CHS’s Boys golf team has teed off the season to a great start! The boys have shown a tremendous amount of strength throughout this season.

This season is very different from the last in many ways. One being there are seven new players joining the team - one sophomore and six freshmen. Another difference from last year is the new coaching staff. Coach Robertson, the girl’s golf head coach is switching up her gears by coaching the boys alongside Coach Brown. I sat down with Coach Robertson to get an insight on how this season is going. 

Golf practice takes place at Elks Country Club where players will typically warm up and practice drills on the range. This means they are putting green, and chipping green. Then players will head out on the course to play or even complete practice drills. Practice is usually two hours with many boys staying later to work individually. Coach Robertson is most looking forward to the State Golf Tournament and is confident the qualifiers will do well here. 

Robertson added, “As coaches, we have been extremely proud of each of the player's commitment to practice, their work ethic, and their desire to improve as varsity or junior varsity players.  It takes time to become a seasoned, competitive player and for many players this is their first experience with tournament golf.  All are doing what is asked of them, and we are seeing the results with improved team scores each week.” 

I also talked with the returning coach, Coach Marc Brown. Brown was the head golf coach from 2009-2012, but had to step down when he was promoted to CHS activities director. Brown stated that getting back into the swing of things had taken time because he has not been coaching for a while. However with past experience, it has been a smoother transition than one might expect. 

The players have faced many adversities this season. The weather has been a huge contributor to their hardships. Nebraska has been experiencing a lot of windy and rainy weather this spring, making it difficult to golf under such conditions. Because of this, practice schedules have been changing frequently and are never certain. Brown stated that another challenge the boys have faced is a lack of maturity, meaning not everyone has played frequently and especially because of COVID, playing in competitive events consistently was something the team lacked. Time, individual work, effort, ability and knowledge is essential for golf. Without real experience, the golfers would be in a position where they are not sure how successful the shot will be. 

Both coaches named the varsity team as potential state qualifiers, and senior Brock Kuhlman is a promising qualifier individually. Coach Brown stated, “Our two seniors have led the way all season and both show the ability to lead this team to great heights.  Brock Kuhlman is our most experienced and capable golfer. Brock can play with anybody in the state and will make a push to medal in the top five or higher at state.  Brody Mickey continues to find himself on the brink of a huge breakthrough.  If it breaks through, look out.  He may surprise some folks.”

I also talked to returning golfers to get their insight on this season and how it has been going for them. I first talked to junior, Tyson Weber. Tyson has been playing golf for two years. Tyson added that the most challenging thing he has faced this season is the conscious effort to stay focused throughout practices and tournaments. Tyson has had a great season this year and is most looking forward to seeing how far he and his teammates have come when the season is over. 

Another junior, Andon Beringer, has been playing for three years. Andon stated that mental conditions and being able to believe in yourself especially after a tough day is a challenge, for not only him, but for his teammates as well. Andon also added that the weather was another hardship for the boys with the insane conditions; it can be difficult to play well and stay focused. He is most looking forward to playing better and seeing how he has improved throughout the season.

One final junior I spoke with was Nicolas Kriech. Nic has been golfing since he was only five years old. He, like some other golfers, also faced mental buried when competing in tournaments or even at practice. Nic is most looking forward to hopefully competing at state with his teammates. 

The team only has two more tournaments for the season, followed by Districts and the State tournament. CHS Anchor news wishes them the best of luck this season! Make sure to follow ANchor News on Twitter and Instagram @CHSAnchorNews!