This year, girls’ golf is the biggest it’s ever been, with over 20 members. The team is on the more casual side, different from other sports at the school.
Captain senior Ruth McBee echoed this sentiment.
“[The team is] really exciting, sometimes stressful, but [there’s] no real downfall because we don’t play competitively,” McBee said.
Although the team has been more focused on having fun and improving individual skills, the freshmen recruits this year are incredibly driven and passionate, and the team is looking forward to competitive growth.
Coach Garth Fossen is “stoked.”
“If [the freshmen] keep playing for four years, they might become really good,” Fossen said.
In the short term, he hopes nobody gets struck by lightning (luckily, nobody ever has) and that the team has fun.
Coach Benjamin Grosscup agrees. He also has other long-term hopes for the team.
“My hopes for the team are the same every season, which is that the kids develop a passion for the game and play their whole life,” Grosscup said.
In the short term, he looks forward to seeing the members improve and get more personal bests.
Both captains, senior Baophuc Ho and McBee, also look forward to getting good hits more consistently.
But their journey won’t be without struggle. One thing that is always a concern is the weather. Golf is especially difficult when it’s pouring–balls don’t roll as well and mud clings on. But ultimately, the girls get through it together.
“Yes, it’s horrible to play golf in the rain, but it’s still kind of fun because…okay, I’m soaking wet, but you’re playing with people you like, and you’re playing with your friends,” McBee explains.
Ho elaborates that another perk to playing in the rain was that sometimes they get fries at the clubhouse.
The team also stays connected outside of golf. They say hello to each other in the hallways, stay connected online, and, in the fall, some members came together to make promotional posters for the soccer event.
Ho, who joined in her freshman year, reminisces on the growth of the team.
“I feel like the past years, it’s really gone up,” Ho said.
She also looks forward to the growth of the team.
“The freshmen are really good. I think Fossen and Grosscup might start getting competitive, just for them.” McBee elaborates:
“[Now], people actually want to play golf. [Before]…not a lot of people were here because they wanted to play golf.” McBee said. Rather than being there for the game, they were there because they wanted to play a sport.
The best game to attend this year is the event at the Rose City Golf Course, located adjacent to the school. Ho’s personal favorite event is the last match, normally at the Colwood Golf Course because the whole team is there, and
“We just play together, and it’s really fun,” Ho said.
Overall, the girls’ golf team looks forward to competitive growth spearheaded by the new recruits. The captains anticipate a mix of competitive spirit and relaxed team atmosphere in the next few years.
“I think everyone should join girls’ golf,” Ho said.
It’s also very beginner-friendly. McBee said she didn’t “even know how to hold a club” when she joined.
Anyone who wants a sense of community or to be active should join.
And as Grosscup says, “golf is the game you play for life.”
