Junior Brooke is especially hopeful for this year’s golf season. A member of the Hockaday golf team since her freshman year, Brooke looks forward to competing in out-of-city tournaments, reuniting with old teammates and welcoming new golfers.

Southwest Preparatory Conference champions for three consecutive years, the golf team demonstrates a strong commitment to the sport and to each other. Due to the small size of the team and the fact that the golfers practice off campus, golf is an overlooked sport at Hockaday. The golf team’s sweatshirts for last year’s season, poking fun at this circumstance, read, “We’re a team… we swear!”

But the 8-person team has proved to be beneficial to everyone. With a “small team, everybody becomes closer. We know each other’s skills and can help each other out… it’s like a small family, I guess,” Shelton says.

Her teammates agree. Senior Laura shares that “it’s easy for everyone to become close. I’ve met some of my best friends over the years being on the golf team.”

Junior Tita adds, “I like the small team because you become really good friends with the people on it even if they’re not in your grade. I feel like on bigger teams, you don’t get that close to everyone.”

Coach Christine Lagow agrees with her athletes that the small team is not a disadvantage. Most high school and college golf teams only consist of about five to 10 players. This is because a “team may only have a maximum of five players at any tournament,” she says, “This is due to the fact that there are only 18 holes on the course, so only a limited number of players may be accommodated to insure a round is played in four hours or less.”

All Hockaday golfers anticipate returning to the golf course as a team and making progress together this season.

“I would say the best thing about golf is seeing how happy people are when they improve their game,”  Laura says.

Brooke agrees, adding, “At first, I did not have the attention span to last four hours and be good at it. It’s definitely a mental game…it’s good with endurance.”

With enthusiastic team members and a competitive tournament schedule, this year’s golf team promises not to disappoint.  The team will play tournaments in Houston and Fort Worth and culminate with the SPC Championship in the Woodlands.

“Golf teaches the sportsmanship and strong character discipline that guides young people toward reaching life-long goals,” says Lagow. “It is a chance for me to give others the opportunity and enjoyment to share something with others across many generations.”

—Amy