As spring transitions into summer, students are anxious to put down their backpacks and pick up their golf bags.  Students today must typically wait until the summer to play golf, because of intensive schedules and commitments to alternative spring sports.  Many athletes wish to employ their passion for golf competitively and represent Wilmington Friends School, yet do not have this opportunity as WFS does not offer a golf program. A Quaker golf team has been proposed in the past, yet never implemented. These prior attempts, however, do not hinder the optimism of aspiring WFS competitive golfers. Golf could be the first new sport added to the WFS athletic program in years, but the question remains; is it logical and what are the rewards?

The benefits of a golf program, foremost, is to answer to the popular interest of the student body.  Varsity wrestler Alex Trudel ’16 shared his thoughts as to why he feels the school would benefit from adding a golf option to the athletic program, commenting;  “We don’t have a lot of skill sports, [the sports options] are all very athletic or physical, and golf would diversify the athletic options for students. Considering how it is a sport that can be played by at all ages, the school would have the opportunity to develop a lifelong passion in students around being active.  It is even a skill that can utilized in the business world.  I know many students, including myself, have dreamed of making a putt to seal a million-dollar business deal.” In a High School golf tournament, six students play nine holes and the best four scores are counted towards the score of the team.  Therefore, fielding adequate numbers for a golf team is certainly feasible, and would require only one coach (the normal athlete to coach ratio is 10-1). A golf program’s small size would minimally affect the roster numbers of other sports, and would promote unique forms of teamwork that demand individual and collective support in addition to confidence.  All other teams in the conference successfully field golf programs, except for St. Andrews, despite having small student bodies like WFS. This sets up great inter-conference competitions for a Friends golf team to dominate.

Mr. Kittle was able to interviewed about the potential program.  He expressed that his primary concern was whether a golf program could fit in the school budget; he was not aware of the exact cost for a High School team to practice and compete at one of the many local courses nearby WFS.  A critical impediment in the process regarding Mr. Kittle’s financial concerns is that the school meets and plans the budget in April, so the budget has been mostly laid out without consideration of a potential  golf team.  Although this does make the process more burdensome, he did not feel this ruled out the possibility of a golf team in the spring of 2016.  To ease the financial burden, he noted, students could possibly design and purchase their own uniforms, and supply their own clubs.  Additional financial and liability concerns would be transportation and coaches. Mr. Morton, who in the past has been a favored potential golf coach, responded to such rumors saying: “I have interest, which does not necessarily mean it is a position I definitely want to fill.  I have requirements that would need to be reached.  One of which is, being that I am from the Friends Football tradition, [establishing a golf program] would need to be done right.  We would be wearing uniforms representing the school, and I would want to represent the school well.”  Mr. Morton’s expectations are not only fair, but summarize well the required organization involved in establishing a golf program.

The school is undergoing an exciting period of change in the classroom as renovations and additions sprout around the campus, and continue a broad range of athletic success including that of coach Tattersall’s undefeated regular season and the one hundredth goal of multiple girls lacrosse players.  While the school has so much positive momentum for change, now is as good of a time as any to establish a golf program; thus inviting not only current, but potential WFS students who can fruitfully represent the school through golf’s unique public environment unparalleled by other sports.  If the requirements established by Mr. Kittle and Mr. Morton are met, proud students may be able to expand and represent their WFS experience, not only in the classroom, but in the thriving local golf community; all while enjoying the comradery and tranquility which golf exercises.