After spending a week training in Tucson, Arizona sponsored by the athletic department, the golf team kicked off their season last weekend at a match in Tucson against Pima County Community College.
“The match in AZ could not have gone better, in my opinion. The match was played at Univ. of AZ home golf course (Sewailo) and it is just a great venue,” wrote Coach Brian Jaworski in an email to The S&B. “As I have stated many times before, the relationship we have with our opponent that day (Pima County Community College) is special. Their coaching staff and players are always very welcoming and they are a fun group to compete against because they are very good.”
Evan Bunis ’18, the “lone senior” on the team according to Jaworski, stood out in Tucson, a testament to his hard work and skills that he’s developed through nearly four years in the program.
“It was a really good first test for him and I think he capitalized on his opportunity that day to build a little early-season confidence,” Jaworski wrote. “[Bunis] has taken complete ownership of his scores, is our hardest working player, and is leading by example.”
The conditions at the match were less than ideal, according to Bunis, in part due to 40 mile per hour winds. Hailing from the East Coast, Bunis never really golfed in strong winds until arriving at Grinnell. However, playing in Tucson was an opportunity for developing his game in tougher conditions.
“Tree branches were breaking and they would fall onto the green, and sort of a lot of shmutz all over the place which can make it really tough to play,” Bunis said. “But I think moments like that are sometimes the best opportunities to improve your game and see where you’re at. … You sort of have to play a different game in the wind — you have to hit the ball lower, any sorts of mistakes get amplified by the wind, but adding those skills to your arsenal make you a much better player.”
Some of Bunis’s and Jaworski’s goals for the season include preparing for the conference tournament at the end of the semester, building skills and working hard.
“We are also very committed as a team to finalize what is shaping up to be a very strong and deep 2018 recruiting class. Adding numbers and skill to the golf team is also one of our main goals this season,” Jaworski wrote.
“Our goals are to improve and to enjoy the season as much as we can,” Bunis added.
Since Bunis’s first year at Grinnell, the size of the team has decreased, and currently there are five athletes on the men’s team.
“With a big team, there’s more talent to choose from when you’re picking out your roster but there are many benefits to having a small team in terms of how you can practice. … Such a large group can sometimes be limiting,” Bunis said.
For Jaworski, while the numbers have decreased, the strong team dynamic has remained. His favorite part about Grinnell golf is interacting and building relationships with people.
“It doesn’t matter if you have three guys, seven guys or 30 guys, the fun for me is to see the team play hard, come together as a group, and have as much fun as possible,” Jaworski wrote. “We spend a lot of time together and I have been rewarded with incredible memories working with such loyal, dedicated, and talented golfers for the last 12 years.”
The men’s team has meets throughout April in May in Iowa and Illinois, but their sole home meet is April 21, which is a duel against Central College.
