The GHS Boys Invitational, originally scheduled as an 18-hole event on May 3rd, was postponed to yesterday, May 5th. The Tigers won the 9-hole event yesterday, with our own Cole McGriff taking 2nd with a +1 (36). Will Simpson of Pella High School was medalist with a blistering -3 (32). Other Tiger Varsity scores were Gavin Gilman 39, Cade German 39, Nathaniel Zug 40, Matthew Zug 40, and Gabe Gillman 48.
“The last year-and-a-half, we all have had to deal with a large dose of adversity, interruption, cancellations, and isolation, so we feel fortunate as a team just to be together again,” said head coach Brian Jaworski. “There have been a lot of cold, rainy, windy, wet days on the golf course, but that hasn’t deterred our group one bit. If there is one positive thing about the pandemic, it has been the opportunity to completely start from scratch. I feel like the members of this men’s golf team have taken advantage of that new fresh start to change a lot of things about our practices, and off-the-course habits. These guys have done everything the coaching staff has asked of them, and in some cases more. Not only have the guys prepared hard for the shortened season, but we have also established new standards and more commitment to the golf team, which will benefit the squad this year and beyond.”
Leading the charge for Grinnell are Sam Naik ’21 and Simon Lane ’23. “They have been our best and most consistent players,” said Jaworski. “Sam is a rock, posting solid scores and working hard on his short game to bring those scores down. Simon is just so explosive off the tee, and he really doesn’t have too many weaknesses in his game. Both are two-sport athletes, and their ability to grind it out comes from playing multiple sports.”
“Our two first-year players who are on campus, Ian Strawn ’24 and Jake Heinrich ’24, and Lucas Roscoe, who is not on campus for S2, set the tone for our team by working their tails off during S1,” the coach continued. “Without their buy-in, we would have been the same ol’, same ol’ golf team, but we’re not. We’re improved and a lot of that can be traced back to their dedication to the golf workouts/training during S1. On the golf course, all three guys show great potential and we are looking forward to their continued growth on the course.
“James Lim ’22 has something special in that he doesn’t have to hit it great to post a good score,” Jaworski continued. “He doesn’t give in or ever feel sorry for himself when he gets a bad break. He is another player who is making adjustments and becoming a more dedicated teammate, which will help bring his scores down.
“Brody Barton ’23 is everything you want in a golfer,” the coach concluded. “He is strong, extremely dedicated, and a very, very good teammate. He is so much improved from a year ago, and that is because Brody invested in his own game and went down to Florida to work on his game with some excellent instructors. He looks good out on the course, and you can’t find a nicer kid to play with. It is my opinion that someday, Brody will be captain of a championship golf team here at Grinnell.”
All of that has Jaworski excited for the season. “Our team is hard-working,” he said. “The guys are accountable, and our team communication has been the best it has ever been. We are super excited to be playing again. We love our group and are proud of the improvements we have made. It has been awesome working so closely with Coach Rock(ne Decoster), Coach (John) Shawver and all the guys.”
WAVERLY, Iowa – With the potent 1-2 punch of Nina Kouchi ’22 and Danielle Oberlander ’21, the Grinnell College women’s golf team was nearly unstoppable Sunday.
Kouchi maintained her first-round lead to win the two-day Wartburg Invitational with a 9-over-par 149, the 17th-best two-day score in program history. Her day two round was 72 after shooting 77 on Saturday. Oberlander was equally dazzling, following up Saturday’s 81 with a 76 for an overall score of 157. That gave her runner-up honors in the 49-golfer field.
After shooting 325 as a team Saturday at Waverly Municipal Golf Course, the Pioneers answered with a 318 Sunday for an overall score of 643. That was just two shots behind champion Gustavus Adolphus as Grinnell was second in the nine-team field.
Zoe Robinson ’23 and Lauren Chen ’23 also were top 10 finishers for Grinnell. Robinson rebounded from Saturday’s 86 with a 78 to finish at 164, good for eighth place. Chen went 82-84-166 to tie for 10th.
Rounding out Grinnell’s finishers were Aubrie Torhorst ’23 (85-86-171) and Lexi Mueldener ’23 (85-88-173). They finished 17th and 21st, respectively.
The Pioneers travel to Indianola Wednesday for the Simpson College Invite.
Courtesy of pioneers.grinnell.edu
Want to know what the optimal clubhead and shaft are for your swing? Sign up to get fitted by our very own John Shawver. John will utilize his years of experience and latest Trackman technology to help you identify swing speeds, launch angles, ball spins and a great deal more analytical gibberish. The good news is that he can culminate the data for you to identify what equipment will help you hit it further and straighter!
