Girl’s golf has a history dating back to the 1540s with Mary Stuart, The Queen of Scotland, who was the first female golfer noted in history. Pahrump Valley High School’s own girl’s golf team has made many accomplishments in the past years.
The team consists of two seniors: Callie Fisher and Emily Gent, and 11th grader Aliana Zuniga. The assistant coach of the team is our own Steve Nygaard. Fisher, originally from Flagstaff, Arizona, has been on the team for 6-7 months. The golf season has been her favorite, and she’s gotten to meet tons of people and developed great friends through golf. Zuniga has been playing golf since middle school and plans to continue playing after she graduates next year.
Golf is typically described as a calming sport, but there are still many challenges included in the game. “Golf is hard…You’re trying to get a ball in a tiny hole. You could be having an incredible game one day and the next you aren’t hitting perfectly at all” says Fisher. Another factor to take into consideration is weather conditions. The girls’ team only plays in the summer, whereas the boys’ team gets the luxury of playing in the spring with 75-degree weather and non-blistering sunlight.
Another issue the girls have to face is carrying everything from point A to point B. “I would love it if kids could start using golf carts instead of walking,” said Coach Nygaard. The main issue that is involved with golf in general is the mental aspect. Coach Nygaard spoke on how everything starts from a static position, and how it is difficult to play and focus under the competitive pressure that the students go through in golf. Unfortunately, school is also affected by golf. The team travels at least once a week for tournaments and usually doesn’t get back until 9 p.m. If a tournament is on a school day, the team not only misses school, but they also don’t get back early and have to be right back in school that next morning.
Although the sport has some obstacles, the good outweighs the bad on this team. Many teammates stated that the bonds you make in golf do last, and it reveals the character of the people you’re playing with.
All of the team members recommend girls at PVHS to give golf a try! Unfortunately, due to two out of three members graduating this year, there is a chance that the golf team won’t continue next year. This sport also is an activity you can play for a long time. Though it can be competitive at times, many use the sport to feel more calm. Nygaard states “You can’t play football when you’re 85, but you can play golf.”
All in all, golf is a very relaxing sport, while also keeping you on your toes. On the PVHS girls golf team, you get to travel at least once a week to competitions, and even though you may miss a bit of school, you get to build incredible bonds with your teammates. Also as stated before, the team needs some more teammates, so give girls golf a try, and make some friendships that are sure to be a hole-in-one!
