VC GOLF
A League of Extraordinary Gentlemen
By Stephanie Ringel
Although some may think
that golf is a lackadaisical activity, it is actually quite riveting
when one understands the concentration required for the perfect
game. Keep your head low, relax, and hang loose, are just a few
of the mental readiness strategies the VC golf team employs. Sporting
their light blue, “faux argyle” team shirts, these
guys hit the course in style.
Their first match was held on Tuesday, March 8 at the Silver Creek
Country Club. The gorgeous weather and beautiful course imposed
tranquility in all the participants. During the fierce competition
against Bellarmine, Valley pulled through and maintained a Christ-like
composure. Despite the loss, the team understood it was a tough
match and they look forward to competing again in the future.
On March 10, the team hosted a match against St. Francis at Corde
Valle. With the heavy wind and blazing hot sun, both teams had
a “rough” time keeping it on the green. Regardless
of the sweltering conditions, the course was quite a sight to
see. Varsity coach Barry Liang remarked, “[it’s] as
nice a course there is in Northern California. It really is a
great opportunity for these guys to play here.” After St.
Francis took their time on each and every putting green ending
the match after 4 hours, the teams were able tocool off and reminisce
about the unusually long match.
The following Tuesday, March 15, the VC golf team trekked to Corde
Valle where they competed with Archbishop Mitty. Junior David
Stasko was “medallist,” meaning his performance was
superb. He shot a 39, putting his team in a close battle against
the Monarchs. Only two strokes away from winning the match, the
team competed well and gave a stunning performance. The team then
competed against Bellarmine at Corde Valle on March 17. Though
unsuccessful their hopes for the future were still bright. On
March 24, competing against St. Francis at Shoreline showed the
team they really have to work hard to win.
For their first match in April, on the 7th, the team traveled
to Corde Valle once again and competed with Junipero Serra. The
competed with fervor, but yet again failed to triumph. On April
11, Valley competed in the De La Salle Tournament in San Ramon
all day. It was quite an experience for the team. However, their
loss did not seem to dampen their spirits because the following
day, April 12, VC golf achieved their first victory. It was senior
CJ Clark’s 18th birthday and what a way to celebrate. After
winning against Archbishop Riordan, the team began their winning
streak. On April 14, Valley won again against Saint Ignatius on
the beautiful course at Corde Valle. Unfortunately their winning
streak was short lived. On April 18, they competed against Sacred
Heart at Presidio and “barely lost” by 5 strokes.
The Warriors have fun playing the game of golf together. Regarding
the camaraderie within the team, Clark expressed, “This
year’s team is a talented group of quality people and we
have a blast playing together. Boom shackalaga!” They will
play collectively and remember the key to success is to keep your
cool and ultimately play for the love of the game.
