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Inside one of the best practice facilities in all of college golf

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Papago Golf Course is the home to the Arizona State Sun Devils golf team — and it's one of the coolest facilities in college golf.

The Arizona State Sun Devils count themselves as one of the premier programs in all of college golf. The program has won 10 national titles between its men’s and women’s teams, and counts players like Jon Rahm , Paul Casey and Anna Nordqvist as alums. Suffice to say, there aren’t many universities that have found more success on the golf course than Arizona State.

That success has led to plenty of investment in the program, and as a result, the Sun Devils have one of the best practice facilities in all of college golf. Located at Papago Golf Course, the Thunderbirds Golf Complex is the home to the Sun Devils men’s and women’s teams — and it’s quite a sight to behold.

Their beloved California muni was dying. They resolved to save it

The teams moved into the 7,000-square-foot facility in 2019 and it’s packed with awesome amenities. The interior features men’s and women’s locker rooms, a fitness center, lounge, offices, study rooms and hitting bays, and it has a spot to feature all the hardware the Sun Devils earn on the course.

But the fun doesn’t stop there. Outside, there’s a a 22,000-square-foot practice range designed by the Sun Devils’ most famous alum, Phil Mickelson. With all these bells and whistles, it’s amazing that any of the golfers ever pull themselves away to go to class.

Check out an entire tour of the facility from the GOLF Subpar crew in the video below.

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Zephyr Melton is an assistant editor for GOLF.com where he spends his days blogging, producing and editing. Prior to joining the team at GOLF, he attended the University of Texas followed by stops with the Texas Golf Association, Team USA, the Green Bay Packers and the PGA Tour. He assists on all things instruction and covers amateur and women’s golf. He can be reached at [email protected].

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This is Sun Devil Women’s Golf

Asu women's golf by the numbers.

8 – NCAA Team Championships 5 – Pac-12 Golfers of the Year 5 – Honda Award Winners 4 – Women’s Golf Coaches Association (WGCA) Freshman of the Year 5 – Women’s Golf Coaches Association (WGCA) Player of the Years 10 – Individual National Champions 17 – Conference Medalists 16 – Conference Team Championships 35 NCAA Championship Appearances (Most All-Time) 27 Consecutive Regional Appearance (T-Most All-Time)

Individual National Champions (10)

2017: Monica Vaughn 2008: Azahara Muñoz 1999: Grace Park 1995: Kristel Mourgue d’Algue 1994: Emilee Klein  1985: Danielle Ammaccapane 1970: Cathy Gaughan 1969: Jane Bastanchury-Booth 1962: Carol Sorenson 1960: Joanne Gunderson-Carner

Sun Devil Golf History

In fall 2018, Sun Devil Athletics unveiled its new state-of-the-art practice facility and the new home for Sun Devil Golf at Papago Golf Course. The Thunderbirds organization, who are committed to investing and growing the game of golf in Arizona, made a generous commitment to the new facility, which is named The Thunderbirds Golf Complex.   The Thunderbirds Golf Complex, designed by Douglas Fredrickson Architects and built by Rummel Contruction Inc., is a 7,000-square foot facility featuring a grand entry lobby, national championship displays, a team gym and locker rooms for both men's and women's teams, a fueling station, study lounge, team lounge, indoor hitting bays and more.

Producing Pros

Arizona State is known for its dominance in collegiate women’s golf but it is also known for its prowess for preparing and turning out some of the top golfers on the professional circuit. The list of LPGA professionals from ASU is infinite, but recent Sun Devil golfers to find success at the professional level are 2010 LPGA Rookie of the Year Azahara Muñoz, 2009 LET Rookie of the Year and LPGA Major Championship winner Anna Nordqvist, 2012 LET Rookie of the Year and earnings winner Carlota Ciganda. Since 2009, six Sun Devil golfers have reached the LPGA tour (Nordqvist, Munoz, Ciganda, Jennifer Johnson, Jaclyn Sweeney, and Giulia Molinaro).

