After a third conference victory on April 16, Wakefield’s varsity men’s golf team once again caps their season by preparing for May’s regionals. The opportunity to participate in regionals is exciting for first-time and experienced players alike, so they are determined to be well-prepared to take home the regional championship title.
If the team goes on to play well in regionals, they will qualify for the state championship in Pinehurst, a golf resort in Moore County. This is a large goal for many on the team, who are putting in the work at every practice to achieve it. Isaiah Adel, a freshman on the men’s golf team, details what their practices look like.
“We’re playing a lot of practice rounds because we want to go back to states two years in a row,” Adel said.
Behind the scenes of this strong season is coach James Doyle. Doyle has been the men’s golf team coach for 17 years and has gotten to see his team grow and improve firsthand.
“All of them have gotten better,” Doyle said. “It was especially cool to see [some of our players] really grow into great golfers after not playing last year in any matches. They were a big part of us winning the conference championship this year.”
Michael Thomas, general manager of the Wakefield Plantation Country Club, is responsible for overseeing and supervising the team as they practice on the Wakefield Plantation course. Since most of the team are also country club members, Thomas has had an exclusive opportunity to witness the students grow from toddlers into successful golfers.
“[The country club] works hand in hand with Doyle to give the team the opportunity to practice on a weekly basis,” Thomas said. “We always want to give them an opportunity to be better.”
Due to the team’s strong competitive presence, they’ve learned to work individually and together into being the best team they can be. Dylan Johnson, a junior on the golf team, has been with the team for the past two conference wins and looks forward to regionals.
“If we all play well, we can make it,” Johnson said. “No matter how we play, though, being close to each other makes it fun.”
The team, though made up of talented individuals, thrives due to their team comradery. Thomas recognizes the strong bonds the team has built, and how it’s ultimately pushed them to success.
“It’s been fun watching these kids get better and better on and off the golf course,” Thomas said. “This particular team grew up together. They push each other to be better each match, each year.”
Growing into district champions was no easy feat, but the golf team seems to have cracked the code year after year. With backing from both Thomas and Doyle, the team is sure to continue to see success in the future.
“I can only be happy for me and for the entire team,” said Johnson. “We all look forward to putting a good score up.”
