Tee Time – Blue Dragon Golf Team Expecting Another Strong Spring

By Chris Lachenmaier
Staff writer
G: @chrissylach

England and the United States are two different sides of the world with varying perceptions of sports and outlooks on how sports are played, but for the Hutchinson Community College golf team, merging those two ways of life are a daily occurrence.

With the Jayhawk Conference Championship coming up, the Blue Dragons are focused and looking to win some hardware.

Four Blue Dragons hail from England and one is from Ireland.

Practice makes perfect, and the Blue Dragons are working on that with the key tournaments coming up.

“It just comes down to yourself,” said freshman Jack Northgraves, who is from England. “The coach can only do so much. You’ve got to get the practice in.”

The bond that these players have built with each other and the community has been strong.

“I like that we are so focused together, but we can share a laugh when it is needed,” Northgraves said.

With the Jayhawk Conference Championships coming up on April 14-15 in Manhattan, the pressure has been high to make the roster of five players that will be on the team.

“Our confidence is pretty high,” Northgraves said. “We are in the groove right now. If we practice as normal, and prepare as normal, everything is going to turn out good”.

While England is sophomore Charlie Box’s come, Hutchinson has become his next home.

“I feel like America is a great spot to develop your game and eventually get to that end goal,” Box said.

But getting to that end goal isn’t easy and won’t be easy.

“Going out there on your own the weeks when you’re not hitting your best or you’re not hitting the board, the best thing you can do is keep grinding,” said HutchCC coach Chris Young said. “It’s pretty easy to pick out your weaknesses. We keep stats on everything. It’s pretty easy to pick out the weaknesses in players.”

Other than golf, Young helps build bonds and friendships that could last a lifetime. Players coming from another country can be rough and tough, but Young is understanding and experienced.

“I got to figure out what the teams needs. A kid might need to come out and practice more than they play, so I got to figure out who needs what and what cranks up that one kid might not crank up the other,” Young said.

But the confidence is off the roof and the Dragons are excited and eager to swing off the tee again.

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