Welcome to This Week in Golf (TWIG). We are looking to highlight special moments, school records, impactful people, and other unique stories as the golf season unfolds. We don’t hear about everything, so if there is something you would like to be included, please reach out to us on social media or email us with a small recap of what you would like to be posted.

Tournament Results

We are trying to keep tabs on all tournament scores. We will have separate pages for Conference Tournaments and Regular Tournaments. Any scores that are not posted, please feel free to send over (bolinr@hudson.k12.oh.us). Unfortunately, we aren’t able to post scores from 9 hole matches as there are too many to keep track of.

Familiar Faces

Magnificat continues to win every tournament they enter while several players have continued their incredible seasons. Ellie Gonzalez-Ribble from Brunswick has been on an amazing run, taking medalist honors nearly every time she steps on a golf course. Magnificat’s top three players of Kayla Knaze, Korrine Knaze, and Calli Reed take turns leading the team and all three have been stellar since the beginning of the season. Hoover’s Ellie Hutzler and Hudson’s Elena Varga, along with Vivian Eich from Walsh Jesuit round up the top ranked Division 1 players based on iWR. In Division 2, Sophia Clarico of Keystone, Elizabeth Pollock from Chagrin Falls, and Avery Robinette of Champion are all vying for the top spot with plenty of time left to make a splash.

The race toward the State Tournament is shaping up to come down to a day of chaos at Tanglewood in early October. Realistically, it appears that there are eight contenders for the four spots that lead to Dayton. While Magnificat has all but locked up their trip down I-71, the remaining three spots could fall to one of seven different teams. Currently, iWR has Brunswick in the top spot of the remaining teams, holding a small lead over Canfield, Hudson, and Hoover. Walsh Jesuit, Lake, and Revere are sitting a tiny bit behind but all have legitimate claims to finish in the top four at Tanglewood. It is going to be an incredible journey featuring some amazing golf in the next few weeks.

Division 2 will only see two teams make their way to Firestone for the State Tournament. Southeast currently holds the top spot in the iWR rankings, closely followed by Chagrin Falls, Champion, and Keystone. Columbiana and Independence also have an outside chance of making a run. Good Park will be the place to be when these teams descend there for the District Tournament in October.

Suburban League Update

Revere and Hudson both took home first place at the third Suburban League Tournament on Monday at a very challenging Seneca Golf Course. Both the Minutemen and Explorers have swept all of the first three tournaments in their respective divisions and are well on the way to conference championships. Revere was able to hold off an upstart group from Kenston by four shots while Hudson had a 25 stroke win over North Royalton, although it was much closer than the final numbers indicated. Hudson teammates Rachel Rush and Elena Varga are the top two contenders for the league Player of the Year in the National Division while Revere’s Sarah Riley and Kenston’s Stefania Mighton are in a dead heat on the American side. Teammates Amrita Deo of Revere and Ava Solak of Kenston are right on their tails.

Kent Roosevelt vs. Cloverleaf V2

In another much anticipated match, the Rough Riders from Kent defeated the Colts from Cloverleaf at Bunker Hill on Monday. Kent Roosevelt shot 171 while Cloverleaf finished ten shots back with 181. Quinn Malarkey from Cloverleaf was again the medalist with a 1 under par 35, three shots ahead of Kent’s Brooke Beatty.

Almost Tournament Time

On Tuesday, Division 2 boys and girls teams will be selecting or be assigned to their Sectional Tournament sites. Look for more info on that coming up.

Courses and Clubs Give Huge Support for Golf in Hudson

There may not be a city in Northeast Ohio that supports high school golf more than the city of Hudson. Two private clubs and one municipal course are all ranked among the best golf courses in the state of Ohio and more importantly understand the impact they can have on high school golf.

Ellsworth Meadows Golf Club is an interesting layout with some of the best practice facilities around. The course hosts the girls teams at Hudson along with the girls and boys teams from Nordonia, while also serving as a practice facility for other local schools. Head professional Greg Andrego, former boys coach at Green High School, and assistant Warren Brocklehurst are instrumental in the community and have been nothing but supportive to high school and youth golf.

Lake Forest Country Club continues to be the host of one of the most prestigious girls tournaments in the state. The Lady Explorer Invitational has been at Lake Forest since its inaugural run over a decade ago. Lake Forest is known for its signature par 3 6th hole and unique short par 4 10th hole. John Goodson is retiring as Director of Golf and has been a contributor to high school golf since his three daughters played at Hudson in the late 2000s and early 2010s. He currently works with head professional Jimmy Hanson and assistants Isaiah Hauser and Erika Martin.

