It is just another golf tournament for senior Elena Robinson, until a certain hole did not end up like the rest. Amidst teeing off, the ball launched into the farthest section, Robinson started planning her next move. Her attention on the ball diminished until the opposing team’s coach started yelling. Robinson turned around only to see that the ball went in, and as a senior, she made her first hole in one.

Robinson has been playing golf for four years. Her freshman and sophomore year were spent on Junior Varsity, during her junior year she transitioned to playing on both teams. Now, Robinson is a member of the Varsity Women’s team.
The golf team practices and has their tournaments in the fall. Robinson explained how daily practices proceed.

“For a practice, we either play a few holes of golf, or work on something specific. For example, we might practice chipping by aiming at a certain point on the green, or putt from a certain distance to practice the difficult shots,” Robinson said.

This year differs from previous years. While sports teams are in constant worry about the COVID-19 virus, they have to take the necessary precautions to protect themselves and their teammates. This also requires sacrificing some of the aspects of playing on the team. Senior Sarisha Mahajan spoke about the experience.

“We didn’t get to have a banquet or team bonding activities, but due to the nature of golf always being outside and far apart from each other, we were able to easily social distance during matches and tournaments. Overall, the game did not change much for us this season,” Mahajan said.

Tournaments for the team have differed from those in the past. Some have been canceled due to the pandemic, but the team still had the opportunity to play at multiple tournaments. Robinson talked about how a tournament day takes place.

“We usually get there and have a little while to warm up and practice before we have to start. Each member from our team gets paired up [with] one or two other girls from different schools. It usually takes at least five hours,” Robinson said.

A team goes through the same experiences together. Even though the season was not the same as it has been in previous years, the team still went through it as one. Robinson explained what she will miss the most about the season.

“I will miss the girls the most. Hanging out together and practicing was really fun, and they are all great to talk to,” Robinson said.

The team competes in tournaments regularly, but the way they are scored is different from any other sport. Varsity coach, Tony Ingram, explained how the scores are determined.

“Tournaments are 18 holes and can be very grueling. Each team takes the best four scores to determine the team total,” Ingram said.

Sports can often be stressful, especially in a time like now. A team must work together to overcome adversity. Mahajan explained what being on a team with Robinson is like.

“Elena always brings a positive attitude to the team and reminds us that while winning is nice, we are really just playing to improve ourselves and have a good time,” Mahajan said.

As her last year and last season comes to a close, Robinson gave a piece of advice.
“Focus on what’s in front of you. If you make a bad shot or have a bad hole, you have to put it behind you so you can do well on the next one. It is easy to get caught up in what is going wrong, and it will affect [your] entire round if you let it,” Robinson said.