Last Monday I was at the Marshall Country Club covering the Camden Conference golf meet. The more I watch these teenagers golf, the more I am amazed at what they can do. I enjoy golfing myself, so I know what emotions they go through. I’m not very good, but I will have my moments of having a few good shots. I just recently started covering high school golf for the radio station, I think this is my fourth year.

The more golf meets I attend, the more I fall in love with covering these meets. Covering a high school golf meet for radio can be difficult. There are so many storylines covering golf.

The Lac qui Parle Valley Eagles boys’ and girls’ teams are having a fantastic season. Rachel Halvorson a sophomore is one of the best golfers in the state. She and her sister Sarah, along with the Stender sisters Abby and Isabella, Ellie Jacobs and Chloe Ludvigson won the conference meet by fifty-eight strokes! That is amazing. Currently they are ranked number one in Class A.

What amazes me about watching some of these high school golfers is how consistent they are. Rachel is always consistent with her shots. I saw this last year at the state golf meet, I followed Rachel, along with her family and friends and was so impressed with how far she can hit the ball and her smooth swing. Watching some of the boys, like LQPV’s Harrison Patzer and Henry Roth and Dawson-Boyds’ Tyler Lund, they all can hit the ball a mile and have that consistent swing.

I had the chance to visit with golf coach Greg Giles from Minneota last Monday. I like Greg a lot, he is a very nice man and a great coach. He covers all his bases, makes practices fun and loves to promote the sport of golf and his kids. This is Greg’s 51st year of coaching golf.  That’s right I said fifty-one years! I was nine years old when he started coaching. Greg and longtime coach Ralph Hagen were coaching Minneota when I started covering golf on the radio. I have learned so much from both of them. Last year I had lunch with Greg and Ralph at the Minneota Country Club and enjoyed every minute talking golf and sports on the patio. Both of these men have experienced many high school sporting events over the years. I enjoy visiting with them.

After the meet Monday in Marshall, I was interviewing Eagles girls coach Kipp Stender on the radio. Coach Stender became very emotional during our interview. His voice cracking and tears flowing. He was so proud of his team. For the third year in a row they had won the conference. He was also filled with emotion because both of his daughters are on the team. Abby is a senior this year finishing out her high school golf career and will golf in college next season. He was a very proud dad and coach last Monday.

I can’t wait to cover the Section golf meet in Willmar and the state golf meet at Pebble Creek in Becker. It is going to be a fun time and I will do my best to cover all the area golfers.