Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern Unveils New Gleacher Golf Center
11/14/2019 4:36:00 PM | Men's Golf, Women's Golf
EVANSTON, Ill. — Nearly 20 years after changing the landscape of collegiate golf with the first comprehensive indoor training facility in the nation, Northwestern University this week unveiled the new Gleacher Golf Center. Named in recognition of a leadership gift from University Trustee Eric J. Gleacher '62 and Paula Gleacher, the new, on-campus home of Wildcats men's and women's golf is unquestionably one of the country' finest developmental facilities.
"Providing a world-class experience to our student-athletes academically, socially and athletically is the core of our daily mission, and the complete renovation of the Gleacher Golf Center will help us deliver on this commitment," Combe Family Vice President for Athletics & Recreation Jim Phillips said. "Eric and Paula are tremendous people. They continue to be our greatest champions for Northwestern Golf, and we are truly grateful to Eric, Paula and their entire family for their enduring generosity."
"Twenty years ago we celebrated the completion of the original Gleacher Golf Center with the purpose to develop winning teams," Eric Gleacher said. "Winning was and is the ultimate goal, which motivated our efforts 20 years ago and continues to motivate us today. Northwestern's stature in intercollegiate golf has been significantly enhanced as is indicated by the results our coaches and student-athletes have earned. I have no doubt that our achievements over the next 20 years will be even more outstanding."
The new Gleacher Golf Center on Sheridan Road is the most integrated campus golf center in the country, located just a few hundred yards west of Ryan Fieldhouse, Wilson Field and the Walter Athletics Center—and just steps away from residence halls and classrooms.
The new Gleacher Golf Center includes:
"We cannot thank Eric and Paula Gleacher enough for their incredible support of Northwestern Golf," Director of Golf and Player Development Pat Goss said. "Their impact on our successes over the years, and the student-athlete experience afforded our golfers, has been remarkable. Mr. Gleacher helped pioneer a new era of Northwestern Golf with his vision more than 20 years ago, and his commitment to our program is stronger than ever."
The ascension of Northwestern Golf over the last 20 years is due in large part to the construction of the Gleacher Golf Center in 1999. Since that time, the men's and women's golf programs have combined for 50 tournament victories, seven Big Ten Conference titles, 10 Top-20 finishes at the NCAA Championships, 58 individual tournament wins, 71 All-Big Ten honorees and 20 All-Americans, including five First-Team honorees.
Luke Donald '01 claimed the program's first-ever individual NCAA Championship in 1999, and the program has seen six individuals claim Big Ten championships. The women's team claimed the NCAA stroke play title in 2017 before finishing as the national runner-up in match play.
"We have created a standard as one of the nation's premier golf programs and are so thankful to the entire Gleacher family for the generosity that will help us remain a destination for the best amateur golfers from around the globe," Women's Golf Head Coach Emily Fletcher said. "This one-of-a-kind facility will provide our student-athletes with all the resources they need to improve on a daily basis while pursuing one of the most valuable degrees in higher education."
Eric Gleacher, a 1962 graduate of Northwestern, began his career in 1968 as an associate at Lehman Brothers, where he became a partner in 1973 and founded its mergers and acquisitions department in 1978. Gleacher joined Morgan Stanley & Co. in 1983, where he served as global head of mergers and acquisitions and was a member of the management committee. In 1990, he founded Gleacher & Co., a mergers and acquisitions and merchant banking firm. In 1995, NatWest, one of the largest banks in the U.K., acquired Gleacher & Co. He reacquired the company in 1999 and stayed on as chairman until 2013 when he retired.
He is married to Paula Gleacher and is the father of six children: John, Sarah '91, Jimmy, Jay, Patsy '12 and Willy. An accomplished competitive golfer, he won the Metropolitan (N.Y.) Golf Association Junior Championship in 1957 and was a member of the Western Illinois University golf team, which won the NAIA National Championship in 1959, his freshman year. Gleacher then transferred to Northwestern, where he earned a golf scholarship his junior and senior years. Soon after service as a lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps (1963–66), Gleacher won the first of his 25 club championships. He has claimed titles at Shinnecock (N.Y.), National Golf Links of America (N.Y.), Maidstone (N.Y.), Baltusrol (N.J.), Deepdale (N.Y.), and Montclair (N.J.) among others.
