The University of California, Berkeley will host the inaugural Desimone Invitational, a new collegiate men’s golf tournament named after longtime Golden Bears coach Steve Desimone. The event is scheduled for March 9-10 at Lake Merced Golf Club in Daly City and will feature 15 teams, including several that qualified for last season’s NCAA Championship.
Desimone led the Cal men’s golf program for 37 years. He played a key role in reviving the sport at the university after it lost varsity status in 1979. Under his leadership, Cal became a strong presence in college golf. By his retirement following the 2015-16 season, Desimone was recognized as an influential figure both at Berkeley and within collegiate golf circles.
“Coach Desimone challenged and motivated so many Cal men’s golfers to aim high and be great,” said Alex and Marie Shipman Director of Men’s Golf Michael Wilson, who played under Desimone from 2002-06 and was part of the team that won the 2004 NCAA championship. “He had a profound impact on the lives of many, taking the program from a club sport to national prominence. Cal Golf simply is not what it is today without the work of Coach Desimon and the legacy he built. We are excited to host an elite field at Lake Merced Golf Club to honor him and hope those in the area can come watch the future stars of our sport.”
This year’s field includes Texas and Arizona State—teams that reached match play at the 2025 NCAA Championships—as well as Pepperdine, Wake Forest, Cal, and UCLA, all of which finished among last season’s top twenty teams nationally. Other participating schools are Arizona, SMU, TCU, Utah (all regional qualifiers), Loyola Marymount, San Jose State, USC, Washington, and Washington State.
“I am deeply honored knowing that our Cal men’s golf invitational tournament is now named ‘The Desimone,'” said Steve Desimone. “When the program was in its infancy, the idea of Cal hosting a major intercollegiate golf tournament wasn’t even an afterthought. As the program grew competitively over the years, the idea wasn’t so far-fetched. Having Cal’s invitational tournament now be called ‘The Desimone’ brings a huge smile to my face. I want to thank Lake Merced and old friend Doug Goldman for their support of the program and our great university. As I look to the future, I will say lots of fairways, greens and one-putts for the Blue and Gold.”
Fans can follow updates about Cal men’s golf through their social media channels on X (@CalMensGolf), Instagram (@CalMensGolf), or Facebook (/CalMensGolf).
