Men's Golf Ready for Travel Upgrade
Program enters Spring season with new customized van for travel
Luke Murphy, Athletics Communications
2/5/2020
CHICAGO – Next time the DePaul golf team pulls up to an event, you are likely to notice something different.
A beautiful, brand-new Mercedes Benz Sprinter became the official home of the Blue Demons on the road, as DePaul golf traded in their old wheels for a chrome finished van, adorned with the school’s logo and the Blue Demons’ classic Royal Blue and Scarlet color way. The inside of the van comes outfitted with cushioned captain seats and a satellite TV, not to mention state of the art safety features and gas mileage double that of the team’s old van.
Speaking with head coach Marty Schiene, the former PGA tour participant and NCAA All-American, detailed the fundraising effort that went into the acquisition of the van.
“The staff from development, Bryan Duby and Thad Dohrn, led the effort and reached out to alumni to help with the fundraising,” Schiene said. "We got quite a few contributions for it, some were given anonymously, but I think the alumni and the guys that have spent a lot of times in the vans probably knew what that’s like and tried to make it better for the next generation of guys.”
For Schiene, the upgrade will have ramifications beyond style points as the new van promises to have an impact on recruiting efforts, while also making it easier for golf student-athletes to stay on top of their classes on long road trips.
“I think it will help in recruiting,” Coach Schiene said. “Certainly, when we bring recruits on campus and show them the van. A lot of other golf teams in the BIG EAST have a similar van, so it puts us on an even playing field with them. And then they’ll [the players on the team will] be more efficient as student-athletes. They’ll be able to plug into Wi-Fi, do their work in the van when we’re taking the ride back and forth to practice, and it’ll just make the student-athlete experience better.”
Schiene’s message was echoed by his two captains, junior Perry Chong and sophomore Campbell Wolf, as both student-athletes noticed an immediate improvement with the new van.
For Chong, upgrading the commuting experience for a team that spends so much time on the road, has been invaluable.
“Our previous vans were GMC vans,” Chong said. "They were really little, our golf clubs barely fit into the back and it was a rough ride to get from point A to point B. Our golf course is pretty far, it’s like 45 minutes away so now that we have a newer van it is much bigger, more space, more durable and it just makes the ride nicer. We have a TV in the back, we have a really nice sound system, some wooden floors, so it makes the ride more luxurious and more compatible.
“[To upgrade the commute to tournaments] It can do a lot,” Chong continued. "Especially because we are on the road a lot, with our Fall season we drive a lot, and so I think it’s just nicer to have that space where you can take out your laptop, charge your phone, charge your laptop. It’s easier for us to do homework, because when we leave, we’re on the road for four, five days. We miss class here and there, so it’s just nice to have the chance to do our homework.”
Speaking with Wolf, the sophomore captain predicted an increase in not only comfort and connectivity, but also performance thanks to the new van.
“Obviously golf travels the most out of any sport, just because we play year-round and how long our events are,” Wolf said. “So not only will it help our academics with not falling behind, it will help because we were super crammed in the other van and so we used to be super tight when we got out of it, and so it should help our performance too. Just being able to lay out, and that sort of thing, it should help our on-course performance and our classroom performance.”
Ultimately, in the months ahead, as the long hours of travel add up, it will become clear just how much of an upgrade DePaul golf received with its sleek, stylish new pair of wheels. Whether it be the ability to connect to Wi-Fi, stretch out their legs, or tune into the big PGA golf tournament taking place, the impact of the new van will make itself felt on DePaul golfers in the years to come.
Now, for players like Wolf, it’s all about the experiences and memories coming up in the fast approaching Spring season. With one less obstacle in their way, the new van will help ensure Chong, Wolf and the rest of DePaul golf can focus on what they do best: playing golf.
