Inside The Tee Box

Oakton Golf Insight and Success

More stories from Blaise Wuest

Courtesy+of+Oakton+Athletics+Instagram

Courtesy of Oakton Athletics Instagram

If someone were to ask you right now to name a fall sport, a majority of people would say football. Many are familiar with the well known Friday night lights, but one of our quiet, yet very interesting sports here at Oakton is our very own golf team. The golf team is much more entertaining and exciting than most think. After receiving a lot of insight from one of our very own Oakton golfers Hayden McNeal, the community may be more inclined to become interested in the sport. He let us know information on golf teams practice, insight on a match, and the current success of the team. 

Oakton golf may not seem like an inclusive sport because of its size, yet it is actually a very welcoming sport, and the smaller number of golfers creates a more tight-knight bond between all of them. “The team is small, but we all have a good relationship. We have team dinners, and I go to the range with kids I met through the team and they’ve become some of my closest friends.” says Hayden McNeal. The team’s chemistry is a significantly helpful component to have on any team. Golf is an individually scored sport, but the chipperness of the team brings tons of encouragement. The sport is all mental, and a positive team morale can change the course of anyone’s performance. 

Golf is a slow paced game. Playing just 9 holes can take up a large portion of an Oakton student’s busy day. Unlike most varsity sports, golf takes place off school grounds and takes a lot of management and scheduling. Hayden McNeal gave us some insight on the average practice for the team “Practice is maybe once a week, but it is more of a self paced practice system. I tend to practice twice a week on my own by going to the range and simulators”. He continues with “When we do whole team practice we get paired with teammates of similar skill level. We play 9 holes and coaches make decisions about who will golf in our next match.” As for matches, McNeal goes on to say “The matches usually will have five or six golfers compete selected by coach. The team goes off into foursomes mixed in with golfers from the opposing school.” As in recent news, Oaktons golf program competed in the district concord competition. Their first day of districts took place this past Monday where the team was sitting in second place. On day two, the team earned the title of the district concord runner up. Congrats to the team!