Back from the East Coast and Looking Ahead!

Hi Everyone!

The team has returned from a great trip back East and we are now a few days into the first week of school. Our first trip was fantastic! The golf we were able to play on the front end of the trip in New Jersey and on Long Island was incredible.

We started out the trip playing the #1 course in the world, Pine Valley. All of the things you look for in a golf course were there ... layout, difficulty, vistas, ambiance, and unique design just to name a few. The guys are still talking about Pine Valley and we are thankful to have the opportunity. We had very gracious hosts and what a memorable experience for the guys .... the first course of the year was the best course they might ever play!

After pine Valley we made our way up to Long Island where we unpacked our bags for a few days and had the chance to continue our special trip. We were able to see Sebonack, Friars Head, Shinnecock Hills, and National Golf Links. All were incredible and all very unique. A special thanks to one of our great golf alums, Ken Bakst for hosting a fundraising day at his course, Friars Head. His passion for the game and attention to detail have made Friars Head one of the best course any of us have ever played. At Shinnecock Hills we were able to get some rust off with a dual match against the Princeton Tigers. Coach Will Green has done a very good job with his program there and the match was very competetitive. The Cardinal ended up on top 3 1/2 to 1 1/2.

From Long Island we headed to Chicago and Olympia Fields for our first full field event. We played some very solid golf over three days and ended up alone in 4th place. We seemed to also get a little bit better each day and were within two shots of the lead with nine holes to play so we were close to accomplishing our goals. What a treat for the team to play the same course set up and hole locations as were used for the 2003 US Open. As I told the guys ... if you cannot figure out what you need to work on after these three rounds then you better start over.

So that brings us to this week, the first week of school, and what lies ahead. We have started our workouts- three days per week which includes strength training, stretching, cardio conditioning, and yoga. Our goal is to be the most fit team in the country as we move into the spring. A fresh body makes for good decisions and good golf. Just ask Tiger. Our next event is the Prestige at PGA West held on the Pete Dye Stadium Course. As you can see the challenging course don't let up. We are all excited to see how it goes and I know the freshman are eager to make their mark. I will be sure to continue the updates.

Thanks for all your support and Go Cardinal!

Conrad