Men’s golf team awaits anxiously for the snow to melt

For any avid golfer, a long winter is a nightmare. Marred by the snow and cold weather, most golf courses in the Northeast close for the winter, leaving golfers searching for other ways to work on their game.

“Over break if you want to play, you’ve got to go south and that’s what I did,” freshman Art Griffin said.

Most players did go south to places such as Florida and South Carolina over the winter to play. Others, who chose not to, utilized nearby indoor facilities and simulators in an attempt to perfect their swing.

This spring, the players have big aspirations, whether it is team or personal goals. In his last season at Lafayette, senior Bob Dyer wants to accomplish big things, most notably a Patriot League championship.

However, even he realizes that this is a tough task, which is why it has been something he has been working towards for the past four years. Starting in the winter of his freshman year, Dyer would head down to the Maroon Club by himself without any guidance of coaches or trainers—working out was not a part of the golf team’s schedule.

“When I got here was no such thing as a golf lifting program,” Dyer said. “That lasted for about two years until last year when we finally got a team lift regimen introduced.”

Now even though there is a team workout routine in place, it is not run by the coaches. It is student driven. By doing so, the goal of the upperclassmen is not just to get into peak physical shape, but also to instill a certain work ethic in the younger players. And so far, it has worked.

“When you grow up playing, you spend all your time on the golf course because it’s easy,” said Dyer. “When you come to college, it’s not so convenient because there’s other stuff to do, sometimes more fun things. We’ve been trying to show the freshmen what it’s like to keep a strong work ethic.”

These workouts are not simple, either. Deadlifts, squats and benching usually appear in their daily routine. In addition to working out in the offseason, players also try their best to play golf during the winter. Whether it is inside using a simulator or traveling south, the golf team tries to make the most out of their time.

Griffin is a rising star on the team after placing first in the Bucknell Invitational in the fall. He, along with Dyer, has high aspirations for the team this spring.

“We’re trying to go out and win the Patriot League Championship,” Griffin said. “We have a solid team and should be able to compete and be in there at the end.”

Griffin also has some personal goals for the new season. He hopes to improve his consistency and win more matches both individually and for the team.

“I had a win my freshman season, but other than that I think my play was pretty mediocre,” Griffin said. “My one area of improvement would definitely be consistency.”

If Griffin continues his success from the fall season and improves his consistency, Lafayette definitely has a chance to compete. The only two teams that stand in their way right now are Loyola and Army, who both feature nationally ranked players.

This should be an exciting season for the golf team, but first while they wait for the snow to melt and the sun to come out, they will depart to Florida for spring break to fine tune their swings before their first tournament on the weekend of March 29^th. They will play in the Wildcat Invitational hosted by Villanova University at the White Manor Golf Club.