This will seem a little out there, but work with me a little: An argument can be made that the toughest athletes in the spring are girls golfers.
Stop laughing.
Keep an open mind.
C’mon, wipe that smirk off your face.
Do you remember the weather on Monday? Oh, it’s nice a sunny. BAM. Yikes, where did that rain come from? BOOM. Now hail? CRASH. Was that a golf cart or an ark that just passed us?
Baseball and softball players take the day off if their cleats get wet.
Track and field athletes, depending on their events, only have to be out in the elements for a matter of minutes. Maybe an hour if they are warming up for and competing in several events. But in between, they can find shelter.
Tennis players pray for open courts at one of the indoor facilities. Not their fault. It’s hard to hit a waterlogged tennis ball.
Soccer players, they play in the rain. But they are guaranteed to be done within 90 minutes or maybe a half-hour more if they go into overtime.
Golfers, though, have to stick it out for the long haul. If a course is playable — around here, that pretty much means if there is no standing water on the greens — the golfers keep to their schedule.
Lightning will stop a golf match in a hurry, but lightning will stop any outdoor sporting event sanctioned by the WIAA and/or the National Federation of State High School Associations. So you can’t blame the golfers for not toughing it out in such cases.
Of course, every golfer knows to just hold a 2-iron in the air during a thunderstorm because not even God can hit a 2-iron. (Thank you, thank you, I’ll be here all week.)
We interrupt this column for a message from the legal department: That previous paragraph was meant as a very old, tired golf joke, because all golfers know how difficult it is to hit a 2-iron. The Columbian does not intend to offend God, because we know He could hit a 2-iron if He thought it was worth His time. We also do not want golfers to think that holding a 2-iron is the best course of action should you see lightning while on the golf course.
Back to our high school girls golfers and how tough they are. Our golfers, when including warm-up time, must stay on the course for 2½ to three hours, depending on pace of play for their nine-hole matches.
At least twice a year during the season, then again at district, they play in 18-hole tournaments.
Oh sure, on those 70-degree sunny days, it all seems like such a joy. Go ask a golfer how many of those days occur during their season. The boys will tell you the best time of the year for golf in this region, besides the summer, is September and early October. (That would be them nodding in agreement, but they don’t want to seem like they are gloating because they get the prime season to golf while the girls freeze and get drenched. If the boys are smart, they will remain silent.)
So anyway, there you have it. It takes a special kind of athlete to endure Mother Nature for weeks at a time.
And you know what? Clark County could use more of these tough athletes.
Most programs have plenty of golfers, but there is one 4A school that is not fielding a full squad this season. There is a 3A school that does not have one golfer.
Coaches and athletic directors are trying to get the word out. Parents, encourage your daughters. And any of us who appreciate the game should be promoting it to the younger generation.
It’s a game for a lifetime. If you learn it as a freshman, you can still be playing the game 40, 50, 60 years from now.
Next year, I am hoping every school has a full team. Sure, golf can be expensive. But please do not think you need a state-of-the-art, 14-piece set.
In fact, if you are just beginning, a cheap, used starter set will do just fine.
You need practice time and a patient coach or instructor.
Yes, there are participation fees for high school sports, and some programs charge a little more for greens fees. Union, this year’s 3A Greater St. Helens League champion, required a total of $95 per golfer.
But that included range balls, practice rounds, practice time on putting greens, and matches for about three months.
Trust this longtime recreational golfer, that’s a great deal.
So whether you are a fall or winter athlete looking for a new challenge next spring, or you are new to sports in general, ladies, if you are tough enough, give golf a swing.
If you like it, you’ll love it for a lifetime.
Paul Valencia covers high school sports for The Columbian. He can be reached at 360-735-4557 or e-mail at paul.valenciacolumbian.com.
