Emmanuel will add men’s golf as its 15th varsity sport this fall − and will call the nation’s second-oldest public golf course home.

“Men’s golf is a perfect fit for our institution, and a competitive sport within the Great Northeast Athletic Conference,” said Athletics Director Pam Roecker. “We have responded to interest expressed from prospective student-athletes over the last several years, and we believe that we will have the opportunity to field a competitive team in a short period of time.”

The new team will practice and play at the William J. Devine Golf Course at Franklin Park in Boston – built in 1891. Golf great Bobby Jones practiced there while attending Harvard.

Emmanuel will join four other GNAC members and three institutions competing in the league as affiliate members in men’s golf. The league conducts competition during the fall.

“The Great Northeast Athletic Conference is ecstatic to learn that Emmanuel College will be adding men’s golf for the 2009 season,” said GNAC Commissioner Joe Walsh. “Over the past three years the GNAC has grown its championship offerings from 11 to 15 sports and a 16th (men’s lacrosse) will begin in 2011.

“Emmanuel’s decision to add golf assists the GNAC in maintaining the newly acquired NCAA automatic qualification. The GNAC and the member schools value the opportunity to participate in the national championship and I feel confident that Emmanuel will be a contender for the championship very quickly.”