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Bama Golf's new Crimson Reserve golf facility

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No other place like it in the golfing world. Design input from Justin Thomas, among others.

"In 2024, the University of Alabama opened the Crimson Reserve golf facility. Built on 164 acres, at a cost of over $47,000,000, it could be the best practice area in golf. With design input from Justin Thomas as well as Davis Love III, the Crimson Reserve features a 400-yard long driving range, a custom-designed 9-hole course and a 24,000 square foot clubhouse, complete with a gym, putting studio, hitting bays and locker rooms. "

 
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I understand that this is beautiful, and a nice asset. If Alabama had billionaire boosters I'd get doing this.

They took out a 34 million dollar loan though, for a golf practice facility. In the NIL era. When they can't seem to get the funding to replace Coleman and they're getting beat in NIL.There's talk about whether or not Alabama could even afford to buyout the coach if they need to. But they have 34 million for a non-revenue golf facility?

I'm just not sure how this sort of thing coexists with the modern reality of college sports. Something will have to give.
 
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KrAzY3 said:
I understand that this is beautiful, and a nice asset. If Alabama had billionaire boosters I'd get doing this.

They took out a 34 million dollar loan though, for a golf practice facility. In the NIL era. When they can't seem to get the funding to replace Coleman and they're getting beat in NIL.There's talk about whether or not Alabama could even afford to buyout the coach if they need to. But they have 34 million for a non-revenue golf facility?

I'm just not sure how this sort of thing coexists with the modern reality of college sports. Something will have to give.
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Did not know they took out a loan...I guess some successful UA pro golfers could pay for it at some point....LOL. There has to be more to this story than we know...Jay Seawell is a man of integrity so I have no clue as to what is transpiring.
 
Padreruf said:
Did not know they took out a loan...I guess some successful UA pro golfers could pay for it at some point....LOL. There has to be more to this story than we know...Jay Seawell is a man of integrity so I have no clue as to what is transpiring.
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Well, my understanding is it was roughly 14 million in donations and then 34 million loan from the University. I was expecting/hoping it to just be rich donors saying we want this, we'll pay for it.

I'm not questioning integrity though, honestly this is par for the course. I've followed athletic department budgets over the years and what usually happens is the revenue sports (football and basketball) get their funds siphoned off for other things. Perhaps in this case it's just clever bookkeeping and it will be fully funded by donors, but with a program like Alabama I'm just not sure if there's a long term path forward to both staying competitive in football and continuing to spend lavishly on the non-revenue sports.
 
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Padreruf said:
I've seen pictures and videos....it is spectacular. Now these coaches need to up their recruiting game....and they are fully capable.
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I stumbled across this thread yesterday and wanted to make this known:
Hudson Lawson is the most decorated golfer in Alabama High school history. He played on the 4 time state championship golf team at Haleyville High School. He attended Alabama's golf camp every year since he was 7 years old. Seawell wanted him to be a walk on. It wasn't until LSU offered him a full scholarship that Bama offered. This kids grandfather has been a member of Tide Pride since it's inception and receives 16 tickets to each home football game. To say that his family has been a donor to the UA athletic programs would be an understatement. This happened last week:
https://lsusports.net/news/2026/02/...stern-conference-freshman-of-the-week-honors/

Ridiculous
 
bamamc1 said:
I stumbled across this thread yesterday and wanted to make this known:
Hudson Lawson is the most decorated golfer in Alabama High school history. He played on the 4 time state championship golf team at Haleyville High School. He attended Alabama's golf camp every year since he was 7 years old. Seawell wanted him to be a walk on. It wasn't until LSU offered him a full scholarship that Bama offered. This kids grandfather has been a member of Tide Pride since it's inception and receives 16 tickets to each home football game. To say that his family has been a donor to the UA athletic programs would be an understatement. This happened last week:
https://lsusports.net/news/2026/02/...stern-conference-freshman-of-the-week-honors/

Ridiculous
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Family support of athletic programs does not equate to scholarship offers. I have known Jay Seawell since 1999 and have found him to be totally above board and a great coach. Jay must have been looking for something that wasn't there.

However, even great coaches swing and miss. My own son was a Bama legacy -- grandfather was a captain of the 41-2? Orange Bowl team and donated serious money through the years. His brother was on the baseball team and he wanted to go to Bama -- but they asked him to walk on. He signed with Clemson for a pittance and became a 3x All ACC and 2x 2nd team All American...made the putts in 2003 to win the National Championship. The Alabama coach had been fired by then -- ironically replaced by Jay Seawell who had tried to recruit my son to Augusta State 2 years earlier -- which had a great college golf program.

For comparison, in the World Amateur Golf Rankings Hudson Lawrence is 777. Tyler Watts is 30th -- whom I am sure Coach Seawell pursed with great vigor. However, where players decide to go can be quite an iffy proposition. A couple of years ago Coach Seawell picked up the top player out of SC -- so who knows? don't know the HS level Mr. Lawrence played. I can only imagine that Coach Seawell was recruiting players nationally ranked much higher than Mr. Lawrence.

Congratulations to him on a great week and I hope he has a great career.
 
Padreruf said:
Family support of athletic programs does not equate to scholarship offers. I have known Jay Seawell since 1999 and have found him to be totally above board and a great coach. Jay must have been looking for something that wasn't there.

