The golf team has begun their spring training and preparation for the 2024 season. Coach Kevin Moore is the coach of the boys varsity team while Coach Samuel Gough is the coach of the girls varsity team.
These team are some of the stranger ones at our school. They do not practice or have matches on campus. Instead, they practice mostly at Dunwoody Country Club on Mondays and will have occasional practices on public courses throughout the season.
Moore underscored how these teams work a little differently than most. “The expectation is that the athletes get in individual work at their own clubs or courses throughout the week,” Moore said.
The teams held tryouts at North Fulton Golf Couse this year. The coaches look for good golfers, of course, but Moore highlighted another priority. “The key thing we look for is consistency,” he said.
The coaches also review the athletes’ scores each tryout round and evaluate their swings. The coaches want people that fit the culture of the program. “We hope for players who support each other,” he said.
Though golf is focused on personal statistics, there is still a team aspect to the sport. Student Jane Bennett shared her love for the game. “The best part of golf at Marist is the people I’ve met” she said. “There are only six of us so it’s been fun getting to know each other.”
Marist golf is a sport that takes individual dedication. The athletes must be driven to work hard on their own outside of school. Due to this individual aspect of the sport, Moore said, “We want guys that are willing to get better on their own.”
The team plays in competitions all over metro-Atlanta. A few of their biggest include the Granger Open in LaGrange and the Larry Gaither Invitational in Columbus. Five or six players compete in each tournament. This roster comprises only is about 1/3 of the team, so the choice is selective.
From 1999-2003 the boys won five consecutive state championships. This streak was their longest at the state level.
The girls team came close to their own state championship in 2016, when they were named state runner-up.
