Purdue News
October 18, 1996
Components of golf course complex named after benefactors
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Purdue University President Steven C. Beering announced today
(Friday, 10/18) that various components of the university's $6.5 million golf complex
will be named after significant contributors to the new complex.
Beering made the announcement during a groundbreaking ceremony that starts the complete
redesign of the 18-hole North Course and improvements to other components of the
golf complex, including the 18-hole South Course.
The official names of the various components:
- The entire golf complex, including the North and South courses, practice range and
associated facilities, will be named the Birck Boilermaker Golf Complex in honor
of Michael and Katherine Birck of Hinsdale, Ill. The couple gave $3 million to the
project. Michael Birck, who received a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from Purdue,
is president, chief executive officer and a founder of Tellabs Inc., Lisle, Ill.
Tellabs makes specialty communications equipment. Katherine Birck, a graduate of
St. Anthony's Nursing School, now part of Indiana State University, is head of nursing
at Hinsdale Women's Clinic.
- The North Course, redesigned by Pete Dye and to be built as a championship course,
will be renamed the Kampen Course in honor of the late Emerson Kampen and his family,
which made a significant gift to the project. Kampen was chairman of Great Lakes
Chemical when he died in June 1995. He was a Purdue trustee from 1990 until his death.
In addition to his wife, Barbara Kampen, other members of the Kampen family are Cynthia
(Kampen) Van Zelst and her husband, David; Douglas and Jan Kampen; Joanie (Kampen)
and Craig Dunham; Laura (Kampen) and Jeff Shiver; Deborah (Kampen) and Steve Smith;
Pamela (Kampen) and Dan Mayes; and Debi Kampen, wife of the late Emerson Kampen II.
- The South Course will be renamed the Ackerman Course for Jim and Lois Ackerman of
Indianapolis, who gave $1 million. Jim Ackerman, a Purdue alumnus, is president of
Cardinal Ventures LLC of Indianapolis, which provides venture capital to entrepreneurs.
He received his bachelor's degree from the School of Agriculture.
- The new clubhouse will be named after Dye, a well-known golf course designer from
Carmel, Ind., who is contributing his design and consulting fees to the project.
Dye has designed more than 60 golf courses worldwide and is known for creating environmentally sensitive courses. He was named Architect of the Year by Golf World Magazine in
1994.
In addition, Beering named the following:
- The Turfgrass Research and Diagnostic Center being built in conjunction with the
North Course project will be named for the late William H. Daniel, Purdue professor
emeritus of agronomy and one of the developers of Prescription Athletic Turf, developed
at Purdue and installed in Ross-Ade Stadium in 1974.
- The cart barn will be named for Melvin L. Ollman, Marco Island, Fla., who has made
gifts-in-kind of construction materials for the shelter and clubhouse. Ollman, a
Purdue alumnus, is retired owner of Melco Building Systems.
- The shelter will be named for the late Samuel Voinoff, Purdue golf coach from 1950
to 1974 and a Purdue alumnus. His men's team won a National Collegiate Athletic Association
championship in 1961. The gift to provide the shelter was made by the Robert A. Hoffer family of Elgin, Ill.
"All of these individuals have made unique contributions to Purdue over the years,"
Beering said at the groundbreaking ceremony on the No. 9 green. "We are deeply grateful
for their support, which will help make this golf complex one of the finest in the
world."
The golf project also includes an enhanced practice range and an 18-hole contoured
putting course, a first in Indiana. A Web page about the golf course project is at
https://www.purdue.edu/uns/info/golf
As part of the golf complex, the Turfgrass Research and Diagnostic Center will be
the first comprehensive turfgrass research facility in the country. It will function
as a living laboratory for teaching and research activities in a variety of academic
disciplines, including agronomy, entomology and forestry. The new facility will allow
more students to enroll in turf science, a major in the School of Agriculture. At
present, about 65 undergraduate students are in the program. Most graduates go to
work as golf course superintendents.
Work on the turfgrass center began this summer and should be done by the time the
new golf course opens in 1998.
Clark Throssell, professor of agronomy, and Zac Reicher, turf specialist with Purdue's
Cooperative Extension Service, are co-directors of the center.
In addition to Beering and the benefactors, other individuals who took part in the
groundbreaking were Morgan Burke, Purdue intercollegiate athletic director; and a
member of each of the Purdue women's and men's golf teams.
Sources: Steven C. Beering, (765) 494-9708; home, (765) 743-9933
Morgan Burke, (765) 494-3189; home, (765) 497-0232
Writer: Ellen Rantz, (765) 494-2073; home, (765) 497-0345; e-mail, ellen_rantz@purdue.edu
NOTE TO JOURNALISTS: A color photo of a rendering of the new North Course is available
from Purdue News Service, (765) 494-2096. It is called Beering/Golfnaming or download here.
Photo Caption:
Ground has been broken for Pete Dye to redesign Purdue's 18-hole North Golf Course
into a championship course, as seen in this architectural rendering. (Purdue News
Service photo by David Umberger)
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