The Hart Pirates girls golf team made history this week, competing in their first-ever meet as a program and finishing seventh out of 10 teams. Representing the Pirates were Makenna Carrier, Kennedy Symons, Reese Smith, Renleigh Schiller, and Ali Fleming, who set the foundation for what the program hopes will become another proud chapter in book that is Hart athletics.
The debut season has been years in the making. “Tim Hertzler (Hart AD) and I have chatted a few times the past couple years about starting girls golf at Hart, we just weren’t sure we had the interest,” said head coach Bud Giddings. “A few girls approached us about it this past spring and we had a meeting to see how many were actually interested. We had about 10 show up.”
While the Pirates are focused on competing, the bigger emphasis is on building something lasting. “I wasn’t quite sure what to expect starting a new program,” Giddings said. “We are trying to make sure we find the balance of keeping practice fun and engaging while also working on specific skills to improve our scores. A few of the girls have recruited others to join, so that’s been great. The community really seems to be excited about this and has shown great support via social media and donating money to help support us.”
The team’s first meet gave a glimpse of that potential. “Kennedy is our No. 1 and she started with a par and birdie on her first two holes,” said Giddings. “The girls will adjust to walking 18 holes when we play each event and continue to get better. We finished 7th of 10 teams. We hope we can crack the top 5 or 6 by season’s end.”
Along the way, the program has already received strong community backing. “Our goal for this season is to get better every day. We are taking the season seriously but also having fun. Golf is a very humbling sport and you have to have a strong mental approach to every shot,” Giddings added. “Tim Foster has been a huge help to us. He has worked with a few of the girls all summer, donating his time and knowledge. We appreciate everything he has done for us. The Joe Foster Foundation has helped us this season as well with equipment needs. We are very lucky to have such a great family supporting youth golf in Oceana County.”
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