After a 11-month hiatus, the University of Idaho men’s golf team is back in action and out to win. The team’s latest accomplishments placed them in third out of 14 teams competing in some extreme weather conditions at the Joust at Goose Creek tournament last week in Riverside, California.
Head coach David Nuhn said he is glad to see the team doing well after all the time they spent prepping for competition in any possible conditions.
“We’ve got a great group of guys, all nine guys really are on the same page about what our goals are as a team,” Nuhn said. “Every single one of the guys on this team is a tremendous contributor to our success.”
In order to get the men’s team prepped and ready for the season, Nuhn has them training on a variety of golf courses in the area. They utilize not only the UI Golf Course but the courses at the Lewiston Country Club and at Palouse Ridge as well.
“It’s definitely good having a variety around here,” graduate student Sean Mullan said. “It gives us the opportunity to do what we need to prepare and play well.”
Mullan, from Englefield Green, England, tied for fourth place at the Joust and was named co-Big Sky Conference Men’s Golfer of the Week in February. Mullan said he likes how the University of Idaho Golf course is tight, with not a lot of open space and plenty of trees. Shots must be aimed carefully in order to not hit the trees or any other obstacles, requiring the golfer to adapt to new surroundings and be incredibly precise with their swings.
“Every golf course has its own specialty or difficulty,” freshman Jose Suryadinata said. “We get the chance to practice a lot of different areas in our game.”
Suryadinata said the variety of courses helps keep him on his toes and improves his game. He was named Big Sky Men’s Golfer of the Week on Feb. 10 for his performance in the Nick Watney Invitational, which resulted in him placing third. He was back-to-back champion at the No. 1 and No. 2 Elite Indonesian Amateur Championships.
Because the weather in Idaho can change quicker than swapping socks, the team utilizes an indoor training facility on campus known as the Hall Performance Center. This nearly 5-year-old facility is especially useful during the winter months when the weather is especially unfavorable most of the time.
“Inside, we have about 30 feet by 15 feet putting green,” Mullan described. “We have two hitting bays, so we can actually open up the garage doors and hit onto the course. Alternatively, there’s a couple of nets in there with a projector and we’re actually able to hook up the track mounts.”
The track mounts simulate an actual golf course. Mullan said they are able to simulate how far the ball goes and factor in various obstacles, like wind, elevation and temperature. This prepares the team for extreme conditions during tournaments, so they’ll be at their best when it comes time to compete.
Nuhn is hopeful that, with all their preparation and training, they will be going to the Big Sky Tournament. Their next tournament was scheduled to be the Bandon Dunes Championship March 7-9 in Bandon, Oregon, but was canceled “due to COVID-19 protocols within the program,” according to a press release.
This article has been updated to show the men’s golf team will not be competing in the Bandon Dunes Invitational.
Ryan Hill can be reached at [email protected]