After hoping to get back on the local course this year, the boys golf team had to cancel its home match Friday after weather delays impacted construction at Twin Oaks Golf Complex.
However, the team was given exclusive rights to practice twice a week this spring as renovations continue.
Just over three years ago on Feb. 22, 2023, boys golf head coach Scott Keltner said they received the news the team would lose access to their home golf course. Twin Oaks closed less than a month before the season.
To find a way to practice, a makeshift course was constructed. The course consisted of a driving range by the school entrance sign and putting practice on the library carpet. Eventually, the high school’s old weight room was turned into an indoor hitting facility.
Now after three seasons, the team began practice at Twin Oaks once again.
“I was so excited because it’s been so long since I’ve been there and it’s where I started playing golf, ” junior Joey Mastro said.
With a younger group of golfers this season due to most of the past year’s team graduating, many current members have not had a home course.
“They’re eager to get going,” Keltner said. “The guys were over the moon just getting the opportunity to play out there.”
One of the biggest perks of having a home course is that it saves practice time that the Cardinals have been without for the past few seasons.
“We can immediately hop on and not have to wait for anybody,” junior Luke Watts said.
Having a reliable course also has gameplay advantages. Keltner said the makeshift setup at the school doesn’t allow for good putting and chipping practice.
“So, that was obviously a weak spot of our game,” Keltner said. “Being able to get access to a place where we can practice that on a much larger scale instead of across the carpet in the library in the high school, it’s obviously leaps and bounds above what we’ve been doing the past couple of years.
Construction at Twin Oaks continues and will keep the course closed to the public in the meantime, but management said they were glad to have the Cardinals back to practice on completed areas.
“It’s been an exciting process for us to be able to support the community, have a partnership with the community, to get them out there and utilize the golf course,” Twin Oaks general manager Grant Suderman said. “We want to be able to support the community that supports us.
The team also practices once a week at Burning Tree Golf Course in De Soto, but has to share course time with several other schools and the public.
To find more time for the team, GOYO, golf on your own, Fridays were introduced, allowing players to play at the course of their choice.
The varsity team will start the season on Monday at Royal Valley.
Reach us at [email protected].
