Wolverine golf opens brand new season

 Along with a cold start for all of Weiser High School’s spring sports, the Wolverine golf team was met with a full gamut of early spring weather conditions at Rolling Hills Golf Course during the opening two weeks of practice.

 Head coach Tom Harrison has some strong support in the program from his volunteer coaching staff, Mike Ryan and Monte Hurd, both returning to the program and also former members of WHS golf teams during their own youth. 

 Harrison, himself, has a 27-year coaching history in the sport, and has played the game much longer than that.

 “This is my second year coaching at Weiser,” Harrison said. “I coached three years at Emmett, nine years at Pocatello, and probably 10 years at Snake River. I don’t play recreationally as much anymore.”

 Harrison said he has one returning player on the boys’ team, senior Carter Jensen, and three returners on the girls’ team, Lucy Hickey, Hannah Grace, and Samantha Kingsbury.

 “It’s the first time out for everyone else,” he said. “We’ve got room for more girls, and it’s okay if they are beginners.Right now, the girls on the team don’t have to worry about qualifying for scheduled matches and tournaments. 

 “We’ll see how things play out for the boys,” Harrison added. “Right now it’s too early to tell. It’s going to be interesting to see how they respond in competition. Playing golf and playing competitively are two different beasts.”

 Harrison said he’s fully enjoying the teaching aspect of this season.

 “The relationships you can build out here on the golf course are always something that is a positive thing for me in my life,” he said. “That’s why I’m here. I just want to be able to help kids get better. And they can enjoy a lifetime sport, because golf is a lifetime sport.

 “By these kids getting started early, at some point in their lives they will appreciate it a lot more,” he added. “It’s much better to start early, as with any skill, the earlier you start the better in the long run.”

 Returner Jensen is looking forward to the season.

 “I hope we compete as a team and get better as a team,” he said. “We have a lot of new golfers, and I hope they just do their best and have fun doing it. And, I hope I do well, too.”

 The Lady Wolverines hosted their first match of the 2024 season at Rolling Hills on Monday, March 11, placing fourth in a field of five teams. Weiser’s score of 225 followed behind first place Ambrose, 185; Cole Valley, 196, and McCall, 222, with Homedale coming in fifth with 250 strokes.

 Lady Wolverine Lucy Hickey ended the day in the second medalist spot, shooting 41 in the nine-hole contest. Weiser’s team individual scores followed Hickey with Grace, 57; Kingsbury, 60; and relatively new golfers, Presley Williams, 67; Avery Palmer, 69; and Tina Dobson, 74.

 Congratulations, Lady Wolverines. The Signal American is looking forward to following you through the 2024 season.