However, even great coaches swing and miss. My own son was a Bama legacy -- grandfather was a captain of the 41-2? Orange Bowl team and donated serious money through the years. His brother was on the baseball team and he wanted to go to Bama -- but they asked him to walk on. He signed with Clemson for a pittance and became a 3x All ACC and 2x 2nd team All American...made the putts in 2003 to win the National Championship. The Alabama coach had been fired by then -- ironically replaced by Jay Seawell who had tried to recruit my son to Augusta State 2 years earlier -- which had a great college golf program.

For comparison, in the World Amateur Golf Rankings Hudson Lawrence is 777. Tyler Watts is 30th -- whom I am sure Coach Seawell pursed with great vigor. However, where players decide to go can be quite an iffy proposition. A couple of years ago Coach Seawell picked up the top player out of SC -- so who knows? don't know the HS level Mr. Lawrence played. I can only imagine that Coach Seawell was recruiting players nationally ranked much higher than Mr. Lawrence.

Congratulations to him on a great week and I hope he has a great career.
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I think your take might be off-base. Seawell is obviously a very good talent evaluator.

IMHO, Seawell was hoping to keep a scholarship free for another player in the hopes that the Lawson family would "donate" their son a scholarship (indirectly). Either way, Seawell knows what he is doing... 😎
 
bamamc1 said:
I stumbled across this thread yesterday and wanted to make this known:
Hudson Lawson is the most decorated golfer in Alabama High school history. He played on the 4 time state championship golf team at Haleyville High School. He attended Alabama's golf camp every year since he was 7 years old. Seawell wanted him to be a walk on. It wasn't until LSU offered him a full scholarship that Bama offered. This kids grandfather has been a member of Tide Pride since it's inception and receives 16 tickets to each home football game. To say that his family has been a donor to the UA athletic programs would be an understatement. This happened last week:
https://lsusports.net/news/2026/02/...stern-conference-freshman-of-the-week-honors/

Ridiculous
Click to expand...
sounds like to me, Mr Lawson would have attended LSU anyway, even if Bama offered first. If you attend camp since you are 7, and family are that big into Tide Pride, have attended every home game for years, a little thing like who offers first would never be an issue if your dream school offers. JMO.

MY family were into Tide Pride since its inception as well, had 12 season tickets for 25+ years until 2007, my dad died in 2008 and there were rules in place regarding passing down season tickets. It wasn't allowed because of the waiting list.

In the eleventh grade, Auburn had a faint interest , so I went to Auburn on a recruiting trip, with RB Carey Condray( who signed with Auburn) and a lessor known LB that went to Montevallo, because I wanted to be an Aeronautical engineer and Auburn boasted the only wind tunnel in the Southeast at the time, that was cutting edge in the seventies. My Dad was an electrical engineer at Hayes Aircraft, and I would have thought he would be happy with my decision to stay in the aviation field.
My dad told me to call him before I left Lee County, so he would know if he needed to put my clothes and bags on the front lawn. True story.

So if he really wanted to attend UA, he would have . Does the family still donate to UA? Or are they LSU fans now? Honest question.
 
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NoNC4Tubs said:
I think your take might be off-base. Seawell is obviously a very good talent evaluator.

IMHO, Seawell was hoping to keep a scholarship free for another player in the hopes that the Lawson family would "donate" their son a scholarship (indirectly). Either way, Seawell knows what he is doing... 😎
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Possibly...that is what the former golf coach was doing with my son at the time.
 
bamaga said:
sounds like to me, Mr Lawson would have attended LSU anyway, even if Bama offered first. If you attend camp since you are 7, and family are that big into Tide Pride, have attended every home game for years, a little thing like who offers first would never be an issue if your dream school offers. JMO.

MY family were into Tide Pride since its inception as well, had 12 season tickets for 25+ years until 2007, my dad died in 2008 and there were rules in place regarding passing down season tickets .

In the eleventh grade, Auburn had a faint interest , so I went to Auburn on a recruiting trip, with RB Carey Condray( who signed with Auburn) and a lessor known LB that went to Montevallo, because I wanted to be an Aeronautical engineer and Auburn boasted the only wind tunnel in the Southeast at the time, that was cutting edge in the seventies. My Dad was an electrical engineer at Hayes Aircraft, and I would have thought he would be happy with my decision to stay in the aviation field.
My dad told me to call him before I left Lee County, so he would know if he needed to put my clothes and bags on the front lawn. True story.

So if he really wanted to attend UA, he would have . Does the family still donate to UA? Or are they LSU fans now? Honest question.
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Yes, they currently have two grandchildren attending Bama. I just think that a kid that has played as well as he has, as evident by his start last week, would’ve been offered and not slow played waiting to see if he would take another offer. Evidently, he also really liked Baton Rouge CC as well. As far as Bama fans, yes they are and will always will be.
 
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NoNC4Tubs said:
I think your take might be off-base. Seawell is obviously a very good talent evaluator.

IMHO, Seawell was hoping to keep a scholarship free for another player in the hopes that the Lawson family would "donate" their son a scholarship (indirectly). Either way, Seawell knows what he is doing... 😎
Click to expand...
EXACTLY
 
I will leave this. I work in sales for the company the family owns. His mom was like a sister to me and like a mother to my daughter. I’ve been a single dad since my daughter was in first grade. She’s seen her mom 10 times since 2013. Maybe this has been too personal for me.

 
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