Memoir

Samantha Dinger

ENG 111, Luthin

Paper # 1 /2387 words           

9 October 2012

Redbank’s Girl Golfer

            All of my hard work and effort paid off on October 4, 2011. It was a frigid day at Kane Country Club. I had braved the rain and cold wind all day to play a round of golf. It was the Girls District Nine Championship, a competition in which I had placed second in the two years prior, making me a favorite to win. I was standing at the score board with my score of 84 waiting for the winners to be announced. “We have a tie for second today with two scores of 87…” At that moment I knew I was the champion. When the announcer finished awarding the second place girls he said, “And our Girl’s Golf District Nine Champion is… Samantha Dinger.” The crowd erupted in cheers and applause. I walked up to the podium and received my plaque. I was immediately bombarded with pictures being taken and even people asking for an interview. Through all of this I was thinking about all of the time, effort, and tears that were put into perfecting my golf game. Golf had become the most important aspect of my life and is a sport that I loved and will continue to love the rest of my life.

            It all started my freshmen year of high school. Throughout my junior high years I had been a volleyball player. “You have the potential to become a very good middle hitter and player,” my coaches would say, but usually they would just scream at me to do better. I had loved the sport of volleyball, but the coaching drove me to hate it. I decided I couldn’t take the coaches any longer. I sat down one day and asked myself what sport I could take up to replace volleyball. “Hmm. There’s soccer,” I thought, but then immediately decided it involved too much running. “Basketball involves running, track involves running, and there’s no way I’m joining cheerleading or marching band because no matter what people may say those aren’t sports.” Then it hit me. “Redbank Valley does have a boy’s golf team. This is the perfect excuse to get out of volleyball,” I thought. “I know how to golf. Dad used to take me all the time when I was little. This will be easy.” Boy was I wrong.

            “You can’t quit volleyball! You’re too good,” my mother said. “I know I’m basically a pro at volleyball, Mom, but I can’t take Heather and Darr screaming at me anymore. I just don’t respond well to that kind of coaching,” I said. “I really think you should reconsider this, Sam,” “You haven’t golfed in years,” my dad said. This began the whole summer of my parents and entire family nagging me to stick with volleyball. What they didn’t know was that by telling me I couldn’t quit, they actually made me want to do so even more just to prove them all wrong. Eventually they gave up and saw there was no point in trying to change my mind. I was set on being a golfer.

            On the first morning of golf practice at Bostonia Country Club, I sat in the car crying, refusing to get out. It was so intimidating being the only freshmen and the only girl signed up for that golf season. All I could see was this large group of older guys standing on the practice green. My mother went off to find the coach. “I can handle this,” I thought. “I’ll just go to this one practice so I can say I did, and then I’ll tell them I want to quit tonight. Wait, that means that my family was right the whole time. I can’t have that happen. Oh, what am I going to do!”  Finally, I put on my brave face and went out to meet my coach. He seemed nice and also seemed to support me in wanting to take up golf.

 My mother left, and we began practice. I was practicing my short putts alone at one of the holes when suddenly another golf ball came out of nowhere and hit mine. “Sorry,” the kid said and smiled. “By the way my name is Tim.” I had made my first friend on the team. Following Tim’s example other guys began to acknowledge me instead of completely ignoring me. “Maybe this isn’t so bad after all,” I thought.

Being the only girl on an all boy team was really challenging. I constantly had to put up with being looked down upon from both the team and my coach. They all had the mindset that women couldn’t golf. Although I started out as the worst player on the team, my skills began improving. I was even better than some of the guys mid way through the season. My scores usually ranged in the low to mid 50’s. I still wasn’t good enough to play in matches, though. Matches usually consisted of the top four or six players. My father and I went to the course every night for me to practice. “You’re really improving, Sam. Maybe quitting volleyball was the right decision for you,” my father said one night. Golf had completely taken over my life. I loved the game and wanted to become a better player.

Before I knew it, October had rolled around, and it was almost the end of the season. I had spent the whole season practicing with the team, but it was now time for me to compete in my first real competition, the Girls District Nine Championship. The competition was to be held in Bradford at Penn Hills Country Club, a fairly long but wide open course. My parents and I went up a day in advance so we wouldn’t have to make the long drive in the morning. My coach was to meet us there that day.

It was a cool morning the day of the competition. I was amazed at all of the girls I saw there as we drove in. I hadn’t seen a girl golfer the whole season. I began to warm up by putting and hitting practice balls, wondering when my coach would get there. “All coaches to the conference room!” one man called. I started looking around for mine, thinking I must have missed his arrival. “Where’s Bebe?” I asked my parents. “We have no clue. I’ve been calling and texting him for the past hour with no response,” my mom said. “Maybe he just got lost in a place with no cell service,” I said. My parents told one of the people in charge that my coach hadn’t arrived, and he was able to find a replacement score keeper for the group of girls he was to attend to.