Sun Devils in the LPGA

Danielle Ammaccapane Brandie Burton JoAnne Carner Carlota Ciganda Michelle Estill Heather Farr Amy Fruhwirth Jennifer Johnson

Jimin Kang Emilee Klein Lauri Merten Alice Miller Giulia Molinaro Azahara Muñoz Anna Nordqvist Juliana Murcia Ortiz

Grace Park Pearl Sinn Louise Stahle Linnea Strom Jaclyn Sweeney Tina Tombs Wendy Ward Heather Bowie Young

In addition to prioritizing success on the course, Coach Farr-Kaye puts an emphasis on success in the classroom. The Sun Devils have a long list of Academic All-Americans, detailed below. ASU also held the monopoly on the Edith Cummings Munson Award, given nationally to the highest achieving golfer athletically and academically, for three straight years as Azahara Munoz became the first back-to-back winner in 2008-09, followed by Julianna Murcia in 2010.

Also dominant in the Pac-12 Conference academically, Munoz (’09), Murcia (’10), Giulia Molinaro (’12), Noemi Jimenez (’15), and Roberta Liti ('18) each received the Pac-12 Scholar-Athlete award for their achievements in the athletic and academic arenas.

Academic All-Americans (51 since 2003)

• Sofia Anokhina (WGCA)
• Olivia Mehaffey (WGCA)
• Alexandra Forsterling (WGCA)
• Madison Kerley (WGCA)
• Sophia Zeeb (WGCA)
• Roberta Liti (WGCA)
• Monica Vaughn (WGCA)
• Madison Kerley (NGCA)
• Roberta Liti (NGCA)
• Sophia Zeeb (NGCA)
• Monica Vaughn (NGCA)
• Ashleigh Greenham (NGCA)
• Emilie Alonso (NGCA)
• Noemi Jimenez (NGCA)
• Emilie Alonso (WGCA)
• Noemi Jimenez (WGCA)
• Justine Lee (WGCA)
• Daniela Ordonez (WGCA)

Coaching Staff

In June 2015, Missy Farr-Kaye was named the 10th head coach of the then-seven-time NCAA champion Arizona State women’s golf team after serving for 15 years as an assistant and associate head coach under Melissa Luellen. In 2017, Farr-Kaye led the Sun Devils to their nation-leading eighth NCAA title and was named National Coach of the Year, as well as Regional and Pac-12 Coach of the Year.

“This is my dream job in every sense of the word,” said Farr-Kaye. “To become the head women’s golf coach of my alma mater is the pinnacle of my career and I have a personal, vested interest in the success of our program. Our goal is to continue to bring home the national title year in, year out. Arizona State has championship expectations and I intend to deliver.”

An accomplished golfer in her own right, Farr-Kaye was a member of the Sun Devil golf team under Hall of Fame head coach Linda Vollstedt and helped Arizona State bring home its first of seven NCAA titles as a senior in 1990. Farr-Kaye graduated from Arizona State in 1990 with a degree in organizational communications.

In November 2016, Farr-Kaye hired former Sun Devil teammate Michelle Estill as assistant coach. Farr-Kaye and Estill were teammates under legendary head coach Linda Vollstedt and Estill graduated from ASU with a B.S. in Business Management in 1989. After ASU, Estill was the 1991 LPGA Rolex Rookie of the Year and has made many contributions to the association as a playing member (1991-2006), as well as on the Board of Directors and Executive Committee (1996-98), and as President (1998).

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Installation is underway at the new Phil Mickelson-designed ASU Men’s and Women’s Golf Team practice facility!

Celebrity greens completed phase 1 of the new phil mickelson designed papago golf facility for the arizona state university men’s and womens’ golf teams we just completed the 8 target greens and the tee line is next.

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Phil mickelson to design arizona state's short-game facility, other plans revealed for papago golf course, share this article.

Plans for a new practice facility, including a short-game area designed by Phil Mickelson, were among improvement projects recently announced for Papago Golf Course in Tempe, Ariz.

Arizona State signed a 30-year agreement to use Papago as its home for its men’s and women’s golf teams. The school’s current home course, Karsten Golf Course, which is part of a development deal by the athletic department to help pay for other projects.

