The golf team still enjoyed their season with an adaptation. photo by Chase Bellomo
The 2020 Boys’ Golf Season was like no other, but the team was still able to adapt and play.
Due to the pandemic, there were multiple changes to this year’s golf season. However, the team still had fun and played well over the course of the season. The team was only able to have 25 players due to the new COVID-19 restrictions. In addition to a restricted number of players, there were more precautions taken by the team. Stacey Fornstrom, assistant coach and CCTM teacher at TJ, explained, “We have a lot of rules that are laid out by CHSAA (Colorado High School Sports Association), so every day we have temperature checks and a survey to see if anybody has had symptoms or has been around anyone sick.” After athletes are given the okay to play, they move on to the course, and practice becomes more normal, though students continue to maintain social distancing.
The season was highly anticipated by the team members. Each of the golfers competed in at least one tournament, whether it was Varsity 18 holes on a regulation course, JV nine holes on a regulation course, or freshman nine holes on a par three course. Four golfers will play in regionals to hopefully make state the week of September 21st. Parker Boyd, a current senior at TJ, is hopeful for regionals. He explained, “We are playing at Green Valley golf course, which is very challenging. I just need to remember to play relaxed, enjoy myself, and try to keep my mistakes to a minimum.” Boyd is the Varsity 1 golfer on the team and is ready to face regionals, hopefully making state at the Air Force Academy’s Eisenhower Golf Course.
The one upside to COVID-19 is the way that CHSAA created the season structure; they have created four seasons—A, B, C, and D—rather than the customary layout of fall, winter, and spring sports. Due to the seasons changing, some fall sports were pushed to different seasons, allowing some athletes who would originally be unable to play two fall seasons to play other sports. Trent Koser, a current Senior at TJ, falls into this category. He is the quarterback for the varsity football team and is now a golfer. Due to the season change, he was able to play golf this fall and play football in the spring. Koser explained his first and only season: “I am enjoying the season because of the people; I also enjoy golf very much, and it gets me out of the house.”
Practice starts at 3:15, providing a perfect opportunity to get some fresh air and exercise after a day of remote learning, which ends at 1:20 p.m. on Monday and Wednesday and 2:55 p.m. on Tuesday and Thursday. Golf is the perfect activity to enjoy outdoors while avoiding the pandemic as much as possible. Being able to attend practice after school is very important for student-athletes. The team is only able to practice four days a week, yet most players golf in their free time on the weekends. Although it is not the regular season, the athletes had a lot of fun while staying safe during these tough times.
