying that it can be viewed almost as a junior varsity team.

“Guys who are willing to pay to play in this sport competitively know they have a serious passion for it,” Bissell said.

Bissell said he’d feel inclined to use the club team to recruit and help build the golf program all around GVSU. He could pitch the club to incoming freshmen athletes who aren’t ready to perform at the varsity level.

For Blok, it’s been a quick process of gaining membership and support: collecting a group to serve as the executive board, creating a constitution and registering the club via OrgSync – but the fruit of Blok’s work is finally complete.

The club will join the National Collegiate Club Golf Association (NCCGA) this spring.