In My Own Words...

My time with Occidental Golf has already been a positive experience. It is similar to my high school years in some ways, yet different in many others. Most of the Oxy Golf team graduated last year leaving a big gap for my class of 2010 to fill. I was first made aware of this need for golfers when I visited Occidental for the first time in April 2006. Along with a couple other first-years and a few upper classmen who are new to the golf team, I just started playing here this year. We met each other during some workouts that were assigned by Coach Johnson over the fall semester. We have all connected and get along really well with one another.

In high school, golfing was very informal for me. I played on the varsity team for three years and as the number one seed my last year. It was a very relaxing experience for me in the spring because I played soccer and basketball during the fall and winter seasons. Spring was a time for me to take a break from rigorous daily practices and constant physical exhaustion. We practiced whenever possible on nearby public courses in the city of Portland.

Since coming to Occidental I have played on local country club courses with the team. We have certain days of the week at Oakmont and San Gabriel country clubs when we are allowed to go as a team and play practice rounds. We have had three tournaments so far this year, including one overnight trip north of Santa Barbara for a match. Going as a team and staying with all the other golfers in a hotel was a very fun experience that I didn't get to have in high school. Playing La Purisma golf course was an incredible experience as well; one that I wouldn't have had the opportunity to go through without being on the Occidental team.

One similarity between my teammates here and my high school golfing partners is their relaxed nature. I can only imagine that Division I golfing is much more intense than what I am going through. The coaches are mainly the only monitors of the tournaments and they are very helpful. The players are informal to a certain degree and talk amongst one another on long days or extended waits on the tee box. Depending on my group's personality, I sometimes make friends with my opponents after a long day of 18 or even 36 holes of golf. Just like I did in high school I find that many people are out to win, but at the same time many people can find humor in a bad round rather than breaking clubs and ruining the day for everyone around them.

All around I am having a great time playing golf here for Occidental, as are all my teammates. I look forward to the rest of our tournaments. I am especially excited for the SCIAC Championships at the end of April in Palm Springs.