Golf gets off to a swinging start
By Chancellor Mentink, Reporter

Golf is a sport that most mainstream fans aren’t very knowledgeable about, glossing over it in favor of more fast-paced games such as football and basketball. Despite this neglect, many high school students have found a passion in the sport. Golf has quickly gathered steam at the high school, with many showing up for the team’s interest meeting. For the first time in several years, girls have joined as well. This renewed interest in the sport has brought to light a game which allows players more time to strategize and be methodical, perfecting skills and focusing on specific areas of fitness.

“There are a lot of different parts of golf,” senior Jake Harrah said. “There is the more strategic plotting side, and then there’s getting to go out and swing the club and go out on the course every day and just have a great time.”

Harrah has been on the golf team all of high school and is now the captain. His four years of experience have led him to appreciate golf’s unique aspects. The slow paced nature of the sport allows these players to take their time on each stroke and to strategize about what they want to do, which differs in most other sports, where the quick decision making is a large part of what makes them difficult.

While golf is often characterized as a relatively simple sport, it can be an incredibly difficult one due to the terrain. Unlike most sports, golf isn’t played on the same field every time. Each different course brings its own challenges for players to overcome.

Golf also offers players to make new connections with teammates and opponents.
“No matter who you are, you can make friends on the course,” Harrah said. “You can become better friends with your teammates, and you make new friends with the other team.”

The slow and relaxing nature of golf, as well as the unique strategizing of golf appealed to sophomore Colby Merrill and and was a contributing factor in his decision to play this season.

“It’s a very relaxing sport,” Merril said. “There isn’t a lot of yelling, and there isn’t a lot of frustration.”

Merril added that while golf is ideal for socializing, it also provides individuals with the ability to develop themselves. Solo sports can help some players become better faster because the burden of success doesn’t rely on the whole team. In golf, participants can consistently demonstrate their personal ability. This lack of reliance on a team also appeals to some players.

“With a game like golf, you’re integrated into the profession,” Merril said.
Golf is also a very precise sport, which allows players to repeatedly focus on particular skills, and focus on every stroke. The calm and relaxing feeling that comes with golf makes the game what it is. With the potential to make new friends and all of the opportunities you get for leisure while playing, golf is a different kind of sport, more focused on precision while allowing for socialization.