By: Ashlee Hall, Vallo Vision News
Rumors about plans for the Montevallo golf course have been circling the community ever since the course closed last summer. After careful consideration and many meetings with different officials, the university has decided to transform it into something that can directly benefit university students and the Montevallo community: a facility for the school’s new off-road cycling team.
History of the Montevallo golf course
The Montevallo golf course was owned by the University of Montevallo but was managed by the city. Since it was not being utilized by many UM students or community residents the school decided, as a last ditch effort, to hire an outside company to come in and run the course. Even after hiring outside management, it was still not an adequate course for the university golf team to use as their home course.
After analyzing the finances of the course and weighing the risks, “we made the very difficult decision to close it down as a golf course”, says University of Montevallo President, John Stewart.
Start up of the UM off-road cycling team
After making the decision to close down the golf course, the university decided on the idea of adding an off-road cycling team. According to the new teams head coach, Dr. Shawn Mitchell, the team is something he has been wanting start for a while. To get the team officially started, Dr. Mitchell has been busy recruiting team members from high schools and other universities, getting a license for team as well as getting certified with USA cycling. The team is set to start the fall semester of 2022.
To recruit team members, Dr. Mitchell has been traveling to high schools in the surrounding area, attend race events and invite the athletes to tour campus. Once the student commits they will be added to the USA cycling registrar and to the team’s roster. Currently there are five committed team members and four potential members. “I am hoping to have around 12 to 15 this first year”, says Dr. Mitchell.
Dr. Mitchell’s hopes for this team is to boost enrollment for the university and bring a diverse sport to the school. The team will offer spots for both men and women and will be a varsity sport, which means that members will be offered scholarships and have six years of eligibility. The team will also be apart of the Outdoor Scholars program.
To prepare the golf course for the cycling team, as of right now, not much construction has to be done. According to Dr. Mitchell some trees will have to be cleared and a few trails laid out but the cyclists will ride on the course as it is now.
The team will utilizing the golf clubhouse and golf cart shop. The clubhouse will serve as a lounge and meeting place for the team and the golf cart shop will be used as a bike shop where each team member will have their own stall for their bike.
Serving the community
A reason for closing down the golf course was that it was not benefiting the community but after this change it will benefit the university and the community. Not only will the property serve as a course for the cycling team but it will also include walking trails, a birding station and a driving range that are open to the public.
The biking trails, walking trails, birding station and driving range will all be open to the public. The birding station will include signs throughout the trails that will highlight the wildlife that is in the area.
When the cycling team hosts tournaments it will bring to the city of Montevallo and surrounding areas. Visitors will stay at surrounding hotels and eat at local restaurants which will boost the local economy.
So what makes this new team so special? “It offers something totally different to our students, men and women who want to participate in something healthy and outdoors. It just sings Montevallo and compliments us so well while also benefiting the community”, says President Stewart.
For more information on the off-road cycling team, visit the link below.
Vallo Vision News 