After a successful season last year, the boys and girls golf teams here at Lincoln are looking to tee up another great spring season.
Girls golf has recently overcome a low participation rate. Only four girls were on the team in 2022. During the 2023 season their numbers increased to 14 girls.
Alissa Kim is a junior on the girl’s golf team. She joined the team last year. Her favorite thing about golf is the team environment.
“If you want to talk to someone… you have all these teammates that support you and help you and I’ve made so many friends,” said Kim.
Girls golf at Lincoln is a no cut sport. Kim believes this aids in building community.
“Our team environment is so nice because you can be the type who has never played before and still join the team and still practice,” said Kim. ”So if you want to be competitive you can, if you don’t, you don’t have to.”
Kim has been playing golf on-and-off since she was seven. Her parents told her from a young age that she would be great at the sport and have encouraged her to pursue it since her grandfather played.
“My grandpa would’ve loved if I played golf and since I’ve never met him I think it’s a way I can connect [to him],” she said.
Quinn Hefele, a junior on the boy’s golf team, has also been playing golf from a very young age.
“[Golf is] my passion and there’s nothing I enjoy doing more than playing golf. I’ve been playing since I could walk,” he said.
Boys golf is slightly different from the girls team, as they try to maintain 15 people on the team with 5 or 6 competing on Varsity tournaments.
The Varsity team last year placed 7th at state. Hefele was disappointed by their performance on the second day.
“We were third after the first of two days and had a really bad second day. It was honestly one of the more disappointing days I’ve had on a golf course,” said Hefele.
Despite the difficult placing last year, Hefele is hopeful and excited for this upcoming season.
“The team this year is gonna be a lot younger and we won’t really know what we have until the season starts. We still have goals to win a state title but first we have to start by establishing a team,” said Hefele.
