If you ask almost every teenager how they feel about golf, they’d probably tell you it’s stupid and they don’t get it. They’ll most likely say something along the lines of “all you do is hit a ball and hope it goes where you want”. What most teenagers don’t understand is that golf is more than a sport, it’s a skill. You have to carefully calculate where the ball could possibly go. Every move, every hit, every thought can affect your placement on the podium.

          Now, I’ll be completely honest, I’ve never fully understood golf. Mini golf, sure. Actual golf is much harder, much more time-consuming, and demands much more precision. Regular golf courses are 30 times longer than mini golf courses.. I know I’m not the only teenager in the world confused by regular, competitive golf, so I asked a student on the Westfield Golf team some questions. Kiefer Swistak, 11, says “I’ve only been playing golf for one year, but once you get the sport, it’s not too difficult. Honestly all you have to do is get the ball in the hole in the least amount of hits”. 

          A lot of people see competitive golf as a predominantly male sport. I know I’m guilty of that. Turns out, that isn’t always the case. The Westfield Golf team actually has 2 female members, both of which I asked some questions. Tanisha Puvvada, 11, told me “When people say that golf is only a male sport, it honestly really frustrates me and makes me feel undervalued. There are many successful women in golf, in fact there is an entire LPGA dedicated just to women golfers.” 

          Well, there you have it. Golf is NOT stupid, easy to pick up but precise, and the Westfield team really knows what they’re doing! Although the boys are done for the season, the girls are still competing. Unfortunately, we don’t know where their next competition is. That being said, any questions you have can be emailed to the amazing Jennifer Basham!! She can be reached at [email protected]. Thank you for the pictures!!