The Glenn Davis Golf League has been strengthening Kent State University’s community one putt at a time for 25 years and counting.
For a quarter of a century, the league, which is comprised of Kent State staff and other individuals who have an affiliation with the university, has played a vital role in building a deeper sense of community on and off the green.
Led by Chuck Rickard, the league started in 1998 and was originally named the Kent State Enrollment Management and Student Affairs League, but was renamed for the late Glenn Davis, Kent State’s former registrar and a league member, in 2013.
Ted McKown, senior associate director of transfer enrollment and a member of the league’s management team, led the change.
“I would like to honor Glenn Davis. He was a part of our league for a number of years. Glenn epitomized what the league was all about,” McKown said. “Respecting one another, having fun. He was a great professional.”
For 25 years, the league has been creating a fun, social way for the Kent State community to connect while fostering a competitive spirit on the green.
“Kent State is a big university, there are a lot of employees. I think the league has really accomplished a creative and unique way for Kent State professionals to network with one another. For 25 years, we’ve been doing this, and it's a lot of fun,” McKown said.
Originally, the league played at Kent State’s Golf Course. Since its closure in 2016, the league moved to the Fairways at Twin Lakes. The league is open to all Kent State faculty and staff who are interested in golf. The 2023 season runs May 3 through August 16 and the competition is organized using a points system.
“We play a scramble. So basically there’s four players per team and we play best ball. On a weekly basis, the team with the lowest score gets the highest amount of points that week,” McKown said.
The league also plays specials where team members compete against each other and win points. Teams with the lowest points weekly have the opportunity to win skins.
“There are all different types of ways teams and individuals can receive points,” McKown said. “After we play our last nine in August, we have dinner together and an award ceremony that culminates with the coating of the new champion that wins the league.”
At the end of the season, the winner of the league will receive the green jacket, just like the Masters.
To learn more, please email league management Ted Mckown at tmckown@kent.edu.