The practice facility will include 6,750 square feet of air-conditioned space and 2,400 of exterior covered space, plus the short-game area and a driving range. Arizona State golf coaches Matt Thurmond and Missy Farr-Kaye will also be part of the design team.

“Arizona State’s facility is going to be home to the single-greatest short game training space in the country,” Mickelson said.

Papago will also be getting a new clubhouse, with construction on that schedule for June. Ground will also be broken this year on the practice facility.

“I am very excited to see the Papago project come to life,” Farr-Kaye said. “We have spent a great deal of time designing a complex to allow our student-athletes to have a place where they can train to become the best golfers in the world.”

Said Thurmond: “Our new practice facility won’t be like any other university’s practice facility. … PGA Tour players will train here, and recruits will have a very hard time passing up the opportunity to make it their home.”

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Grayson Murray dies at age 30 a day after withdrawing from Colonial, PGA Tour says

FILE -Grayson Murray holds the trophy after winning the Sony Open golf event, Sunday, Jan. 14, 2024, at Waialae Country Club in Honolulu. Two-time PGA Tour winner Grayson Murray died Saturday morning, May 25, 2024 at age 30, one day after he withdrew from the Charles Schwab Cup Challenge at Colonial(AP Photo/Matt York, File)

FILE -Grayson Murray hits off the 18th tee during the first round of the PGA Zurich Classic golf tournament at TPC Louisiana in Avondale, La., Thursday, April 20, 2023. Two-time PGA Tour winner Grayson Murray died Saturday morning, May 25, 2024 at age 30, one day after he withdrew from the Charles Schwab Cup Challenge at Colonial. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert, File)

FILE -Grayson Murray celebrates winning the Sony Open golf event, Sunday, Jan. 14, 2024, at Waialae Country Club in Honolulu. Two-time PGA Tour winner Grayson Murray died Saturday morning, May 25, 2024 at age 30, one day after he withdrew from the Charles Schwab Cup Challenge at Colonial. (AP Photo/Matt York, File)

Grayson Murray hits from the fairway on the 10th hole during the first round of the PGA Championship golf tournament at the Valhalla Golf Club, Thursday, May 16, 2024, in Louisville, Ky. (AP Photo/Matt York)

FILE -Grayson Murray watches his tee shot on the third hole during the final round of the PGA Championship golf tournament at the Quail Hollow Club Sunday, Aug. 13, 2017, in Charlotte, N.C. Two-time PGA Tour winner Grayson Murray died Saturday morning, May 25, 2024 at age 30, one day after he withdrew from the Charles Schwab Cup Challenge at Colonial.(AP Photo/Chuck Burton, File)

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Two-time PGA Tour winner Grayson Murray died Saturday morning at age 30, one day after he withdrew from the Charles Schwab Cup Challenge at Colonial.

There were no immediate details on the circumstances of his death, only shock and grief from the PGA Tour and his management team.

“I am at a loss for words,” PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan said. “The PGA Tour is a family, and when you lose a member of your family, you are never the same. We mourn Grayson and pray for comfort for his loved ones.”

His management company, GSE Worldwide, confirmed the death and said it was heartbroken.

“We will hold off on commenting until we learn further details, but our heart aches for his family, his friends and all who loved him during this very difficult time,” GSE said in a statement.

Monahan said he spoke with Murray’s parents to offer condolences, and they asked that the tournament in Fort Worth, Texas, continue.

He said grief counselors would be on site at the PGA Tour and Korn Ferry Tour event in Knoxville, Tennessee. Monahan headed to Texas and later appeared on CBS as the third round was ending.

“To see the devastation on the faces of every player coming in is really difficult to see and really just profound,” Monahan said. “Grayson was a remarkable player, but he was a very courageous man. I’ve always loved that about him.”

Murray, who had dealt with alcohol and mental health issues in the past, made a massive turnaround this year and won the Sony Open , hitting wedge to 3 feet for birdie on the final hole to get into a playoff and winning it with a 40-foot putt.

He also won the Barbasol Championship in 2017.

“It was a huge shock. My heart sank,” said Webb Simpson, who learned of Murray’s death shortly before teeing off at Colonial. He said Murray was the first winner of his junior tournament and they shared the same swing coach as juniors.

