The little wind of fresh air fluttered the American flag as people were setting up tables to celebrate another victory of the girl’s golf team as well as the “Senior Night” for the senior players.
“We just finished with our last match, so we had a very good season,” Coach Lindsey Allen said. “We won five matches and lost two matches. I just think that we have a really good group of girls, and everybody is really supportive of one another, so I think that just makes us a better team.”
The team won with a score of 183. Maddie Sloan had 41 strokes, Kinsey Hayes had 48 strokes, Annie Garrard had 47 strokes, and Keegan Smith had 47 strokes. A stroke is the forward movement of the club made to strike the ball, and the lower the number the better. The total score is calculated by the sum of the players’ best scores.
Golf is a very individual sport, but at the same time it is played with a team. The highlight for the girls is how they support each other during matches and tournaments.
“All the girls are so close, and we really lift each other up and support each other,” sophomore Kinsey Hayes said. “We can take it seriously while also having fun with it, and we can make it really enjoyable for one another.”
Through thick and thin, the girls are there for each other. They all motivate each other, and they have each others’ backs.
“ You just got to lift each other up. After a bad shot, you just got to be like: you got it! keep going!” senior Annie Garrard said.
As most players have admitted, their dads are the ones who got them into playing golf.
“My dad actually signed me up for something here at the local course, and I just kind of started playing [and] fell in love with it,” senior Maddie Sloan said. “My dad actually took me to the range one time, and he said that my swing was decent and that I should start playing. I started going to the range with him more often, and since then, I’ve just had a passion for it.”
There also was the Fox Valley Conference tournament on Sept. 25. The team came in fourth place. Sloan and Hayes came in fourth and 10th place overall. Sloan shot 82, and Hayes 89.
“Both of these girls played so well that they made the all-conference team for Fox Valley Conference,” Allen said.
Golf has its own beauty that many others do not see. It is unique for its blend of individual and team play, mental and strategic challenges, varied natural environments, and the absence of a standard playing field, making each game interesting and unpredictable.
“I say definitely do golf, because it’s not like other sports,” Garrard said. “It’s such a small group of people, and you all end up being so close, and I think it’s just a great experience to have in high school.”
