York College adds new sport for first time in 12 years

• York College will offer women's golf starting in the fall of 2017.
• The new team will compete at the Country Club of York
• With the addition of women's golf, York wil offer 23 varsity sports.

The York College athletic department is adding its first new sport in a dozen years.

Women's golf will become the school's 23rd varsity sport starting in the fall of 2017.

Paul Saikia, York's assistant dean for athletics and recreation, announced the addition on Wednesday.

The Spartans will now have 12 women's varsity sports to go along with 11 men's varsity programs. The last program to be added to the department came in 2005 when women's lacrosse was elevated to varsity status for the 2006 season.

The Spartan women's golfers will compete immediately for a Capital Athletic Conference championship. The league will sponsor a women's golf championship in the spring of 2018. At the present time, the CAC will feature Christopher Newport, Mary Washington, York, and Marymount in the first championship tournament. York, CNU and Mary Washington will each offer golf for the first time as a varsity sport, while Marymount will be in its third year with varsity golf. The conference field, however, will likely include more schools. A number of  the other CAC institutions are in the early stages of adding women's golf.

"We are thrilled to be growing Spartan athletics with the addition of women's golf," Saikia said in a news release. "This is not only an enhancement to our women's sports program, but it puts us in a position to give both of our golf teams appropriate attention and resources. It is important to us as we continue to build York College intercollegiate athletics that we match the breadth of our offerings with quality. I believe we have the potential to become highly competitive in golf, on both sides."

The Spartans will call the Country Club of York their home course. The course was designed by famed architect Donald J. Ross and opened in 1928. The course's classic layout features 59 deep-faced bunkers and signature Ross-styled green complexes. The course plays at 6,359 yards from the white tees with a rating of 77.6 and a slope of 137 for the women.

York College athletes honored for academic excellence

Saikia is currently in the process of hiring a new full-time golf coach. The new coach will direct both the men's and the women's programs.

Matt Hunter, who is the York College men's basketball coach, has also served as the Spartans' men's coach for the last four years.

OTHER GOLF

Ace at Honey Run: Bill Traum had a hole-in-one recently at Honey Run Golf Club.

Traum used a 9-iron to ace the 110-yard 12th hole.

It was witnessed by Buzz Marsteller, Lee Seitz and Larry Lower.