By: Aliya Koshalieva

Media Production Editor

Hole in one! On Sept. 9, the Los Gatos High School Girls’ Golf Team swung into a new season. So far, they’ve played 11 matches, with around two per week. They’ve won against Milpitas twice, with scores of 235 versus 249 and 234 versus 241.

Last year marked the first season where the Los Gatos golf team was in the upper De Anza Division. Co-Captain and Senior, Emilia Orendain, said, “Last year’s success was everyone just trying to pull their weight and not giving up on their score.” In the previous season, they had moved up into the upper De Anza division, which means they played tougher high school golf teams. “Last year, [we] had just come up to Division 1, so we weren’t used to how good the other teams were,” Orendain explained. “Most of us just pulled our weight in terms of not giving up on our scores.”

Although golf is more of an individual sport, co-captain and senior Juliet Bolger and Orendain emphasized teamwork, with Bolger saying everyone gives each other advice, “like which club to use or the distance.” They credited last year’s captain, Kylie Chang, for fostering a sense of camaraderie within the team, something she, Orendain, and fellow co-captain senior Monika Snell hope to continue. Bolger commented on the great sportsmanship, even between the schools, saying, “We practice on the putting greens before to see how slow or fast the greens are, and then, kind of just like asking the other team and stuff, because usually they’re pretty nice and they’ll give advice.”

The captains also praised their coach, Dave Denight, for his unwavering support. “He gives us very reasonable goals, [giving] different goals for different people, so when they surpass it, he really congratulates us. He’s very much a golf dad,” Orendain explained. Orendain’s goal is to stay under nine over [the par], since the lower the score, the better.

The highlight of the season so far was their match against Milpitas at the notoriously challenging Bayview Golf Course, resulting in a win. “Bayview is very hilly,” Bolger explained. Every golfer is given points, and the school with the fewest number of points wins, with Los Gatos scoring 234 and Milpitas scoring 241. They played an impressive game in 100-degree weather, with Orendain joking, “I guess the heat really helped us in a way.” Orendain praised sophomore Sophia Li for having the best score out of everyone in the whole match. “Seeing kids like Sophia light up is very motivating,” Orendain said.

With one match left before the season ends, Bolger and Orendain said they stay motivated through teamwork and sleep. Orendain joked about her methods, saying, “Sleep, Sleep, and Sleep. I prioritize sleep.” Their last match will be against Monta Vista on Oct. 22.