Providence is excited to announce the addition of men’s and women’s golf as intercollegiate sports beginning in Fall 2018. In addition to the eight sports already offered at Providence, golf will be added to the roster as a club sport for the 2017-18 academic year. A year of club play will lay the foundation for a full intercollegiate NAIA program in Fall 2018. Club golf will be a fall and spring sport with weekly practices and spring and fall tournaments as a part of the National Collegiate Club Golf Association.

Providence has selected Coach Josh Ault as the head coach for the new teams. Josh began playing golf at an early age and played for his high school golf team in his hometown of Bryant, Arkansas.  He has participated in numerous USGA and SCGA events throughout Southern California, in addition to private tournaments and fundraisers.

Josh first began coaching golf in 2009 at Village Christian High School and was then hired at Maranatha High School as the head men’s golf coach. At Maranatha, Josh has led the Minutemen to three league championships in just four years. Josh believes that part of the team’s success has been in establishing a program founded on character, competition, and covenants.

“Every player in the program challenges the person beside them, edifying each other, elevating each other, through shared commitment and team covenants. We are better because of our past and we are persistent because we are excited about the future.”

Josh has had recruitment experience at the college level in his role as an assistant soccer coach at Occidental College. He is excited about his new role at Providence because being at a Christian college is where his heart really lies. “The opportunity to become part of the Providence community and to build a golf program is a dream come true.  This game has personally given me so much, and now I can share my passion of the game with young men and women who want a Christian college education and to become collegiate golfers. The goal of the athletic programs at Providence is to develop discipline, character, and Christian leadership both on and off the field, and that aligns perfectly with my own beliefs.”

Josh has had prior experience as a Sea Beggar athlete in his two years of playing forward for the Men’s Soccer team. He will be completing his liberal arts degree at Providence in spring of next year. Josh was also the founder and creator of Shore Up Sports, the sports ministry program at Lake Avenue Church in Pasadena.

Providence has already signed its first golfer, Nicholas Chavez, a senior at Maranatha Christian. This spring, Nick was a runner-up in the Olympic League as an individual golfer. Coach Josh commented, “Nick has consistently been the top golfer for his team throughout the year and he is a young man of exemplary Christian character. I can’t wait to see where the next four years of collegiate study and golf will bring him.”

Recruiting for golf is in full swing and there are spots to fill for both Fall 2017 and 2018. This is a great opportunity for prospective and current students to be on the leading edge of building the athletics program at Providence while getting an excellent Christian liberal arts education. Athletic scholarships are offered and to fill out a recruitment form, go to the athletics homepage at www.seabeggars.com.