Big Plans for 2012!

Hello Friends of Stanford Men's Golf!

It has been a while since I have recorded a blog post but the time is right to share with you a lot of exciting things that lie ahead for our team in the new year. The guys started winter quarter on Monday and the vibe has been great. We have hit the weight room for winter training right away and the team continues to make improvements in the important elements of their training. We spend time focusing on dynamic flexibility, core strength, and endurance. The cardio portion is very demanding and it not only helps our team be as fit as possible but it also builds mental strength which is a a key component to good golf. I believe the harder you can make your practice and preparation the easier the performance will be! Good college golf teams are mentally tough and get better a the conditions are more demanding. We strive for this ability.

We also will start qualifying for our first event in the new year next week. We are planning on playing 72 holes and with our destination being Hawaii the guys really bear down and grind out good scores. A week away from school to a beautiful place do wonders for ones focus! The event in Hawaii will be hosted by UH-Hilo and held at the Waikoloa Kings Course. The wind can blow and the field is top notch so we will need to have our best stuff right out of the blocks. I think with 2.5 weeks of good training and prep our team will be up for the challenge no doubt! The rest of the spring will offer some great opportunities to compete with quality events at San Diego CC and TPC Southern Highlands in Las Vegas. I really believe that winter quarter sets up a great run in the spring so looking forward to the results.

In other news ....I have officially named seniors David Chung and Wilson Bowen our Captains for this season. Both guys have taken on nice leadership roles already but we wanted to make the formal announcement as well. As a coach it is good to know you can rely on your leaders to guide the team from within and let success and hard work grow through both example and support. I am confident that both these guys are up for the responsibility and will carry our torch well.

Finally, we hope you will all mark you calenders to come out and support The US Intercollegiate at Stanford, March 30,31 and April 1 as well as the NCAA Regional at Stanford, May 17-19. Both events will be great opportunities for spectators to see very high level golf up close and personal on the beautiful Stanford Golf Course. We are honored to have the chance to host both events and they both will not disappoint in terms of long drives, crafty putts, and overall competition.

Thanks to everyone for your continued support and please stop in and say hi if you are up for a tee time! Go Stanford Golf and Go Cardinal!

Coach Ray