Fitting times are available in 30 minute increments from 3 pm to 6 pm. Email the Pro Shop to request your FREE appointment!
Grinnell College Golf Course, through a partnership with the Iowa Golf Association (IGA), is now a host facility for Youth On Course (YOC). Through strategic partnerships and fundraising efforts, YOC helps subsidize rounds of golf for our youth ages 6-18. These efforts make golf available for $5 per round for the participants.
This program is available weekday mornings at GCGC. Parents are encouraged to sign up their youth prior to scheduling a tee time for them. There is a $15 enrollment fee for the program. Here are other Iowa golf facilities that are participating:
If you have questions regarding this program, please don’t hesitate to call the Pro Shop at 641-269-3590.
Grinnell College Golf Course is reopening after being closed for more than a year! We look forward to welcoming back our longstanding customers, but also those who are possibly new to the game or “dusting off the clubs”. Our course is layed out so that it is playable for a wide array of abilities. We only have 9 holes, but we have 37 teeing locations allowing the course play as short or challenging as you’d like.
(Click on the flyer to learn about our Rates and Return To Golf Special)
21-0518 Golf Course flyer_Color
Greetings,
I hope this letter finds you safe and well. Today I write to you about the status of Grinnell College Golf Course and to communicate some operational changes for the upcoming season. After almost five years of college operation of the golf course we have reviewed our business model and operational costs. To help bring the golf course closer to self-supporting we are instituting some changes. Also, in response to the public health situation we have moved to a four-tier model for addressing the COVID-19 situation.
Feel free to contact me with any questions about the operational changes outlined below. Like you, I am looking forward to a great 2021 golf season.
Best Regards,
Shane Hart, GM
Operational Changes for 2021
Operational Responses to COVID-19 (2021 Season)
Grinnell College has adopted a Campus Activity Level matrix which outlines what types of activities are possible given current campus, local, and regional health concerns. GCGC, being part of campus, will adhere to this policy. This matrix will also allow us to quickly adjust our programming to adhere to current safety concerns.
Questions/Answers of how this matrix will impact programming:
Employment Opportunity: Golf Turf Specialist
Grinnell College is in search of Turf Specialist (Superintendent) to provide high-level maintenance of the turfgrass and grounds at Grinnell College Golf Course, established in 1899. The course is well known for its excellent greens and tree-lined fairways. It has received such accolades as:
“The quality of the greens are as good as any I’ve seen in the U.S. and beyond. And I’ve seen a lot of them working for the PGA.” – Joel Schuchmann, PGA Tour Senior Director of Communications.
The golf course, setting on 56 acres, provides 9 holes with 31 teeing locations providing golfers with various 9-hole and 18-hole playing options. The course has bluegrass fairways and rough with bentgrass greens and tees. The facility also has a pool, clubhouse (lounge, pub, banquet space), and a short range. Duties of the position will include:
This position is a 10-month position within the Grinnell College Facilities Management & Teamsters bargaining unit. Grinnell College offers a very competitive benefits package which will be extended to this position year-round.
To apply for this position please go to https://jobs.grinnell.edu/postings/3330
Dear Grinnell College Golf Course Patrons,
Due to concerns about spreading the COVID-19 virus the Grinnell College Golf Course will close at the end of the day today Friday March 13th and will remain closed until further notice.
The Pro Shop, Pool, Golf Course, and Event Space will all be closed to everyone, with no exceptions. There will be no access to any part of the club house, pool, or the green space – no golfing, no fishing, no walking/running.
Season passes already sold for the 2020 season will be prorated according to the percentage of the season the course is operational.
If you have golf clubs, a golf cart, or other personal belongings stored at the golf course and you want to pick them up, please do so today or this weekend. After you pick up your personal property you will not be able to return it to the course until the course is reopened. So, if you pick up your golf cart you cannot bring it back to the cart barn until the course is reopened.
If you have golf clubs, a golf cart or other personal property stored at the golf course and you want to leave it there, that is okay. But after this weekend you will not be able to retrieve items until the course reopens.
The golf course will continue to be maintained and we hope to be able to reopen later in the season.
Please remember, the following precautionary measures may aid in defending against the flu and COVID-19:
Look for further communication in the coming days. We look forward to reopening the facility as soon as possible!
All the best,
Shane Hart, General Manager
Grinnell College Golf Course
