The impression that has been given about golf is that it is a relaxing past-time filled with Arnold Palmers and southern charm. People think that between holes, groups of friends are seen cutting-up and taking a joyride on the golf cart.
Golf, what seems to be an enjoyable activity for the older demographic is considered competitive and mentally challenging on the collegiate level.
Anne Reeves Skinner, a sophomore on the Samford Women’s Golf team, devotes her time to her golfing career as a division one athlete.
While balancing school, her social life and maintaining good status in her sorority, Skinner also allots several hours to tournaments, practices and many holes being played.
“Samford is good at giving us social time because our coaches know it’s important,” Skinner said.
A tournament weekend usually takes up three days in the team’s schedule as students. Each day is filled, whether they are studying the map of the course, practicing or playing.
What differs from a tournament style round of golf and a leisurely round of summer golf is the mental game.
Grace Engel, a sophomore on the Samford Women’s Golf team, understands that there are “two types of golf.”
Playing 36 holes during a tournament is mentally and physically draining while playing 36 holes on a sunny, summer day is enjoyable.
“I still have that feeling that time stops,” said Engel on when playing 36 holes competitively, as she uses the sun as her clock.
The difference between competitive play and leisure play is also the team environment. While golf is normally looked at as an individual sport, when playing on the collegiate level, it is seen as more of a team sport.
“Having a bad hole doesn’t mean that the team’s score is tanked,” said Engel.
The tournaments are scored by team points which means for each player that a bad day doesn’t mean a bad score.
There is talkative play amongst the teammates as they go about the course which makes the event more team oriented.
For the Samford Women’s Golf team, they are a tight knit group of girls who are truly friends outside of being teammates.
“We are all good friends and hangout,” said Skinner.
Whereas any team can have drama and cliques, the women do not find this the case with their team.
“We all fit together,” said Engel.
Samford Women’s Golf, while perceived as a leisure sport, is played smartly and as a team on the collegiate level which makes each tournament more competitive than a summer afternoon playing 18 holes.
Staff Writer
