For many years, Millard West girls golf has been an escape for players as they enjoy doing what they love. A new season means a new start, and players are hoping to bring home some wins and even some self-improvement.
Although golf might not be the most popular sport, girls of all grades love playing and creating lasting bonds with team members. Practices are from 3:35 p.m. to 5:15 p.m., and the players improve on chipping and putting on courses like Tiburon and Miracle Hills. These students have been working to improve during practice, learn new skills, and prepare for upcoming matches.
“I love that they want to get better and want to work at it,” coach Kent Speer said. “Each year is different with different circumstances. The skills are the same from year to year, but maybe we are better at driving and need more work on chipping and putting this year. Most are never satisfied with their scores and want to do better. I appreciate that effort.”
Matches are something each player looks forward to when working hard on the course. Each girl plays about 18 holes at a tournament, and they strive to get the least amount of strokes in each round. How they perform in each match is determined by how hard they work in and out of practice. Golf is a mental game as much as a physical game, and how each girl does at one hole shouldn’t affect how they play at the next.
“Each tournament usually consists of arriving an hour before the shotgun starts,” senior Anna Dunne said. “We warm up at the range, and then do some chipping and putting to get control of the green speeds. Then we head out to the holes that we are starting on and play 18 with usually three or four other girls. You have to swap your scorecards with those girls, so they are the ones counting your strokes. This is to try and eliminate cheating or any other misunderstandings about scores. Then, after the round, we turn our scorecards in and wait for scoring. After scoring, they award the top 10-15 players their medals and then we are done.”
As tournaments can be fun and competitive, players must learn how to balance it all with school. These tournaments are during the school day, and they have to miss multiple days of school at a time to attend. With homework for different classes, other activities and home lives balancing everything can be difficult.
“Golf can be difficult to balance sometimes because tournaments are during the day so you miss school,” sophomore Anna Jetter said. “But I just try to stay on top of my homework and still make time for my friends because I have practice every day after school and I play on the weekends so I have to figure out times to hang out with them.”
Overall, girls’ golf has been a team of competitiveness on the field but also a place to have fun and make new friends. During their fall season, the team practices chipping, putting, and staying consistent with their swings. Although girls’ golf doesn’t get a lot of attention, these students love it with every bit of their hearts. You can catch these marvelous girls at their next tournament on Tuesday, Oct. 1 against Westside High School.
