The Kent State Golden Flashes men's golf team is an intercollegiate sport at Kent State University in Kent, Ohio, United States. The program was established in 1934 and competes in the National Collegiate Athletic Association at the Division I level as a member of the Mid-American Conference. Through the 2021–22 season, the Flashes have won 30 conference titles, which includes two championships won as a member of the Ohio Athletic Conference prior to 1951. The 29 MAC titles are the most men's golf titles in conference history and the most conference titles among any sport at Kent State. Through 2025, Kent State has produced 28 MAC medalists. In addition to their conference titles, Kent State has made 36 total appearances in the NCAA Division I Men's Golf Championships, winning three regional championships and advancing to the championship rounds 22 times. The program's highest national finishes are a tie for 5th in 2012, 6th in 2008, and 9th in 2000.
Windmill Lakes Golf Club in Ravenna serves as the program's home course and occasionally hosts matches. The main practice facility is the Page and Ferrara Golf Training and Learning Center, a building located in Franklin Township, which the team shares with the women's golf team. The facility includes a outdoor practice range, outdoor practice tees, and outdoor short-game practice areas as well as an indoor putting and chipping area, a video analysis room, and a Science and Motion Putt lab. In addition, the rear of the facility features heated stalls which allow team members to access the driving range year-round.
KSU alumnus Jon Mills serves as head coach, after succeeding Herb Page in 2019. Under Page, who coached Kent State for 41 seasons, the Flashes won 23 MAC titles and made 29 appearances in the NCAA tournament. He was named MAC Coach of the Year 21 times and NCAA District IV Coach of the Year nine times. Notable players from the program include 2003 British Open champion Ben Curtis, and Canadian professional golfers Corey Conners, Mackenzie Hughes, Bryan DeCorso, Taylor Pendrith, and Ryan Yip.
History The team was founded in late 1934 and initially competed only in the fall sports season. Kent State had joined the Ohio Athletic Conference in 1931, so the new golf team began play in the OAC their first season. They were first coached by Joe Begala, a physical education instructor who was also coaching the KSU football team, wrestling team, and men's tennis team that season. In their inaugural season, the Flashes went undefeated in dual match play to claim the school's first conference championship in any sport, going 6–0. The following season, Kent State went 1–5. Until 1936, the OAC used a dual meet format to determine its golf champion and did not have a conference championship meet at the end of the season. The Flashes made their first appearance in the NCAA Men's Golf Championships in 1947, finishing 38th. Kent State went undefeated in OAC dual meets again in 1949, but finished seventh at the OAC meet. However, they again qualified for the NCAA championships, where they finished 28th. Kent State claimed their first and only OAC meet championship in their final OAC tournament appearance in 1950, after finishing the regular season with an 8–1 record in dual matches. KSU was ineligible for the 1951 OAC tournament after the conference passed a resolution barring the Flashes from competing for the conference title. At the Ohio Intercollegiate Golf Championship held a week after the OAC championship, however, Kent State finished 23 and 24 strokes ahead of the OAC co-champions. They also qualified for the NCAA Championships that season, finishing 17th.
The Flashes began competition in the Mid-American Conference in 1952 and hosted the championship meet at Meadowview Golf Course just east of campus in Franklin Township. The MAC Golf Championship was part of the MAC's "sports carnival", which included the tennis and track championships. KSU finished third in both their first and second MAC appearances. They claimed their first MAC team and individual titles in 1954 as co-champions with the Ohio Bobcats, and qualified for their fourth NCAA Men's Golf Championships appearance. After a tie for second at the MAC Championships in 1955, the Flashes finished no better than 4th until a 3rd place showing in 1967. The following season, they won their second overall and first outright conference title, again played at Meadowview.
Because of the Kent State shootings on May 4, 1970, the university was closed and all activities suspended. As such, the Flashes did not participate in that year's MAC championship meet. They returned in 1971 with a team runner-up finish and their second individual title, followed by another individual title in 1973. They claimed their third MAC title in 1977 and qualified for that season's NCAA championships, but were unable to attend.
