We all have seen golf on TV; maybe your dad watches it in the living room or it was on one of the many huge screens in a sports bar. It is a very popular sport to watch, but only a select few at Apopka have taken the leap to join our AHS Golf Team. This team allows students to develop a passion for a sport that can be played both casually and competitively in the future. Currently our golf team competed individually in the district and metro tournaments after ending their regular season. The individuals who entered these tournaments are Katie Berens, Alani Ezzai, Juliana Zuniga, Myah Jones,  Andre Rattray, Brandon Johnson, and  Andrew Page. Coach Walker says, “I normally do not stress about winning too much during the season but always hope to do well at the Metro and Distract tournaments.”

One of the stellar golfers on Apopka’s team is senior, Andre Rattray. He has been playing golf since the ripe age of 3 and his goal is to enjoy every second of it. Andre says, “I look up to golfers like Rory Mcllroy and Tiger Woods.” Andre ended the season off with a personal record of 39 on a 9 hole green and 84 on an 18 hole green. Another one of our student athletes is Andrew Page.  Although he hasn’t been playing very long, he’s made sure to have fun and keep a positive mindset. Andrew’s personal record was 48 on 9 holes and he decided to join the golf team because, “I used to play baseball and I had an injury that messed with me mentally. The quality of my play suffered because of it. I liked the thought of golf because the swing can be very similar to a baseball swing in many ways. I could also play golf with my dad and it can be a very good skill in the world of business.”

Last but not least is Coach Walker. It is Coach Walker’s first year coaching the girl’s team and fifth year with the boys. He started coaching golf while helping his father in law when he was the girls golf coach. “One day the boys coach asked me if I had any interest in taking over for him and I said sure.” If you were interested in trying out for golf next year, you may want to know what an everyday practice looks like: “Practice normally starts with either time on the range finishing with a putting drill (which they hate but helps them become more efficient putters). Or start with the putting drill and finish with the range. We sometimes would get out and play a few holes depending on how long it would take with them to complete the putting drill.”

The AHS Boys and Girls Team welcomes anyone to come tryout next year, experienced or not. Although their season may be over this year, they are sure to have just as much fun in all the years to come! On behalf of The Blue and White we would like to congratulate all of the individuals who competed in metros and districts!