This golf season, the Lady Hillmen Golfers may not be the only ones using their nine irons in competition; there is the possibility of a Lady Hillmen versus Placer High Faculty Golf Tournament.

Until recently, it had been a tradition for the boy’s golf team to compete against the faculty seasonally. Giving their teachers a chance to beat them at their own game was always a friendly competition, and a way for the golf team to gain esteem with the teachers.

“It was always a good time,” affirmed Placer teacher Scott Barry, who had served as organizer of the boy’s tournament. Barry, who was the coach of the Girl’s golf team in previous years, is looking to bring back the tournament, but with a feminine spin.

“I talked to Hannah [Gregg, girl’s golf team member], and she was really excited about it,” Barry explained. The sentiment seems to be uniform throughout the team.

“I know, as a team, we are all stoked about the idea of this tournament, and I can imagine the faculty just being able to have a great time during it,” affirmed Devin McFarland, one of the captains of the Girl’s Golf team. “It would be fun to go against and play with some of our favorite teachers.”

The tournament would serve to raise recognition of the Lady Hillmen’s capabilities on the green. The girls golf team, though it does not boast a high number of players, can nevertheless advertise success; for the first time last year, the team won the Pioneer Valley League championship, cementing themselves as formidable opponents.

“It’s important for there there to be an increased level of awareness that there is a girl’s golf team out there, and for teachers to appreciate that they are doing such a good job,” Barry divulged.

The tournament is not yet set in stone, but is a hope for the golf team’s near future. Barry expressed his optimism regarding the rallying of Placer’s golf-enthusiast troops:

“Something like this would be relatively easy to plan. I just need to get the faculty members on board, they set the date, and they’re there!” he explained.

While most recreational sports tournaments are done as fundraisers for their sport, this tournament would be aimed at raising support rather than funds for the girl’s golf program.

“Something like this would be hard to be a fundraiser. We could ask the faculty for a donation, but we would not go for sponsors. The community gets hit up too much by all of the different aspects of the high school, and athletics covers golf pretty well. This tournament would not be for funds- it would be for fun and awareness,” detailed Barry.

Placer High School has a sizable amount of steadfast golfers within their faculty ranks; an aspect that provides bright prospects for the success of such a tournament. In addition, Placer teachers have proven themselves ardent supporters of their schools athletics; whether lending their time as coaches or spectating the events of their students, there is no lack of pride regarding Placer athletes. However, when there is not a great amount of popularity surrounding a certain team, faculty support will not automatically ensue. Through a faculty versus Girl’s Golf team, publicity would be drummed up for the competitors and the golf program in general.