Herb Page began his tenure as head coach in 1978 and has made Kent State a regular contender in both the Mid-American Conference and at the NCAA tournament. He led the Flashes to their fourth MAC championship in 1984 and their first appearance in the NCAA championship round since 1954, followed in 1987 with another NCAA championship round appearance. Beginning with their 1989 regional appearance, Kent State has qualified for the NCAA regionals in 25 of 29 seasons, including eight consecutive from 1989 through 1996 and seven consecutive from 2008 through 2014. They have advanced to the championship round in 14 of those years, winning regional championships in 1993, 2001, and 2010. In the championship round, Kent State has finished as high as a tie for 5th in 2012, 6th in 2008, and 9th in 2000. In the Mid-American Conference, since their fifth MAC title in 1992, the Flashes have won 21 additional MAC championships in 27 seasons, including four in a row from 1992 through 1995, five consecutive titles from 1997 through 2001, and six consecutive from 2009 through 2014. Additionally, under Page, Kent State has had 20 MAC medalists, 16 MAC Golfer of the Year recipients, and he has been named MAC Coach of the Year 20 times, all of which are the most in conference history.
Conference championships Kent State has won 29 Mid-American Conference Men's Golf Championships since joining the conference in 1951 and has had 28 individual MAC medalists, including co-champions in 2005, 2006, and 2010. Prior to joining the MAC, Kent State competed as a member of the Ohio Athletic Conference from 1934 to 1951, where they won two titles. The Flashes won their first conference title in any sport in 1934 in their first season of play and won the OAC again in 1950. They won their first MAC title in 1954 when they shared the championship with the Ohio Bobcats. After titles in 1968, 1977, and 1984, Kent State won four in a row beginning in 1992, followed by five consecutive MAC titles beginning in 1994, and six consecutive beginning in 2009. Kent State's 29 MAC championships are the most in conference history.
Mid-American Conference championship Year Location Finish Top individual (place) 1952 Meadowview Golf Course • Kent, Ohio 3rd R. Johnston (5th) 1953 Kalamazoo, Michigan 3rd 1954 Oxford Country Club • Oxford, Ohio T-1st Danny Forlani (T-1st) 1955 Athens Country Club • Athens, Ohio T-2nd Joe Lazor (4th) 1956 Bowling Green Country Club • Bowling Green, Ohio 4th Fran Chionchio, Ed Zofko (T-10th) 1957 Meadowview Golf Course • Kent, Ohio 5th Ed Zofko (T-8th) 1958 Kalamazoo, Michigan 6th 1959 Oxford Country Club •Oxford, Ohio 6th 1960 Athens Country Club • Athens, Ohio 5th 1961 Bowling Green, Ohio 7th 1962 Meadowview Golf Course • Kent, Ohio 6th 1963 Kalamazoo, Michigan 6th 1964 Oxford Country Club • Oxford, Ohio 7th 1965 Athens Country Club • Athens, Ohio 7th 1966 Toledo Country Club • Toledo, Ohio 7th 1967 Bowling Green, Ohio 3rd Rick Meeker (T-6th) 1968 Meadowview Golf Course • Kent, Ohio 1st Larry Homer (T-6th) 1969 Kalamazoo, Michigan 3rd Dale Krusoe (5th) 1970 1971 Athens Country Club • Athens, Ohio 2nd Dan Strimple (1st) 1972 Belmont Country Club • Toledo, Ohio 4th Neal Detter (7th) 1973 Belmont Country Club • Toledo, OhioBowling Green State University Golf Course • Bowling Green, Ohio 4th Mike Morrow (1st) 1974 Bowling Green State University Golf Course • Bowling Green, OhioMeadowview Golf Course • Kent, Ohio 2nd Mike Morrow (4th) Records for