Park’s girls golf team kicked off the season with practice sessions at driving ranges and simulators. On March 26, the team held a simulator practice at Life Time in Park. At these sessions, players worked on their swing and putting skills using the simulators and putting greens. Regular practices help players improve and maintain consistent skills throughout the season.
Senior Maddison Grecco-Rosen said practices help build skills and confidence. She said practices also allow for social time and building good relationships with fellow players.
“We typically go to the driving range or the simulators to work towards a more consistent swing, so that once we go to matches and play out on the course, we are confident that our balls will be going where we want them to,” Grecco-Rosen said. “We (also) get to know each other and hang out with each other.”
According to sophomore Maria Nevinski, during practices, players can joke around and get help from coaches. She said she enjoys the community aspect of the golf team and the future opportunities it provides, especially for women and girls in the sport.
“My favorite (part of practice) is all the inside jokes we get to make, (as well as) all the help we get from coaches,” Nevinski said. “I love golf because of the community; you really get to know everyone, and it’s a sport you can play your whole life. There’s a lot more access to scholarships for women in golf, and it’s a very male-dominated sport, so for a woman to go and play golf is very unique and cool.”
Grecco-Rosen said the team is welcoming and encouraging and that they make practices fun. She said golf is a rewarding sport that encourages good sportsmanship.
“My favorite thing is how fun, friendly and supportive all of the girls on the team are,” Grecco-Rosen said. “They make it really enjoyable to want to come and show up every day. Even if it’s a bad match, I still have people (to support) me and cheer me up. It’s fulfilling, and it makes me happy, so I continue to do it.”
According to Nevinski, practice is necessary because no one is perfect on their first try. She said golf requires skills that players need to maintain if they want to continue playing.
“Practice is definitely necessary,” Nevinski said. “I don’t think anyone gets on the tee box and goes and hits it and it’s 100% how they wanted it. Golf is something you’re never 100% good at. It’s a lifelong skill that you keep developing and practicing.”
Head coach Kevin Jones said golf has many aspects to the game that require practice, and repetition and consistency lead to player success.
“Golf is a pretty complicated game, so it’s more than just hitting the ball with your clubs,” Jones said. “You need to be able to figure out how to manage yourself around the golf course. This is a sport about repetition, so the more repetition they can have, (the) better.”
Nevinski said the simulators provide technical data about a player’s strategies and performance. She said the indoor simulators can be safer to practice in when using larger clubs.
“When I’m at the simulators and I’m hitting my driver, it gives me all this data that I can then use out on the course,” Nevinski said. “It’s a safer environment for me to practice with my driver because it’s such a big club, and (things) could go wrong really fast.”
According to Jones, he is passionate about golf and enjoys sharing that passion with players. He said he hopes that his players love the sport and want to continue playing in their adult lives.
“I personally love the sport, and I love working with the players to teach them a game that I’m very passionate about,” Jones said. “Our hope is that many of the girls will get the golf bug and want to play this after high school.”
