Matthew Elmes (C’87)

When Matt transferred from the University of Southern California as a sophomore in 1985, there was no golf program at Principia. By his senior year, however, thanks to support from the Athletics Department and key faculty members, and Matt’s own persistence, golf at Principia had grown from a club team into a competitive varsity sport. Matt won eight tournaments that year, adding Culver-Stockton Tournament Champion and Prairie College Conference Champion to his list of victories. He also won the 36-hole Principia Invitational at Lockhaven Country Club that year. Matt competed in the 1987 NCAA Division III Championships, finishing 17th and earning All-American honors.

After graduating, Matt played professionally for two years, splitting time between Australian and Canadian Tours, as well as U.S. Mini-Tours. He then started a career founded on his passion for and vast experience in the golf industry. Today, he lives in Lake Oswego, Oregon, with his wife, Maribeth, and their two children, Riley and Libby.