So I play golf. (How many of you did not know that?) And while I will not say, “I am good,” I will stand behind my 1 handicap that I have carried two years strong. (I was once scratch at Coffin Golf Club here in Indianapolis.) I hit the ball straight, bit not far. I throw absolute darts, but I putt like Sergio Garcia. I mean, in all honesty, if I could make 5 more putts a round, I could go pro. That is not a joke. For instance, this past weekend, I played a local municipal course (and while not the hardest course in the world) I managed to hit only 1 fairway on Saturday. I still fired a 69, but had two three putts. Then, playing the same course on Sunday, I hit 13 fairways (yeah, I hit my driver a LOT better on Sunday) but managed to three putt four times and left a good five birdie putts dead center of the cup an inch short.
But regardless of how I played this weekend, I want to touch base on how I played in high school. I played a fairly decent school that had a very deep squad. There were twelve of us on the varsity team and ten of us could break forty on a daily basis. There were three or four of us that could shoot under par every time we walked out on the course, and then some guys that just played for a score under forty. But all in all we were one of the top twenty teams in the state the four years that I was there.
But the thing that brings me to you today is the article that I read not too long ago about a team here in the Indianapolis area that has made a mark at a new golf course and has begun their trek to the yet another state title. This team was one that beat us time and time again during my days in high school and actually topped us three of the four years I was in school in the regional finals. (For those of you that do not know, you must win the regional event to move on to state. You can do this by either a team or an individual.)
The team that I am talking about is Nobelsville. The Miners have moved their home course to Purgatory (one of the longest golf courses in the country from their back tees) and have been trying to make themselves at home. The course, hard none the less, is not one that top high school players should not be able to shoot under par on. But the article that I read today begs to differ. The article stated that the Miners were throwing scores that were unheard of for high school players at this course and ones that need to be taken heed to. (Excuse me while I laugh out loud here.)
I am not one to brag, and I never have been. But I will do one thing. I will state that I will stand behind my ability to walk onto any golf course and break 80. (I have actually not shot over a 79 in the last two seasons.) To see high school varsity players come out to a course that yeah, hard, but not that hard, and shoot low scores still over forty, makes me want to be back in high school. And it makes me even more so want to be a high school golf coach.
Put me in front of a team of players that call themselves varsity (based on my experience as a varsity player) and have them shoot in the forties. See how many balls they hit next week.
I just want to know if this is a fluke that these reporters think they fired a low round, or if that is what is being considered average, or above so, in today’s high school market. Because it is, then I feel bad for these kids. Tiger Woods is at the top of the pile when it comes to golf. And anyone playing knows that. Hell, anyone walking knows that. But Tiger has not shot in the forties sine he was five years old.
So to the boys on the Nobelsville golf squad, I challenge you to go out to Purgatory and fire a 32 or a 33. Shoot the scores that I know you guys are capable of. You have the best equipment money can buy (and I know living in Nobelsville your parents are paying for everything anyway) and you need to use that to your advantage. I want to see some scores, team scores, where five of the top six players are in the thirties. I remember coming in on hole nine (or eighteen depending on the day) and having a putt to save 37 knowing that I needed to make it to score. (Scoring means that you are in the top four scores on the team that count to the final total. Most high school matches play five players (sometimes six) and keep the top four.)
Come on Nobelsville. You beat us year after year when we had Stanford graduates and Purdue Alumni (as of next week) walking you up and down the course. Show me some of that Purgatory skill.
You play golf?!