Teeing Up Triumph

Kyra McGath • January 15, 2025

Peninsula’s girls varsity golf team finished their season on Nov. 14 with an impressive 13-0 record, showing off the players’ hard work and dedication and resulting in their qualification for CIF Regionals. During CIF Regionals, they won their last game and senior Chloe Park became the first golf player at Peninsula to win CIF Regionals in the individual category. Adding to their extensive list of achievements this season, seven out of the nine girls on the team qualified to compete in CIF Regionals. However, the team's success is not solely due to individual talent; it is also the result of heavy effort and practice.

The team has practice from Monday to Thursday at Rolling Hills Country Club after school for three hours, where they train drives, bunker and pitch shots, overcoming any obstacles that may arise. Then they head to the putting green, where most of the girls play three or nine holes. At each practice and tournament, the girls strive to be better players in hopes of making their coach proud. Director of Golf Glenn Van Enk shared his opinions on what makes the team special.

“We have an extremely [talented] golf team, [from] top to bottom, [with a] lot of good players. That’s really what separates our team from a lot of the girls golf teams in Southern California,” Van Enk said. “They’re [all] really positive and they like each other; they go get food after the matches and they’ll hang out together even outside of golf. They genuinely like each other and want each other to play well.”

The bond between an athlete and their coach is often a key factor in an athlete's development, as it sparks trust and encourages constructive criticism. For Park, this bond was essential in helping her become the first athlete to win CIF Regionals in an individual category. Park started playing golf five years ago and has only gotten better since, in large part due to her dedication to the sport. She is now committed to UC Riverside to play golf in college. Throughout the season, head coach and mentor Todd DeAngelis has offered not only technical guidance but also emotional support. Her teammates played an important role too, offering encouragement and pushing each other to excel. Whenever Park felt she hadn't performed well, her peers were always there to support her and give motivational words. This support from her team, especially her coach, has impacted her deeply.

“My coach has played a really big part in where I am now; he's always there for me and he's my number one supporter," Park said. “When I underperformed and played poorly in a match, I felt disappointed and thought that I had let the team down. But my team was very supportive and helped me gain my motivation back.”

Van Enk, DeAngelis and assistant coach Jim Small play a crucial role in the team’s success. They provide technical guidance to help the girls refine their skills and also offer emotional support whenever the team feels that they’re underperforming. By giving out personalized strategies for tournaments and providing individual feedback, the golf coaches ensure that each player reaches their full potential.

Though the team won every game this season, the journey wasn’t without its hardships. At the CIF Regionals tournament at Los Serranos North Golf Course to advance to state finals, the team missed the qualification by just a few strokes. However, the players leaned on each other and their coaches, using that difficult moment as an opportunity to grow and bond as a team. Following the loss, the team went out to dinner with all the coaches and parents, making sure everyone’s spirits were uplifted. Junior Hannah Morgan explained her experience with golf.

“Golf is like life, you have good days and bad days,” Morgan said. “Every time I have a bad golf day, it’s not the end of the world because I know a good [day] is coming soon.”