“I just hate it so much,” Simpson said. “I’m going to miss him. I’m thankful he was in the place with his faith before this morning happened.”

Murray was No. 58 in the world rankings coming off a tie for 43rd in the PGA Championship last week at Valhalla. He also made the cut in his Masters debut, finishing 51st, and was in the field for the U.S. Open next month at Pinehurst No. 2.

Murray, who grew up in North Carolina, was among the most talented juniors in the country. He won the prestigious Junior World Championship in San Diego three straight years and earned the Arnold Palmer Scholarship at Wake Forest.

He wound up going to three colleges, lastly at Arizona State, and won as a 22-year-old PGA Tour rookie at the Barbasol Championship.

Murray said in January that he had been sober for eight months, was engaged to be married, had become a Christian and felt his best golf was ahead of him. He was appointed to the 16-member Player Advisory Council.

“My story is not finished. I think it’s just beginning,” Murray said in Hawaii. “I hope I can inspire a lot of people going forward that have their own issues.”

Murray said he used to drink during tournament weeks as a rookie because he knew he had talent and felt he was invincible. He also brought attention to himself through social media, openly criticizing other players and getting into one social media spat with Kevin Na over Na’s reputation as a slow player.

But he felt like he turned the corner when he sought help — letting others fight for him, is how he explained it this year.

“It took me a long time to get to this point,” Murray said in January. “That was seven years ago, over seven years ago. I’m a different man now. I would not be in this position right now today if I didn’t put that drink down eight months ago.”

Peter Malnati played with Murray at Colonial. He offered to go on the CBS telecast Saturday afternoon and immediately broke down trying to talk about him.

“It’s a huge loss for all of us on the PGA Tour,” Malnati said. “As much as we want to beat each other, we’re one big family, and we lost one today. It’s terrible.”

This story has been corrected to show that Murray won the Barbasol Championship in 2017, not last year.

AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf

Cyndi Lauper bringing 2024 farewell tour to Phoenix. How to get tickets to her concert

Cyndi Lauper is bringing her farewell tour to Footprint Center in downtown Phoenix on Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024.

Produced by Live Nation, the 23-city Girls Just Wanna Have Fun Farewell Tour is Lauper’s first major headlining tour in a decade.

The tour begins on Oct. 18 in Montreal, Quebec, with stops across North America from Lauper’s hometown, New York City, where she’s scheduled to play a show at the iconic Madison Square Garden, to Boston, Nashville, Los Angeles and more before wrapping in Chicago on Dec. 5.

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Throughout the tour, Lauper will be joined by special guests to be revealed at a later date.

How to get tickets to Cyndi Lauper's 2024 Farewell Tour in Phoenix

Tickets will be available starting with an artist presale beginning Tuesday, June 4. Additional presales will run throughout the week ahead of the general on-sale beginning at 10 a.m. Friday, June 7, at LiveNation.com .

Fans can also purchase VIP Packages, which may include premium tickets, a guided backstage tour, a pre-show VIP Lounge, an exclusive tour poster and more. For more information, visit vipnation.com .

Cyndi Lauper 2024 Farewell Tour news arrives alongside documentary

The announcement of Lauper’s farewell tour arrives alongside “Let the Canary Sing,” a feature-length documentary exploring her extraordinary life and career.

The documentary will premiere exclusively on Paramount+ in the U.S. and Canada on Tuesday, June 4.

Cyndi Lauper to be honored at TCL Chinese Theatre Hollywood

In celebration of the tour and film, Lauper will be honored with an imprint ceremony at the prestigious TCL Chinese Theatre Hollywood on Tuesday, June 4, in Los Angeles.

A special private screening of the film at the TCL Chinese Theatre will follow that evening, along with a Q&A.

Lauper will also be a guest on Jimmy Kimmel Live! this Wednesday, June 5 (ABC, 11:35 p.m. ET/8:35 p.m. PT), to talk about her farewell tour and “Let the Canary Sing.”

