The Woodside High School golf team is off to a hot start, standing undefeated through nine matches.
After a difficult season last year, the Wildcats were moved down from the PAL Ocean division to the leagues secondary Bay division. This year’s team is highlighted mostly by underclassmen as the squad only boasts two seniors out of the entire ten golfers. However, what they lack in experience the Wildcats make up for in practicing their golfing skills.
“A good coaching staff and an energetic team has contributed most to our success this year,” commented senior golfer, Gabe Goldberg.
The team’s passion for golf is seen through their noticeable improvement since last year.
“Our record overall this year is 9-0, with an 8-0 record in league. We did get demoted to the ocean division, but we still have to win the matches and we are managing to play 10 to 15 strokes better than last year,” Coach John Arner stated.
However, some of their success can be due to the decrease in this season’s Bay division competition.
“We only have one opponent who is even close to our range of competition, which is Half Moon Bay,” Goldberg explained. “When we go to CCS we’ll play teams like Carlmont and Menlo Atherton, who are more competitive.”
The golf team has an interesting practice schedule not only because they are forced to play during the day, but also because matches can go on for long periods of time.
“Our practice schedule includes three days a week practices, and it’s limited because a round of golf can last more than three hours. I also do this so my golfers can study while being members of the team,” Arner said.
We only have one opponent who is even close to our range of competition
— Gabe Goldberg
Despite the relatively relaxed practice schedule, matches often take place during school hours, which can be a burden on the student athletes.
“It gets pretty tough. This week I missed every single class period of my English class because of golf, but it’s worth it because we are 9-0,” Goldberg added.
The extra work that the golf team is putting in to become a successful team has materialized into being one of the best teams in their league, if not the entire peninsula.
“They actually enjoy the game and are very supportive of each other because they truly want to win,” finished Arner.
