HOBART | After a 9 a.m. tee time at River Pointe Country Club, the last round of heavy-footed girls golfers thumped towards the pro shop at 4:20 p.m. immediately flinging off their cleats to rest.
Hobart took first in the team event at even-par 72, while Andrean and Highland tied for second with scores of 76. The round of 18 wore down every last athlete, but the Hobart Scramble isn't about speed in the first place. Nor is it about fierce competition or fiery rivalries, according to Bishop Noll head coach Dennis Koliboski and Boone Grove head coach Bob Lukas.
"On the range you don't get these same kinds of situations that you do on the golf course, and this is a much better teaching tool," Lukas said. "You hit a bad shot and you don't have to feel bad about it and walk around with your tail between your legs."
The scramble presents the opportunity for the girls golfers to completely immerse themselves in bettering their game.
"It's great because you always have girls that haven't played golf before," Koliboski said. "It's an actual match situation, but it's pretty stress-free. You go over a lot about the rules and the etiquette. And it doesn't have that really competitive umbrella hanging over them."
Hobart's Aimee Pope certainly enjoyed herself, grabbing awards for both closest to the pin with an 8-foot stick and longest yard for her 260-yard blast.
"It was really nice," Pope said. "It's just having fun with your friends and stuff, going out there and hitting the best shot and just relaxing and doing your best."
Hobart Head Coach Matt Frankowski loves having a scramble-formatted tournament towards the opening of the season.
"I think it's a big confidence boost," Frankowski said. "The girls golf season jumps right into it. You have all these tournaments and sometimes it takes ‘em a while to get going. Hopefully from this they can build really quick and get excited about playing."
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