Cyndi Lauper documentary 'Let the Canary Sing' premiered at Tribeca

Directed by Emmy-winning documentarian Alison Ellwood, “Let the Canary Sing” premiered at the 2023 Tribeca Festival. 

Produced by Fine Point Films and Sony Music Entertainment in association with Concord Originals, the film chronicles Lauper’s meteoric ascent to stardom and her profound impact on generations through her music, ever-evolving style, unwavering feminism and tireless advocacy.

The documentary takes the audience on an engaging exploration of a renowned and pioneering artist who has left a remarkable legacy with her art.

Cyndi Lauper's hit songs include 'Time After Time' and 'True Colors'

Legacy Recordings, the catalog division of Sony Music Entertainment, has released a companion product to the documentary of the same name. The “Let the Canary Sing” album is a career-spanning collection that follows Lauper’s career, available now on vinyl and as a digital expanded edition.

Lauper rose to fame in 1983 with "Girls Just Want to Have Fun," the breakthrough single from her iconic debut, "She's So Unusual." Other hits include "Time After Time," "She Bop," "All Through the Night," "The Goonies 'R' Good Enough," "True Colors," "Change of Heart," "What's Going On" and "I Drove All Night."

Lauper is 70 years old. She turns 71 on June 22.

Lauper’s Farewell Tour is directed by Brian Burke and produced and designed in partnership with BrianBurkeCreative and DX7 Design.

Reach the reporter at  [email protected]  or 602-444-4495. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter)  @EdMasley .

Support local journalism.   Subscribe to azcentral.com today.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Cyndi Lauper bringing 2024 farewell tour to Phoenix. How to get tickets to her concert

Golfweek's 30 best Arizona golf courses you can actually play

It's time once again for Golfweek's Best Courses You Can Play annual rankings, as judged by our nationwide network of raters.

The hundreds of members of Golfweek's course-ratings panel continually evaluate courses and rate them on 10 criteria on a points basis of 1 through 10. They also file a single, overall rating on each course. Those overall ratings are averaged to produce all of the Golfweek's Best course rankings.

The courses on the 2024 list allow public access in some fashion, be it standard daily green fees, through a resort, or by staying at an affiliated hotel. If there's a will, there's a tee time – no membership required.

There are a handful of courses on this list that some players might consider to be traditionally private, but they do allow non-hosted, non-member guest play in some limited form, normally through a local hotel or similar arrangement.

All 50 states are represented in the rankings. Go to golfweek.usatoday.com to see them all. Below is the list of the best public-access courses in Arizona for 2024.

1. We-Ko-Pa (Saguaro), Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation

2. Quintero Golf Club, Peoria

3. Wickenburg Ranch (Big Wick), Wickenburg

4. TPC Scottsdale (Stadium), Scottsdale

5. Golf Club at Dove Mountain (Saguaro/Tortolita), Marana

6. Ventana Canyon (Mountain), Tucson

7. Ak-Chin Southern Dunes, Maricopa

8. Grayhawk (Talon), Scottsdale

T9. Troon North (Monument), Scottsdale

T9. We-Ko-Pa (Cholla), Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation

T11. Troon North (Pinnacle), Scottsdale

T11. Grayhawk (Raptor), Scottsdale

13. Laughlin Ranch, Bullhead City

14. Casino del Sol (Sewailo), Tucson

T15. Boulders Resort (North), Carefree

T15. Gold Canyon Golf Resort (Dinosaur Mountain), Gold Canyon

17. Boulders Resort (South), Carefree

18. Whirlwind (Cattail), Chandler

19. Los Caballeros*, Wickenburg

20. TPC Scottsdale (Champions), Scottsdale

21. Las Sendas, Mesa

22. Verrado (Founders), Buckeye

T23. SunRidge Canyon, Fountain Hills

T23. Whirlwind (Devil's Claw), Chandler

25. Longbow, Mesa

26. Legacy, Phoenix

27. Wildfire at JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge (Faldo Championship), Phoenix

T28. Camelback (Ambiente), Scottsdale

T28. Arizona National*, Tucson

30. Wigwam (Gold)*, Litchfield Park

Note: * indicates new or returning to the rankings

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