CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – The excitement for the 2026 American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) Men’s Golf Championship is gearing up as teams prepare to tee it up at Glen Oaks Country Club for the third consecutive year.
Championship Fast Facts:
The 54-hole tournament commences with a 1:00 p.m. start on day one with all teams off the No. 1 tee, followed by eighteen holes of continuous play. Eighteen holes will be played Monday, April 27 and Tuesday, April 28 with all teams off the No. 1 tee both days with 9:00 a.m. starts.
On the first day of the championship, teams will tee off according to seed, based on averages from its four best 18-hole team scores during the spring season. The University of Dubuque, as the reigning team champion, receives the top seed in this year’s tournament. Players from teams seventh through ninth (Wartburg, Simpson, Loras) will tee off in the first wave beginning at 1:00 p.m., followed by players from teams seeded fourth through sixth (Buena Vista, Coe, Luther) at 1:45 p.m.. The final wave will consist of players from the top-three seeded teams (Univ of Dubuque, Nebraska Weesleyan, Central), with the first pair heading onto the course at 2:30 p.m..
Pairings for the final two rounds will be based on the team score following the previous round(s). Individuals will also be repositioned within their team based on their accumulating scores from prior rounds.
Each school may enter five players for each round with the four best performances each day used to determine the team score. Substitutions are permitted one time throughout the championship.
Event Details:
- Dates: April 26-28, 2026
- Location: Glen Oaks Country Club | West Des Moines, Iowa
Defending Team Champion:
- The UD Spartans come in as the defending champions this season and have recorded a strong spring season up until this point.
Defending Individual Champion:
- A new champion will be crowned this year after the graduation of the 2025 medalist, UD's Carter Ruegsegger.
2025 Conference Championship Recap:
- For the fifth time in program history and first since 2014, the University of Dubuque Spartans were crowned the men’s golf champions of the American Rivers Conference (A-R-C). UD bested the field by 21 shots, finishing with a three-round total of 903.
Returning All-Conference Performers from 2025 Championship:
- John Dobbe, Univ. of Dubuque (2nd)
- Owen King, Luther (4th)
- Maison Brandt, Central (T-5th and Co-Rookie of the Year)
- Brayden Schram, Nebraska Wesleyan (T-5th)
- Luke Harwick, Univ. of Dubuque (T-5th and Co-Rookie of the Year)
- Jackson Tennis, Simpson (10th)
- Matthew Turpen, Buena Vista (T-11th, HM)
- Carter Yurgae, Central (T-11th, HM)
- Jackson Lapour, Nebraska Wesleyan (T-11th, HM)
- Blake Perrin, Simpson (T-11th, HM)
- Crew Klinger, Central (15th, HM)
Conference Golfers of the Week:
- March 30 - Duke Taylor, Wartburg
- April 6 - Carter Yurgae, Central
- April 13 - Luke Harwick, Univ. of Dubuque
- April 20 - Luke Harwick, Univ. of Dubuque
Tracking Conference Titles:
- Central (32), Luther (14), Wartburg (6), Univ. of Dubuque (5), Loras (4), Buena Vista (3), Simpson (3), Nebraska Wesleyan (3)
Key Storylines:
- Major Awards: For the second year, the A-R-C will name a Rookie of the Year following the completion of the championship. The Rookie of the Year will be the top student-athlete who is using their first year of eligibility in men’s golf. The league office will continue to name a Golfer of the Year and Coach of the Year, too.
- Honorable Mention: Again for the second year, places 11 through 15 will earn Honorable Mention honors.
- AQ On the Line: The American Rivers Conference Men’s Golf Champion will receive the conference’s automatic qualifying bid to the 2026 NCAA Division III Men’s Golf Championship.
Fan Engagement:
- Fans not in attendance in West Des Moines, can follow all the action via unofficial live scoring through Clippd Scoreboard.
- Spectator Guidelines: The American Rivers Conference encourages fans and spectators to attend the championship, free of charge. Per NCAA regulations, there are some guidelines that must be followed by all golf spectators. Penalties may be assessed if a violation occurs. Let the players play and the coaches coach. Please see the list of spectator guidelines on the championship microsite.
Weather Forecast:
- The weather forecast looks like umbrellas and rain gear need to be packed, for Monday at least right now. Sunday and Tuesday look to be on the side of the golfers for weather.
- The A-R-C has partnered with Perry Weather and updates via the service can be found at the link below and on the championship website.
The 2026 American Rivers Conference Men’s Golf Championship is set to deliver three days of outstanding golf. Updates throughout the championship can be found on the A-R-C website (
www.rollrivers.com) and on the various social media platforms the conference utilizes.
About the American Rivers Conference
Nationally respected for excellence in NCAA Division III athletics, the American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) has a tradition dating back to its founding in 1922 as the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Association and adopted its current name in 2018 to reflect its strong Iowa roots and growing regional footprint. The A-R-C is a collaborative community that champions the holistic development of student-athletes, uniting member institutions in a shared commitment to academic achievement, athletic distinction, and leadership.
The A-R-C is home to nine full-time member institutions: Buena Vista University, Central College, Coe College, University of Dubuque, Loras College, Luther College, Nebraska Wesleyan University, Simpson College, and Wartburg College. Luther College has announced its departure from the conference, effective at the conclusion of the 2025–26 academic year.
