Members of the Worcester State University community gathered on Tuesday, September 20 to dedicate the golf simulator in the newly opened Wellness Center to the late Richard Korzec, the associate director of facilities and head coach of the WSU Golf Team [1].
Krozec was so beloved by his family and friends that a group called “Friends of Richard Everywhere,” or Team FORE, successfully raised more than $55,000 to name the golf simulator in his honor. Korzec passed away in 2012.
“In thinking about it, I realize that this journey really was a reflection of the man we loved so much,” said Director of Facilities Sandy Olson, a member of Team FORE, who said the group met its fundraising goal in four weeks. “The existence of this room reflects the qualities of Rich we all miss so dearly—caring, laughter, competitiveness, friendship, and, most of all, love.”
President Barry M. Maloney said the effort to fundraise for the simulator was a team effort, calling it “a wonderful story of community and togetherness to provide a lasting memory of Rich Korzec.”
Korzec’s widow, Ann Veneziano-Korzec, director of the WSU Speech-Language-Hearing Center [2], said that even before plans for the Wellness Center were fully formed, he was researching golf simulators for his team, which he coached for 14 years. So the naming of the facility in his honor is fitting, she added.
“When he passed away, I asked people to keep his spirit alive by telling stories of Rich,” she said. “Never did I imagine that he would be remembered with such a tribute.”
The simulator combines pinpoint accurate swing analysis in a highly realistic, three-dimensional visual golf environment. The software allows users to play replications of some of the world’s most famous golf courses. Up to four players at a time can play world-class courses, including Bay Harbor, Teeth of the Dog, and The Heather, using their own clubs.
Anyone with a worcester.edu email can use the online registration system [3] to reserve time in the simulator. The cost is $40 per hour.