"Providing a world-class experience to our student-athletes academically, socially and athletically is the core of our daily mission, and the complete renovation of the Gleacher Golf Center will help us deliver on this commitment," Combe Family Vice President for Athletics & Recreation Jim Phillips said. "Eric and Paula are tremendous people. They continue to be our greatest champions for Northwestern Golf, and we are truly grateful to Eric, Paula and their entire family for their enduring generosity."
"Twenty years ago we celebrated the completion of the original Gleacher Golf Center with the purpose to develop winning teams," Eric Gleacher said. "Winning was and is the ultimate goal, which motivated our efforts 20 years ago and continues to motivate us today. Northwestern's stature in intercollegiate golf has been significantly enhanced as is indicated by the results our coaches and student-athletes have earned. I have no doubt that our achievements over the next 20 years will be even more outstanding."
The new Gleacher Golf Center on Sheridan Road is the most integrated campus golf center in the country, located just a few hundred yards west of Ryan Fieldhouse, Wilson Field and the Walter Athletics Center—and just steps away from residence halls and classrooms.
The new Gleacher Golf Center includes:
- A 5,400 square-foot short-game and putting area with raised ceilings and a nearly 3,000-square-foot green
- A state-of-the-art training area with three bays that feature Swing Catalyst Force Plates and a TrackMan Golf simulator, as well as a dedicated video instruction bay
- A 19' x 8' digitally adjustable putting platform that includes a 3D-modeled green that can be tilted at any angle and an overhead projector that utilizes augmented reality to display putting paths and drills
- Brand-new men's and women's locker rooms, featuring amenities including custom-designed lockers with multiple charging stations and room for a travel bag, luggage and golf bag
- A 1,200-square-foot student-athlete lounge with a dedicated study area and full kitchen for integration of Northwestern's Performance Nutrition program, and a nearly 1,000-square-foot sports performance hub
"We cannot thank Eric and Paula Gleacher enough for their incredible support of Northwestern Golf," Director of Golf and Player Development Pat Goss said. "Their impact on our successes over the years, and the student-athlete experience afforded our golfers, has been remarkable. Mr. Gleacher helped pioneer a new era of Northwestern Golf with his vision more than 20 years ago, and his commitment to our program is stronger than ever."
The ascension of Northwestern Golf over the last 20 years is due in large part to the construction of the Gleacher Golf Center in 1999. Since that time, the men's and women's golf programs have combined for 50 tournament victories, seven Big Ten Conference titles, 10 Top-20 finishes at the NCAA Championships, 58 individual tournament wins, 71 All-Big Ten honorees and 20 All-Americans, including five First-Team honorees.
Luke Donald '01 claimed the program's first-ever individual NCAA Championship in 1999, and the program has seen six individuals claim Big Ten championships. The women's team claimed the NCAA stroke play title in 2017 before finishing as the national runner-up in match play.
"We have created a standard as one of the nation's premier golf programs and are so thankful to the entire Gleacher family for the generosity that will help us remain a destination for the best amateur golfers from around the globe," Women's Golf Head Coach Emily Fletcher said. "This one-of-a-kind facility will provide our student-athletes with all the resources they need to improve on a daily basis while pursuing one of the most valuable degrees in higher education."
Eric Gleacher, a 1962 graduate of Northwestern, began his career in 1968 as an associate at Lehman Brothers, where he became a partner in 1973 and founded its mergers and acquisitions department in 1978. Gleacher joined Morgan Stanley & Co. in 1983, where he served as global head of mergers and acquisitions and was a member of the management committee. In 1990, he founded Gleacher & Co., a mergers and acquisitions and merchant banking firm. In 1995, NatWest, one of the largest banks in the U.K., acquired Gleacher & Co. He reacquired the company in 1999 and stayed on as chairman until 2013 when he retired.
He is married to Paula Gleacher and is the father of six children: John, Sarah '91, Jimmy, Jay, Patsy '12 and Willy. An accomplished competitive golfer, he won the Metropolitan (N.Y.) Golf Association Junior Championship in 1957 and was a member of the Western Illinois University golf team, which won the NAIA National Championship in 1959, his freshman year. Gleacher then transferred to Northwestern, where he earned a golf scholarship his junior and senior years. Soon after service as a lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps (1963–66), Gleacher won the first of his 25 club championships. He has claimed titles at Shinnecock (N.Y.), National Golf Links of America (N.Y.), Maidstone (N.Y.), Baltusrol (N.J.), Deepdale (N.Y.), and Montclair (N.J.) among others.
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