Last Friday, I saw a group of students whacking around a tennis ball on the golf course in their version of "campus golf." Inspired, I sat down with golfer Julie Campbell '13 to find out more about the women's golf team. Because the golf season ended last month, we strayed from the usual in-season questions and talked about tees, cat markers and female golfers.
How did you first get involved with golf?
JC: My dad started playing golf when I was about five. He's always been a super athlete and he just wanted to try something new. He started playing with my mother, my sister and me. And I didn't really like it for a long time, but my parents said I had to play a sport in high school in order to be able to drive a car. I've always had a lot of knee problems and I couldn't do a lot of running sports and I decided to continue playing golf. So I convinced one of my best friends to play and we went to golf camp the summer before high school. Then, I played all through high school and really caught the bug after my sophomore year and I haven't looked back since.
What about golf really sparked your interest?
JC: You're never good enough. Even the pros are never good enough. They always have a bad day and there's always something you can work on, something to improve on. It's a constant new challenge playing a new course, trying a new shot. It can be really frustrating, but those great shots will really keep you coming back.
With so many challenges, have you ever felt like quitting?
JC: My senior year of high school, my swing got out of whack. It really started affecting everything in my game. Then after one really bad round, I was ready to just quit. I remember just calling my dad and telling him that I was done, that I wouldn't play college golf. I basically told him that after this season, I was through playing golf competitively. And then the next day I shot my personal best. Since then there's never been a point when I've wanted to quit. But that was definitely a low.
What is the biggest misconception about golf?
JC: That it's easy. People will sometimes ask me if golf is actually a varsity sport. We might not have to expend as much physical energy, but the mental endurance it takes to play for six hours for one round or if we play 36 holes we'll be out there for 11 hour we just have to think on every shot and be out there on your own. It's not easy. We are a team, but when you're out playing you're by yourself, it's a huge mental grind.
It seems most sports media focus on men's golf. How are women players treated in the golf world?
JC: I think that there is somewhat of a stigma against women. You have the ladies tees that are so much easier, for example. So if I go out and play with guys, and they tell me that they'll play the front tees for my sake, I'll show them that I can do just fine on whatever tees we play. It's getting better though. There's still a lot of preference for males. You'll go into clubhouses and the men's locker room will be huge while the women's locker room will be a bathroom basically. Some courses also still do not let women play. At Augusta National, where they host the Masters, they do not allow women on the course. That can be pretty frustrating. We're kind of the underdogs, trying to prove ourselves, but I think that women's golf is gaining more respect and attention.
For less golf-savvy readers, what is the difference in tees?
JC: In golf there are four sets of tees and the furthest back are the hardest. The front tees are easier and pretty short, distance-wise. In college golf, [women] play one back from the back tees typically. But we can hold our own with the boys.
What type of rituals do you have before a tournament?
JC: In general, once I get on the range, I do some chipping and a lot of putting. And if my dad is there, I'll talk to him and have him pump me up a little bit. I try to stay calm, basically. I also eat a lot. I also have specific ball marks that I like to use. You have to mark your ball on the green or you get a penalty. So, all this season I used a cat ball mark that my dad gave me for Christmas as a joke. I used it in one tournament and I played really well, so I kept using it. I also listen to "Never Say Never" by Justin Bieber to get me going.