We began playing, and I was actually playing pretty well. Half way through the day my group stopped for a lunch break. “Any sign of him?” I asked my parents. “We haven’t seen him yet, but maybe he got here after you started,” my father said. I ended the day with a score of 109 and had tied for tenth. I was so proud of myself. We returned to the club house and learned that my coach had never showed up. I could have been disqualified because of him. He later texted my mother saying, “I had to work.” I was so disappointed and angry that he didn’t show up for my tournament, as were my parents. I decided that day I would prove him and others like him wrong. A little girl from New Bethlehem could learn to play golf and do well.

When my sophomore season rolled around we thankfully had a new coach, Anthony. Though my father and I still golfed every night, I still wasn’t good enough to make the top six to compete in matches. My scores were now in the high 40’s to low 50’s. My athletic director was able to get me into local girls’ matches, which I really enjoyed. It was nice playing with girls for a change. My parents and my grandma were very supportive and attended every match. At one of the matches I met a girl like me who was on a boys’ team but was getting into girls’ matches. Her name was Larissa. Larissa and I became really good friends and are still friends to this day.

Districts that year was at Clarion Oaks in Clarion, a long course with a few challenging holes. Once again it was cold and extremely windy. I successfully posted a score of 98, which I was proud of. “Great job, Sam!” my family and coach told me. “I bet you even have a chance at a top spot,” Anthony said. Little did I know that would be a good enough score to get me second place. I stood there listening to the man at the score board announce when suddenly he said, “In second place, with a score of 98… Samantha Dinger!” I was shocked. I hadn’t even considered being one of the top players. My game had improved so much in just a year. Even my community began supporting me since my name was in the local newspapers every week. I was beginning to make a name for myself and show everyone that I was becoming a better golfer.

My junior year was a very different year for me compared to my other two golf seasons. My scores had improved to the high 30’s to low 40’s, and I was ranked as number three or number four on the team, depending on the day. This meant I could compete in the boys’ matches. Being one of the best on the team was a real confidence booster for me. The guys and my coach were very supportive, knowing that I was an asset to the team’s success. We also finally had another girl on our team, Anna. We had a very good team that year. I began taking lessons that year from a professional golfer, Jill Scally. She was able to help me with my game so much. She reconstructed my swing, and although it was really tough to fix at first, it was completely worth the end result.

The best part of that year was going to matches and being able to beat other guys’ scores. Coaches would tell their teams, “OK their number three on the team is a girl, so I think you guys should have an easy win.” I’d just smile, knowing they were wrong and making me want to strive even harder. Being judged like that was definitely the hardest part of playing with the boys, but it was all worth it to see the opposing team’s faces when the majority of their team was beaten by a girl.

I posted a score of 92 at districts, which I was grateful for considering the conditions. We played at Bavarian Hills in Saint Mary’s. Bavarian Hills is indeed very hilly with some rather challenging placements of water hazards. Temperatures were in the low 30’s, cold enough to snow, yet it rained all day. This time I knew I had a chance at being at the top. “We have a tie for second today,” it was announced. “Second place goes to Larissa Roberts and Samantha Dinger, each posting a score of 92.” We were both so excited for one another. I was even more proud of myself that day. That was the worst weather I had ever golfed in, and I was still able to shoot a decent score.

My senior year came, and after losing six of the last year’s seniors on the golf team, I was the number one player. Our team wasn’t the best and was only able to win one match, but I was, as my coach said, “the highlight of the team.” Other coaches now knew I was a big threat and would warn their teams I was fully capable of shooting the lowest score of the match, making me low medalist. My scores now ranged from the mid 30’s to low 40’s depending on the course. I was still taking golf lessons from Jill. She always told me I wasn’t like the other students, and I was much better than I thought I was. “Sam, if you wanted to, I think you could become a professional golfer some day,” she said.

Districts that year was at Kane Country Club, a fairly short and easy course except for one hole. The twelfth hole requires a layup tee shot and then about a 150 yard shot over a pond. “This is the year,” I was told by everyone. I was going to be champion- I just knew it. It was freezing, rainy, and windy, which I learned could be expected at the district championships. I had posted an 84 for the day. I was standing near the score board waiting for the other girls to finish. I stood there reminiscing about my round with my father. On one of the par three’s I had hit the green with my tee shot, but then proceeded to four putt for my double bogie. “I can’t believe you four putted on one of the easiest holes on the course!” he joked. “I know!” I said, “I could have had a shot at shooting in the 70’s.” We both laughed, knowing my putting wasn’t as good as it should have been. Then, finally all the girls were done.

I went on to become District Nine Champion that day. Against all odds I was able to rise against the negative attitudes I had received and become the best. I taught everyone around me that girls can in fact play golf and be good at it. Golf’s motto “Gentlemen only, ladies forbidden,” no longer applies. I also learned so much about myself. I gained self confidence, and I truly believe playing on a boy’s team made me a better player. I rose to the competition that was around me and thus improved my golfing skills. I also learned to believe in myself, even when no one else did. I knew I wanted to become a golfer, and I’m glad I followed my dream. Golf is a sport I can play the rest of my life, and I plan to do so.