Franklin has an abundant amount of sports. One that sometimes flies under the radar is golf! Franklin has both men’s and women’s teams, which have been competing during the spring season. With the end of the golf season coming up, let’s have a talk with players from Franklin’s golf teams and learn what they enjoy most about the game.
The concept of golf is to use the fewest amount of swings to get the golf ball into the hole. A golfer must finish 18 holes in a varsity match to publish their score. The fewer hits it takes you, the better you score, so control and focus are necessary ingredients in performing well.
Leo Kepler is a junior at Franklin and also a member of the men’s golf team. He’s been playing golf since his sophomore year, and was introduced to golf through a friend and his dad who plays the game as well. Some of the things he enjoys about golf are “how difficult it is, and how every day it’s like a whole new game even if it’s the same course.”
The most important skill for someone who is playing golf is their “patience and tempo,” says Kepler, meaning that golf is a game where your ability to wait and control your swing is crucial.
The hardest thing about golf can be the mental aspect of it. While other sports seem to be more based on physical strength, having the wrong mindset can hold an individual back in golf. This is because it is such an individual and skill-based sport. Other obstacles that people face during golf can be freaking out or giving up after a bad shot. Kepler reminds others to “keep calm, and also keep good timing on [a] swing.” This means to strike the ball in a way where it can be hit effortlessly in the right direction, giving you the best opportunity to get the ball in the hole.
In many sports, the amount of time you spend playing, the better you get, and that includes golf. In a sport like golf, repetition and practice are key to getting better, but the most important tip Kepler has is to “remember to stay in the moment.” While time can pass by very fast, taking your time on each shot will allow you to play with a better mindset and in a more intentional way.
Kepler enjoys golf as a fun sport but also as a potential career path in his future. Playing on the Franklin team allows him to experiment in the game and become a stronger player as well. This can lead to college-level playing, which can open up scholarships and help reduce the amount of money someone pays for college, not to mention the opportunity to play at a higher level.
Another individual on the Franklin golf teams is Nala Day, who’s a junior at Franklin. She started playing a few weeks into the season during her freshman year after one of her friends said it was a “low-stress and really fun” game. One of the reasons Day enjoys golf so much is because of “how rewarding it is when you start to see progress,” which can be extremely inspiring!
One thing that golf has taught Day is patience, and it has helped her out of “her shell by talking to new girls every match.” Golf can be pretty stressful and frustrating when you do poorly, but Day reminds people to be resilient and to have fun: “I try my best to have fun and not take it too seriously.” She finds that when she makes a mistake, freaking out about it never ends well. While playing golf for the past three years, Day has had the chance to discover incredible communities, and as she continues the sport she is excited to see what the future holds.
Many people enjoy golf as a hobby or a sport well after high school, such as lifelong golfer John Eaton, a father and lover of golf and fishing. Eaton says that golf has greatly affected his life by offering “lifelong friendships, skills of patience, and the opportunity to teach the ones he loves.” He thanks golf for many deep-rooted skills and the amazing memories that it has brought to his life.
Golf is not just a sport, but a source of enjoyment, a challenge, and an opportunity for a better life. Whether you are a beginner or have played all your life, the golf course allows for a chance to make friends and become the best version of yourself on and off the course.
