Golf seeks school records as spring season begins Monday


After more than a three-month hiatus, the Central Michigan golf team will finally get a chance to swing the clubs on Monday. 

Head coach Cheryl Stacy said she’s most excited for the team to be outside in the warm weather and see what the women can do on the grass instead of in the practice facility.

One difference between the fall and spring seasons is where the team practices. The Chippewas practice outside on grass during the summer to prepare for the fall and inside a facility during the winter to prepare for the spring.

Stacy said rust won’t be too much of a factor, but each player transitions to the grass at a different pace.

The team travels to Lakewood Ranch, Florida, Monday to play in the Mid-American Conference Match Play Challenge at the Lakewood Ranch Country Club. 

Stacy and graduate assistant Lauren Grogan have tried to take the experience they learned at Michigan and used it to build a foundation for the Chippewas.  

Experience and youth

Both experienced and young players are on the 2017 roster.

Juniors Natalie Johnson and Kristen Wolfe are leaders the team. Johnson had the team’s lowest stroke average at 81.00 with a low score of 74 last season. Wolfe wasn’t far behind with an average of 81.46 and a low of 73. 

Junior Amanda Walsh, sophomore Bria Colosky, and redshirt junior Holly Hines will seek to improve their scores for this spring. Hines will not participate in Monday's event due to an injury but is expected to return this season.

Freshmen Katie Logan and Danielle Sawyer to round out the roster. 

Seeking new heights 

The motto for the team is controlling the controllable. 

"You can’t control the weather, how other players are doing or injuries," Stacy said. "But you can control your focus, preparation and attitude."

In the fall, CMU had a stroke average of 83.52 and Stacy said one of the goals for the spring is to get the average below 80. 

Stacy said other goals for the Chippewas include beating an 18-hole team score of 311 and beating their best finish of 7th out of 14 last fall at the Rocket Classic. 

The team has five tournaments before the MAC Championships begin in late April. 

Share: