With four matches down, the girls golf team has officially swung into the full season.

Both this season and the last were reset years for the team, with many foundational skills being developed for newer members, according to senior Charlotte Robinson.

“There definitely was some building from the ground up a little bit this year,” she said.

However, after consistently placing second in tournaments, the team has strong hopes to go to state this season — or at least to send their best individuals.

Making it to state necessitates a lot of practice, and the team meets that bar by practicing four days a week on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, with a break on Wednesdays to catch up on schoolwork accumulated from the missed school days for tournaments. 

Academics for golfers can be stressful, since tournaments tend to take place on Mondays or Tuesdays, and the team often misses the entire day for it, according to senior Alexa Storie.

“I think it’s really fun to go out and play, but it’s always in the back of my mind that I need to get stuff done, and that’s kind of overwhelming,” she said. “I’m really lucky that [on] Tuesdays, I have classes that are pretty manageable.”

With a high time commitment expected of players, golf can also be exhausting, Robinson said.

“It’s not the most physically demanding sport, but it is very tiring, especially mentally,” she said. “Trying to come home around like seven or eight o’clock sometimes, and after playing golf, trying to do a bunch of homework can be difficult.”

However, both Storie and Robinson mentioned that teachers are accommodating to golfers for both tournaments and practices.

According to Storie, practices consist of either a range day — where the team spends their time on the driving range and on the putting course — or a play day — where the team will play a nine- or 18-hole game.

While the general structure of practice has stayed, practices have shifted slightly since last year, according to Robinson.

“We’ve been practicing together a bit more as varsity and JV together … compared to last year where it was a little bit more separated,” she said.

As well as allowing for a stronger team connection, both teams practicing together gives JV athletes the opportunity to watch and learn from their varsity counterparts.

“Personal growth is a big part of our team,” Storie said. “I think it’d be really great if we all get better individually.”

Each practice targets a different area of growth, with this season’s team working specifically on the short game — the ending part of a hole that consists of chipping and putting, according to Storie.

“Those are the things that matter at the end of every hole,” she said. “That’s what can dwindle down your score over time.” 

Robinson echoed this, saying that the team noticed they needed growth in that area, as they mostly worked on the long game — the part of the game that takes place at distances beyond chipping range — last year.

However, she also said that the team has improved in general and is well prepared for the season.

“We’re performing well,” she said. “I think I see a lot of dedication throughout the team this year, a lot of commitment to wanting to do better.”

There are also some girls on the team placing individually within the top 10 at recent tournaments, which sets the team up for regionals and possibly state, Robinson said.

In terms of camaraderie, the team hopes to have a retreat later in the year, but said that their bonding mostly occurs through the high amount of time they practice together. 

“Especially when you’re playing, you’re on the course with the same few people … golf’s a really social sport, so we just talk to each other,” she said. 

Because of golf’s social nature, the coach makes sure to switch up partners during practice so that everyone gets a chance to play with and get to know each other, according to Storie.

“I think we all like each other,” she said. “We can all talk with each other. We just laugh a lot, which is really fun.” 

In terms of strategy, Robinson said, the greatest burden falls on the individual for skill and scoring.

“There’s less of that team aspect, where you’re not relying on other people to make sure that you’re doing good,” she said.

However, she said that if the team wants to continue placing well in tournaments overall, it’s crucial that they support each other.

“We still all want our team to do good,” she said.

Looking forward, Storie believes that the team will stay balanced as the seasons progress.

“I think every year we just lose really great people, but we’ve also gained some pretty great people as well on our team,” she said. “We have a lot of sophomores that are coming up and are really good, and I think that, and also some juniors that have been amazing, and they’ll lead the team next year.”