The Country Club of Hudson is one of the most well manicured courses around and hosts one of the top junior events in Ohio, the Hudson Junior Invitational. Jeff Camp Sr. and Jeff Camp Jr. have been staples at CCH for many years and are the heads of an amazing staff, including assistant Kendra Frazier and Jeff Green, who most consider the top clubhouse manager around. CCH is the home of Hudson’s boys golf team and hosts invitationals for Hudson boys and Walsh Jesuit girls.

All three courses in Hudson are well maintained and exemplary golf courses. That can’t be done without amazing superintendents Mark Stanley (Ellsworth Meadows), Tom Bolon (Lake Forest), and Greg Kachline (CCH), three of the best in the business.

Chad Gibson at Bunker Hill Knows How to Run a Golf Course

Bunker Hill Golf Course in Medina, while always a huge supporter of high school golf, sometimes received an unfriendly reputation. When Chad Gibson took over operations at Bunker Hill, he immediately started fixing that reputation and making Bunker Hill a destination for high school golf teams. The course has really worked hard toward improving and many local teams are grateful to be able to play there. “The Cloverleaf Girls golf team did not have a course after Rawiga no longer wanted high school teams playing there,” explained Scott Malarkey, father of Cloverleaf’s number one player Quinn Malarkey. “Chad was already packed but said he wanted to help. We knew he was already stretched thin but we didn’t have an option. Not only did he make a spot for us, he always makes our kids feel welcome and not in the way. It’s very hard for beginning girls golfers to feel comfortable golfing, let alone being out on a course among strangers. Chad knows the kids names and always congratulates all the kids on their achievements.  There just simply isn’t a person in the area making a bigger impact on the kids.  Also, the improvements made to Bunker Hill are unmatched. Our kids are proud to call it home.”

Great Trail in Minerva is a Destination

Southeast of our coverage area, Great Trail Golf Course has made a huge impact on the Minerva High School girls golf team. The following is from head coach Kenneth Beaumariage:

“Great Trail Golf Course has gone above and beyond to support our girls and provide them with a place where they can practice, compete, and continue to grow as golfers. Their support goes far beyond simply providing a golf course. From the excellent course conditions to the welcoming and friendly staff, everyone at Great Trail has consistently made our team feel like we are part of the golf course family.

One of the biggest ways Great Trail has supported our program is by allowing our girls to use the driving range throughout the spring and summer. Having consistent access to a quality practice facility has been incredibly valuable to our players as they work to improve their games. The addition of a new chipping green has been another tremendous investment in the course and in the golfers who use it. These opportunities have allowed our girls to spend countless hours working on their games and preparing for competition.

Great Trail also does an incredible job accommodating our matches. With three teams playing at the course, coordinating a high school golf schedule is not always easy. The staff at Great Trail consistently goes out of their way to make sure our matches run smoothly and that our girls have the best possible experience. They work with us to minimize interruptions and make our competitions feel organized and special for our players.

Perhaps the greatest compliment I can give Great Trail is that our girls truly feel at home there. They know the staff, they are welcomed when they arrive, and they feel comfortable spending time at the course. Great Trail has become much more than just the place where we play our home matches—it has become an important part of our golf program and a place where our athletes have been able to develop their skills, confidence, and love for the game.

As a coach, I cannot thank everyone at Great Trail Golf Course enough for everything they do for our program. Their willingness to support high school golf, provide opportunities for young golfers, and create such a positive environment is something that deserves to be recognized.

On behalf of the Minerva High School Girls Golf team, thank you to everyone at Great Trail Golf Course for making our team feel at home and for continually going above and beyond for our girls. We are extremely fortunate to have such an incredible golf course and such a supportive group of people in our community.”

Nominate Golf Courses

Please send an email to bolinr@hudson.k12.oh.us to nominate a golf course that has been supportive of high school golf. They will be featured in future editions of This Week in Golf.

A Personal Note

I try not to talk about myself or my team on this website very often because I want to highlight all the amazing people that play a huge role in girls golf in Northeast Ohio. That being said, sometimes I don’t do the best at sharing how grateful I am to be able to coach where I am and work with the amazing players and families in our program. When I started out as head girls varsity coach at Hudson, I had no idea what a crazy ride it was going to be. Nothing you see on this website would not have been possible if it had not been for the support from our amazing players, families, administrators, and community. I am having the time of my life this year with our team, under the leadership of our incredible senior Elena, who I feel is one of the top players in the state. Molly and Kiley have worked so hard to make our team competitive, but more importantly they are incredible people with amazing distinct personalities. Rachel has emerged as an incredible player and is mature beyond her years while Elizabeth has jumped onto the scene without missing a beat. She is going to do incredible things both on the golf course and off. Our girls, varsity and JV, are good at this sport, but most importantly, they know how to enjoy being around each other, be amazing teammates, and be friendly competitors. I appreciate this team so much.