Undaunted by the reputation of Yale's golf course, the women's golf team traveled to New Haven last weekend and returned home from the meet with a sixth place finish and more confidence in their abilities.
Competing on familiar terrain, Yale captured the title with an aggregate score of 646. The University of Central Florida lagged 17 strokes behind and finished with a score of 663. Three southern schools in all made the trip to Connecticut for the meet, but the northern weather was welcoming and neither temperature nor rain were problems.
Lauren Epstein '00 posted two rounds of 85. Her score of 170 was good enough to tie her for 15th place. Joanna Whitley '97 was only a stroke behind at 171, and Samantha Sommers '99 recorded a score of 174.
"The first day we played really well," Whitley said. "We were in fourth by five strokes, and we had a legitimate chance to beat Rutgers who was third."
Yale's Natalie Wong took medalist honors after firing rounds of 81 and 72 for a total of 153.
Coach Izzy Johnson was very complimentary of her team's play on the first day, which they ended in fourth place. The second day did not go as well.
"They didn't strike the ball badly, but I think they were not quite as sharp on the greens," Johnson said.
Sommers said, "I think the first day just tired us out and we weren't ready mentally on the second day."
The Yale course is informally known as the second hardest course on the collegiate circuit, and a golfer must be aware of upcoming hazards at all times. Not only is it long and exceptionally hilly, but some of the holes seem as if they were designed with the mini-golf crowd in mind.
Whitley described the ninth hole as "having a depression big enough to drive a car into."
"You are standing in the bottom and you can't see out of it," Whitley said.
As if the lay of the land is not complicating enough, Whitley also pointed out that the yardage markers cause difficulties.
"There are very poor yardage markers," she said. "They only mark out 150 yards and you don't know if you are 150 yards from the front or back. There are also a lot of blind shots."
Epstein also commented on the yardages of the hilly holes.
"When you look at the card and see the yardage you think it is not that bad, but when you get there you look up the hill and you can't even see the hole," she said. "They actually built stairs into the hill because it is so steep."
"You have to be patient," Epstein added. "You can't go for broke. You have to let things happen -- not try and make them happen.
Next week the team travels to a more friendly course at Mount Holyoke.
