BLOOMINGTON ― That satisfying sound of a golf ball hitting the bottom of the cup is back with IHSAA girls golf getting under way this week.
The noise coming from the Bloomington Country Club this fall, however, is a bit louder. Bloomington South will have to make Stone Crest its temporary home this season as the private club goes about a massive facelift of its course which was first laid out in 1921.
Bulldozers, rock saws and backhoes got to work August 1, starting with the remaking of the irrigation system, which prompted the decision to remake several parts of the course, said head pro Denny Dennis.
“We had architects take a look at it and we took what I would call the middle road of options,” he said.
Most of the surface work will be done on the front nine and involve the complete rebuilding of the greens to USGA standards with better drainage and a few will be moving a few feet to new locations. There are new tee boxes on the way and the bunkers will be brought up to modern standards. Work is also being done on the lower section near the entrance to eliminate drainage and flooding issues.
“It will remain the same basic layout,” Dennis said, noting fewer changes will be made to the newer back nine. The plan is for the course to reopen sometime around June 1 of next year.
In the meantime, Panthers head coach Jim Southern will be bussing his players to Stone Crest, a course that is already home to Eastern Greene and Mitchell.
Here’s a look at the top returning players and how our five Bloomington area teams will shape up as they head toward sectional play in late September.
Bloomington South
TOP RETURNING PLAYERS: Kirin Bowden, Sr.; Silvia Walker, Jr.
OUTLOOK: South’s top two from last year, four-time area golfer of the year Melanie Southern (DePauw) and Macy Hays (Franklin), graduated. Bowden and Walker will step into the top scoring and leadership as the only returning starters. From there, it’s 11 sophomores and freshman out of 13, and there will be some growing pains to go through as the season opener revealed.
“We’re a young, inexperienced team,” head coach Jim Southern said. “Three have never played in a golf tournament in their entire lives, so it’s a rebuilding year. It’s hard to see those scores, but they’re learning tournament golf is different than practice golf. But I am pleased with the girls I have.”
The other top players include sophomore Lyla Haugh, who played in a few nine-hole matches last year and is showing a good driver. She led the Panthers in their first invite Monday, Aug. 3. Sophomores Addison Howell and Liza Yeley and freshman Ellie Shipley round out the top six.
Bloomington North
TOP RETURNING PLAYERS: Kendon Galligher, Sr.; Mira Bruce, Jr.; Evie Chitwood, Jr.; Kate Johnson, Jr.; Sadie Woodring, Jr.; Annika Lowinger, Jr.
OUTLOOK: With a new head coach on board, North looks ready to take another step up with three-year varsity players Galligher, Johnson and Woodring, plus Bruce showing great improvement over the past year. The Cougars chopped a whopping 88 strokes off their score from last year at the Plainfield Invitational on Monday with a 394, with Bruce firing an 86 to place in the top 10. “It’s a more mature group,” coach Harrison Carmichael said.
Bruce and Johnson made concerted efforts to improve this summer, with both playing in the City Tournament. “Those two spent a ton of time on the course,” Carmichael said. “They were out here every day, and it showed. You can tell, especially for a couple of them, they are really doing their best. They’ve taken the time and effort to get better and that rubs off on the other players.”
Edgewood
TOP RETURNING PLAYERS: Boston Chambers, Sr; Ava Norton, Sr.; Marley Jackson, Sr.; Libby McElhinney, Jr.
OUTLOOK: Four varsity regulars return from a team that beat both North and South in head-to-head meetings last year, led by Chambers who averaged 97 to earn All-Area honors and had a career best 92 at sectional to earn her first tee time at regional last year. Norton averaged a 101 and was an All-WIC placer. Norton does throws in track and plays basketball with McIlhinney, and Jackson and Chambers played tennis, so head coach Garry Lee loves the fact he’s working with multisport athletes. “We’ve got some short game and putting to be tightened up,” Lee said. “They’re competitive and some play other sports they they’re not afraid to work.”
Chambers wasn’t able to play as much as she wanted in the off-season due to an injury that limits how hard she can swing, but she’ll work around it with some different course management, Lee said. A couple of freshmen with good swings will round out the top six with Ava’s sister Eden Norton and Alaina Felton.
Owen Valley
TOP RETURNING PLAYERS: Mallory Owens, Sr.; Sadie Neff, Sr.; MaKayla Hall, Jr.; Jada Inman, Jr. Haley Amador, Jr.
OUTLOOK: Head coach Matt Beckwith will see all of his varsity lineup return intact along with sophomores Jacklyn Wheeler, who has shown strong improvement over the off-season, and Addy Haltom. It’s a balanced lineup with any of the top five capable of the team’s low score on the day.
“I don’t think I’ve ever had a season like this,” Beckwith said. “Most of the time, you feel like you lose a few key players, but this year, it’s good not to lose anyone. I like to say we should pick up where we left off. Sadie, our No. 1 last year, is hitting the ball well. We’ll have the same lineup so we should hit the ground running and maybe we can click off some wins.”
Course management should be less of an issue this year with the experience factor, plus OV has six home matches and will play just one course they haven’t seen before, Hulman Links.
Eastern Greene
TOP RETURNING PLAYERS: Shelby Prince; Maddie Sylvester, So.; Izzy Forrester.
OUTLOOK: There’s a new coach with boys’ coach Brady Anderson taking over and a roster of five to start with as the Nos. 3-4-5 golfers are back to build on. Mia Banther, a move in from Minnesota by way of Brownstown, will help out as one of the T-Birds top golfers. Madelyn Lyons rounds out the roster. “We have a experience so that’s definitely going to help,” Anderson said. “This is my first year with them, but after a couple practices, I can see that coming through. I’m not teaching basics like how to hold a club, and that’s a big plus. It’s going to be fun seeing how they improve and I hope that leads into good things at sectional and SWIAC time. They’re all really competitive kids and that goes a long way.” Eastern opens its season Aug. 12.
This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Girls golf preview: Renovations to Bloomington County Club push South off course
Reporting by Jim Gordillo, The Herald-Times / The Herald-Times
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
