Courtesy of Evelyn Marshall, Discover Golf Camp circa 2018
Dear Golf,
My last round of high school golf ended quietly, in typical golf fashion. There was no dramatic finish, no perfect swing. Just a quiet walk up the 18th fairway, knowing it’d be the last time playing in my uniform.
For me, the journey wasn’t exactly straightforward. Following in the footsteps of my brother, my mom signed me up for Discover Golf camps, and I absolutely loved it. Though there wasn’t an exact moment where it clicked, it was just something I seemed to naturally gravitate towards. To this day, I spend most of my summers at Deer Path Golf Course coaching. I guess I just can’t get enough! It’s rewarding to watch the younger girls learn and grow, and a great way to connect with the sport without even playing.
I didn’t play at the high school my junior year. For a while, it felt like the right decision. I got to come straight home after school. I didn’t have to wake up at 6 am to play Bittersweet Golf Club. Later, something shifted, and I really missed it. I missed the routine, the challenge, and the rhythm you find as you walk to your next shot. Coming back senior year, I knew I needed a different mindset; I just wanted to have fun. Funny enough, I played some of my best golf.
I’ve definitely had my ups and downs with this sport. In particular, the one time my ball practically went horizontal and nailed my opponent’s golf bag, or the time I somehow clutched a birdie to qualify for sectionals by one stroke. I’ve learned throughout the years to just laugh at myself as much as possible, because I may not be the most consistent, but I do try.
The thing about golf is that you don’t age out of it. I started playing at 7, and will continue until I can’t anymore. But high school golf does have an expiration date, and it just passed. I’ll still play the game, but just not this version of it. There won’t be teammates cheering me on from the holes behind, or Becky giving me a pep talk and a bag of Mott’s when it gets rough.
You don’t have to be in peak physical shape to play the sport, but your mind certainly has to be. It truly is a mental game. The second you tee off on the first hole, it’s just you and the course for the next 4 hours (more like 6 with girls golf). I’ve definitely learned that patience is a virtue. There are no substitutions, no one to pass the pressure to, or call a timeout. Every shot is yours, especially the ones you immediately wish you could take back. That’s what makes it so challenging, but weirdly addictive. You just simply have to own it and to play the game you’ve got that day.
If you told sophomore year me that I’d be upset to leave this sport, she’d probably laugh. But here I am, truly sad to say goodbye.
Golf has been such an integral part of my life. It has taught me to be confident, comfortable in my own company, to stay calm when things don’t go my way, and to trust myself when things do. Most people leave their high school sports behind when they graduate, but lucky for me, I get to take mine wherever life goes.
So, thank you, Golf, for all you’ve given me, and here’s to hopefully a lifetime of playing ahead of me.
Sincerely,
Evelyn Marshall