The Fauquier High School (FHS) golf team has taken this season in stride, winning nine and losing only three matches. This season has had lots of curveballs, but has been overall beneficial to the team, not only with winning matches, but the addition of a new coach.
Though the golf team did not make it to states, they did a good job in the season. One of the players who made it to regionals was senior Aiden Brennan, who has been playing golf since childhood. “I’ve always played, then I found out [FHS] had a team, so I just tried out and made the team,” Brennan expressed, “I’ve never really played competitively, so there was a huge difference than [just] being out on the course for fun.” Brennan is committed to the college, Hood College in Fredrick, Maryland.
Nate Winbarger is the newest coach for the FHS golf team. Freshly graduated from Bridgewater University, where Winebarger played for the college golf team. Golf is a difficult sport to coach, but Winebarger does an excellent job. He has been helping the boys a lot throughout the season, not only by giving the team helpful pointers, but also by building positive relationships.. For this to be his first year of coaching, Winbarger is doing an excellent job with helping the players. Winebarger is very excited for what is to come for the future in his golf coaching career.
The team has a wonderful dynamic, not only getting to cheer each other on during the matches, but they also have team dinners when their matches run late into the night. As expressed by sophomore Pierce Ross, “it’s kind of like we’re just some boys playing golf. It’s not very serious, but we’re pretty good.” Ross has been playing golf since he was young. First introduced by his dad and sometimes participating in tournaments outside of school, Ross loves being on the team and being able to play with people who share the same passion for golf.
Golf is a somewhat competitive sport; in fact, there is a divide between individuals who are working on becoming recruited to a college with a golf scholarship, and some who do it as a fun outlet. The FHS golf team showcases this mix of ambitions; players like Brennan are planning on pursuing a college-level career, while others like Ross plan on just playing for enjoyment. Though Ross does confirm that golf is becoming a competitive sport, “There’s a lot of people that are trying to go to college for it … as an individual, it’s where you have to be good to keep your spot on the team, so it’s very competitive.” Even though the team has different ideas on where they personally want to take their golf skills, the team shares the same enthusiasm for the sport and can channel that passion while playing.
Fauquier High School’s golf team is a successful and rewarding program. It provides a place for the golf players of FHS to bond with classmates and improve their skills. As the season ends, the team is walking away on a positive note. They display their pride, as they have made an impact and example for FHS’s legacy.
