PLNU Athletics

This 2006 NAIA National Champion was a standout performer for the Sea Lions golf team for three seasons (2004-06). Joe Prince won the national championship with a 4-under par, 284 on the 72-hole course but his accomplishments and legacy at Point Loma extend much further than one tournament.

Prince was an honorable mention All-American selection as a junior and followed that up with first team All-American honors as a senior. He averaged 73.61 strokes per round during his senior season en route to earning the Arnold Palmer Award as the top golfer in the NAIA. He would also add numerous all-region selections, a PLSA Sportsmanship award and a GCAA (Golf Coaches Association of America) honor to his list of accolades.

Prince left Point Loma with fourth and sixth-best single-season scoring averages in school history. Prince, with the aid of his national championship, also helped lead the Sea Lions to its best two finishes at the NAIA tournament in the history of the men’s golf program. He placed 22nd at the 2005 championships to assist PLNU to a fourth place finish, the best in school history. The next year he came back to help Point Loma place fifth. Those are the top two finishes for the Sea Lions in their 25 years of playing in the NAIA Championship.

After completing his collegiate career, Prince continued in the sport of golf as a coach. He had stops at PLNU, CBU and USD, before landing as an assistant coach at Arizona State in 2012-13. Prince helped guide the Sun Devils back to national prominence as they finished fifth at the NCAA National Championships in his first year with the program.

Prince also played professionally on the U.S. Pro Golf Tour, the Gateway Tour and the Golden State Tour. In 2008, he won the Oak Valley Championship and was ninth on the Golden State Tour money list.

Prince earned his undergraduate degree in Managerial and Organizational Communications from Point Loma in 2007.