The Lakes Boys Golf team is coming off of a strong 2022 season, with a high finish in conference and having multiple athletes advance to regionals and state. The team had help from experienced players Josh Anderson, Henry Samulak, Connor Daley, Kaden Martin, and many others. We sat down with the multiple athletes on the Boy’s Golf team and the Varsity Head Coach, Mr. Kelly, to hear about last season’s success and what to expect for the 2023 season. 

“We were one stroke away, I believe from the whole team going to regionals which would have been the first time in a long time that that’s happened” Coach Kelly explained. 

The golf team consists of twelve players, six players on JV, and six on varsity. The team rotates players based on individual performance. 

Coach Kelly mentions that “[individual] scores dictate what team you’re on. I don’t pick people because I like them more or like them less, it literally is your score that dictates who gets to play on what team”.  

The golf team will only have four returning varsity players for the fall season. By only having four returning players, many gaps in the roster arise. Kaden Martin, a senior who was on varsity, explains that “it’s going to be a really young team and there’s going to be a lot of holes, so some guys are going to have to step up and play better and hopefully, some new people will try out in order to fill some holes”.

This past season, ten seniors were on the roster, and with the seniors graduating, the team will undergo a lot of new changes.  

“There is a lot that is going to be missing and not just physically like having the numbers, but just all of the seniors were great people to have on the team” explains Coach Kelly. 

Some notable returners, Henry Samulak and Connor Daley, who both advanced to regionals, are looking to take strides to step up in the role of captains for the upcoming season. 

Henry Samulak, a sophomore on varsity, explained how even though there will be a loss of strong seniors, there are promising incoming freshmen arriving at Lakes in the fall. According to Samulak, Brady Cross, a notable incoming freshman, is about as good or better than he is. He is thankful that Cross will be playing for Lakes next year.

A lot of what comes with having an effective season starts with off-season training and practice. Lakes holds a camp in the summer to help improve the performance of the team. The camp is two times a week during the month of July. 

“Tuesdays and Thursdays we go to different courses around the area. It’s not necessarily like practice, it’s literally you’re going in and playing. It’s just to get people used to playing some of the courses that we’ll play throughout the school year.” Coach Kelly mentions. 

Golf has a different type of team environment compared to other sports at Lakes. According to Martin, golf is more of a “fun and relaxed type of sport. You know, it’s not really all that strict. At practice, you just go in, hit on the range, or putt. Really, you can use your time to improve whatever areas you want”.

As for the future season, Coach Kelly encourages students to sign up for the summer camp. He believes the summer camp is a good way to get to know people and gear up for tryout time. 

Coach Kelly also encourages students at Lakes to try out for golf because of the fact that golf is “easygoing and there are not as many of the pressures some of the other sports might put on you”.