Nobody knows more about golf’s hardships than Klaus Ganter.
Golf carried the senior men’s golfer all over the world and eventually dropped him at the University of Idaho, where he said he has grown as a student, person and golfer.
Ganter was born in Poland and his parents moved the family to Germany, where they all started golfing, Ganter said.
Ganter said he really did not like golf at first and was much more interested in soccer or other team sports.
“I started getting better at around age 13, I joined the national team back home in Spain and from there on, it was just national championships and European championships,” he said.
When Ganter was 16, he decided to pursue his studies while competing in the United States. He was heavily recruited by University of Central Florida and Colorado State, both of which are top 50 golf schools, according to Idaho men’s golf Head Coach David Nuhn.
“Coming to the states was a challenge, I was only 18, leaving everyone back home — and it was a mental adaptation process,” Ganter said.
Scholarship is very important for many international students. Ganter said it was too expensive to come over and pay for school on top of everything else.
On the verge of losing his hope for scholarship, Ganter, who eventually transferred from Central Florida, got a call from Nuhn with an offer to play for Idaho.
Nuhn was on the search for strong golfers and Ganter was seeking a new opportunity — the perfect match, Nuhn said.
“Sometimes things just don’t work out, especially with kids coming from other countries,” Nuhn said.
Ever since making the transfer to Idaho, Ganter said his experiences have been nothing but positive.
“Having a rough start definitely shook him a little bit to the sense where he was becoming unsure of himself,” Nuhn said.
After many hours with the sports psychologist, Ganter said he is back in action.
“A huge shout out to our mental coach, that was probably the main way and biggest reason why I managed to go from one of the worst guys on the team to one of the top three,” Ganter said.
Nuhn said he is equally as impressed with Ganter’s progress.
“If you were to interact with him today in his senior year, it would be hard for you to be able to see where the confidence level was a couple years ago,” Nuhn said.
Ganter said he always strived to be a well-rounded person. He said he doesn’t try to do anything special or out of the ordinary to go above and beyond.
“At the end of the day, if any teammate needs my help with anything, I am a senior, I have been through all of this stuff and know what’s going on,” Ganter said.
As Ganter moves through his senior year, his leadership role continues to develop.
“I tell all the new players that they are going to have to build themselves into whatever kind of leadership role that they feel they can handle,” Nuhn said.
Nuhn said he relies on the fact Ganter is so straight forward.
“I think that is really helpful, because saying what needs to be said sometimes leads to changes that need to be made for the better of the team,” Nuhn said.
Ganter doesn’t beat around the bush — if he is thinking something, he is going to say it, a characteristic that has contributed to solid practice structure and team dynamics, Nuhn said.
From Germany and Spain to Florida or Idaho, Ganter has traveled the world so early career, even if it is a career that may end on the Palouse.
“I love the sport, but on the other hand I realize how hard it is to make a living out of it,” Ganter said.
Although golf pulled Ganter to Moscow, he said he continues to pursue and focus on education.
“I love the game, but I am probably not going to turn pro after college, I am still going to love and enjoy playing and will miss college, but I don’t think I’ll go pro,” Ganter said.
Rolling hills with manicured lawns make the ideal setting for golfers to hone their craft.
But for those outside the sport, Ganter said golf is more than just what meets the eye.
“For everyone who doesn’t play golf, it is way more fun than it looks,” Ganter said. “Especially with friends,” Ganter said.
Connor Swersey can be reached at [email protected]