Although
I have barely scratched the surface of my four year Stanford experience, there
is already so much I can write about. Just like everyone else, I’ve had my share of ups and
downs the last 12 weeks or so, but it’s
the positive memories that stick out and are definitely worth sharing.
One
of my fondest memories dates back to the first day of the preseason in
September. Opening my locker and seeing a Stanford bag with my name on it and
all this new Nike gear was a pretty special moment. I waited a long three
months over the summer to join the team and it was at that moment that I knew I
could call myself a Stanford golfer.
One
of the greatest perks of being a Stanford golfer is playing at pretty much all
the nicest courses in the bay area. Some of my favorite courses we have played
so far are Pasatiempo, Cal Club, Half Moon Bay, Sharon Heights, and San
Francisco Golf Club. SF Club is probably my favorite one of them all, since it
is also host to the annual “Big
Game Cup.” Every year
during the week of the Stanford-Cal football game, the golf teams from each
school pair up with Stanford and Cal alumni/members of the club and compete in
a best-ball Ryder Cup like competition. This year, the weather was nice, the
course was in good condition, and more importantly Stanford won! A key
highlight from the Big Game Cup came from sophomore Frank “the Tank” Huang, who had an ace on the par 3 13th hole. Tank was
rather nonchalant about it (very typical of Tank) as the rest of us were more
excited about the hole-in-one than he was. Nonetheless, the combination of
beating Cal and Tank’s
hole in one led to a very memorable van ride home…
Speaking
of vans I have had the privilege of becoming very familiar with them this
quarter. Being on the team means having certain responsibilities. All 10 of us
have specific team jobs and Chris (one of my freshman teammates) and I were
assigned cleaning our two team vans 2-3 times a quarter. While at first I
thought this would be a very mundane and boring task, it has proven to be
rather enjoyable. Since the size of our vans prevents us from going to a normal
car wash, we have to take the vans to a self car wash in Menlo Park. Spraying
the van with water/soap out of the high pressure nozzle is actually kind of fun
and for some weird reason, I really enjoy it.
Cleaning the vans inside and out is a job I take pride in. Also, since I
don’t have my car on
campus, cruising around in the vans fills the void of not being able to drive.
I think Chris and I got pretty lucky with our team job.
Finally,
on a more serious note, my most memorable experience thus far was playing in
the Gifford Collegiate at La Costa. It was my first college tournament, and
after struggling early in the season I was able to turn my game around and make
the lineup for our last event of the fall. The whole trip was just a great
time, and we as Stanford golfers have a pretty luxurious lifestyle while
traveling. We got to visit the Taylormade Kingdom, stay 4 nights at the
beautiful resort (which included buffets for most meals), and play the Legends
Course which has hosted multiple PGA Tour events. The Gifford Collegiate was a
fun week and also a great learning experience for me.
While
I only mentioned a few memories that stuck out, it is important to note that
all my time spent with my teammates, (whether it be during morning workouts in
the weight room, afternoon practice at Siebel, football games, or team dinner)
is a memory in itself. I’ve
learned that the season is a day to day grind, but it is reassuring knowing
that I can enjoy it with 9 other guys who all share the goal of winning a
national championship. That being said, the fall season as a whole was a
memorable one and I can’t
wait to see what awaits us in the spring.
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