Golf squad looks to continue storied legacy
For more than five decades, Toros hit the links in search of glory on the green. The team has a storied legacy within the realm of Toro Athletics, but compared to the attention given to other sports, the history of golf at Dominguez Hills may be one of the most unknown on campus.
“The Original Dr. J” Starts the Culture
The golf squad formed in the fall of 1968, becoming the first intercollegiate sports team at CSUDH. At the helm was coach John Johnson – better known on campus as “the Original Dr. J.”
It was Johnson who laid the groundwork for Toro Athletics. As a coach, Johnson believed a positive mindset could overcome any obstacle, and he encouraged his athletes to have integrity on and off the green.
Johnson retired in 2013 after 45 years of coaching the golf team. When he passed away in October 2017, CSUDH honored his legacy by constructing a tribute wall, which can be found by the back entrance of the Torodome.
Eastman Continues the Culture
Before he retired in 2013, Johnson passed the coaching torch on to Ron Eastman, a Toro golf alum who graduated in 1997. Eastman said he’s done his best to keep Johnson’s philosophy alive over the past decade.
“Golf reflects life,” Eastman said. “When you’re confident with yourself as a student athlete, it makes you better on and off the course.”
Eastman said he encourages his student-athletes to remember that the team’s success on the green is reflective of their respective efforts in the classroom.The team’s hard work has paid off, resulting in five PGA Works Collegiate Championships (PWCC).
PWCC hosts tournaments for students enrolled at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and other minority-serving educational institutions.
The Toros had never won a PWCC tournament until Eastman took the reins of the men’s team – and now, success seems to be par for the course.
The Culture For This Season
The team looks to uphold Johnson’s legacy and Eastman’s ideals this season. Sophomore Andy Garcia said he has benefited greatly by the positive team culture.
“I want to continue the golf tradition by being committed to the team and by doing well in the classroom,” Garcia said. “As a team, we are always trying to get better and hopefully compete to win the conference and the national championship.”
The men’s team will take their first swings of the Fall season at the Chico State University Invitational on October 2 at Butte Creek.