Game changer

When alumni return to campus and step inside the updated NMSU Professional Golfers’ Association Golf Management program golf lab, now filled with the sound of swings, data readouts and simulated championship courses, the reaction is often the same: This is not the space they remember.

In fall 2025, the PGA Golf Management program unveiled a reimagined, state-of-the-art lab featuring two Trackman 4 simulator bays in Guthrie Hall. What began more than a decade ago as a single-unit space has evolved into a high-tech learning environment where students can practice year-round, analyze every aspect of their swing with industry-leading data and simulate rounds on world-class courses.

PGA Golf Management Director Josh Salmon ’08 ’21 says the addition of a second Trackman unit prompted a full redesign of the space, allowing more students to train at once and unlocking the simulator’s full capabilities.

Students now use tools such as the performance center, virtual driving range and a feature called map my bag, which tracks distances with their own clubs. Salmon says that experience with industry-standard technology makes graduates more marketable.

“When they leave here, we need them to be ready,” Salmon says. “This is another tool that allows them to be prepared.”

The lab functions as both a training ground for student-athletes and a classroom for future PGA professionals, and students say the impact is immediate.

Kaden McClelen appreciates having access between classes.

“I have a really loaded schedule as a senior, but during a gap period I’m able to come in and get some practice in,” McClelen says. “It’s just a great room to use and get my game better.”

Beyond improving his play, he sees long-term value in the data-driven approach.

“Once you know what optimizes each club and how to fix things using the numbers, that will help you tons later in life,” he says.

Mateo Castro views the lab as an extension of instruction. With Assistant Director Henry Stetina ’09 ’16 offering lessons throughout the week, students can immediately connect coaching to measurable results.

“It helps us familiarize ourselves with the numbers, which will be huge in the long run as a PGA professional,” Castro says. 

The upgraded space also has become a hub for both practice and camaraderie.

“Now that we have two Trackmans and a simulator, it’s a place to go with friends and play or to practice and lock in your game,” Castro says.

Connor Bowron credits the lab with tangible improvement.

“We have access to probably the best software in the golf industry,” Bowron says. “I’ve gotten three strokes better off my game just by being in there.”

Brent Barker says the depth of data available in a single swing is a game changer.

“Being able to see those data points and correlate them to certain things can show us how to improve,” Barker says. “Anyone using the swing lab is going to improve.”

For a program that continues to place graduates in internships and full-time positions across the golf industry, the updated lab represents progress and preparation, ensuring Aggies leave campus ready to compete, teach and lead.