the Mid-American Conference state no tournament was held in 1974 1975 Meadowview Golf Course • Kent, OhioLake Dostral Country Club • Kalamazoo, Michigan T-7th Mike Morrow (2nd) 1976 Lake Dostral Country Club • Kalamazoo, MichiganHueston Woods • Oxford, Ohio 7th Art Nash (7th) 1977 Hueston Woods • Oxford, OhioAthens Country Club • Athens, Ohio 1st Ned Weaver (1st) 1978 Ohio University Country Club • Athens, OhioCentral Michigan University Golf Course • Mount Pleasant, Michigan 5th Doug Hanzel (T-8th) 1979 Ypsilanti, Michigan 8th Doug Hanzel (2nd) 1980 DeKalb, Illinois 9th 1981 Muncie, Indiana 9th 1982 Toledo, Ohio 8th 1983 Bowling Green, Ohio 4th Karl Zoller (T-7th) 1984 Windmill Lakes Golf Club • Ravenna, Ohio T-1st Karl Zoller (4th) 1985 Kishwaukee Country Club • DeKalb, Illinois 2nd Karl Zoller (1st) 1986 Moors Golf Club • Portage, Michigan 4th Chuck Crawford (2nd) 1987 Hueston Woods Golf Course • Oxford, Ohio 3rd Chuck Crawford (2nd) 1988 Athens Country Club • Athens, Ohio 2nd Rob Moss (1st) 1989 Delaware Country Club • Muncie, Indiana 3rd Rob Moss (2nd) 1990 Huron Golf Club • Ypsilanti, Michigan 2nd Brian Bridges (2nd) 1991 Toledo Country Club • Toledo, Ohio 2nd Dave Moreland (1st) 1992 Forrest Creason Golf Course • Bowling Green, Ohio T-1st Eric Frishette (T-3rd) 1993 Windmill Lakes • Ravenna, Ohio 1st Eric Frishette (1st) 1994 Firestone Country Club • Akron, Ohio 1st Donnie Darr, Bryan DeCorso (T-5th) 1995 1st Bryan DeCorso (1st) 1996 2nd Bill Curtis (T-3rd) 1997 Quail Hollow Country Club • Concord, Ohio 1st Todd Lancaster (3rd) 1998 1st Danny Sahl (3rd) 1999 Medallion Club • Westerville, Ohio 1st Danny Sahl (1st) 2000 1st Ben Curtis (1st) 2001 1st Jon Mills (1st) 2002 2nd Steve Lohmeyer (5th) 2003 Rich Harvest Farms • Sugar Grove, Illinois 1st Peter Laws, Steve Lohmeyer (T-3rd) 2004 Medallion Club • Westerville, Ohio 3rd Marc Bourgeois (T-6th) 2005 1st Ryan Yip, Tommy Wiegand (1st) 2006 Brickyard Crossing • Indianapolis 1st Marc Bourgeois, Tommy Wiegand (1st) 2007 Medallion Club • Westerville, Ohio 3rd Peter Ahn (3rd) 2008 Longaberger Golf Club • Nashport, Ohio 2nd John Hahn (3rd) 2009 Brickyard Crossing • Indianapolis 1st John Hahn (1st) 2010 Longaberger Golf Club • Nashport, Ohio 1st Brett Cairns, John Hawn (1st) 2011 TPC River's Bend • Maineville, Ohio 1st Mackenzie Hughes (1st) 2012 Rich Harvest Farms • Sugar Grove, Illinois 1st Corey Conners (1st) 2013 Longaberger Golf Club • Nashport, Ohio 1st Taylor Pendrith (1st) 2014 Prairie View Golf Club • Carmel, Indiana 1st Corey Conners (1st) 2015 The Mayfield Sand Ridge Club • Chardon, Ohio 5th Ian Holt (2nd) 2016 Highland Meadows Golf Club • Sylvania, Ohio 1st Ian Holt (T-2nd) 2017 Virtues Golf Club • Nashport, Ohio 1st Gisli Sveinbergsson (1st) 2018 Sycamore Hills Golf Club • Fort Wayne, Indiana 1st Ian Holt (1st) 2019 Club Walden • Aurora, Ohio T-1st Gisli Sveinbergsson (2nd)2020 Sycamore Hills Golf Club • Fort Wayne, Indiana Cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic 2021 Sycamore Hills Golf Club • Fort Wayne, Indiana 1st Chris Vandette (1st) 2022 White Eagle Golf Club • Naperville, Illinois 1st Josh Gilkison (1st) 2023 Canebrake Golf Club • Athens, Alabama 4th Cade Breitenstine (3rd) 2024 The Club at Chatham Hills • Westfield, Indiana T-3rd Bryce Reed (2nd) 2025 Pinnacle Golf Club • Grove City, Ohio 1st Jordan Gilkison (1st) 2026 Holliday Farms • Zionsville, Indiana 4th Liam Curtis (T-3rd)Totals: 29 MAC Championships; 28 MAC medalists
NCAA tournament