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.

Conference Champions

Congratulations to the Lakeview Bulldogs, who won the Northeast 8 Conference Championship, shooting a 368 and holding off South Range by three shots to win their third consecutive conference championship.

The Columbiana Clippers took home the Eastern Ohio Athletic Conference championship with a 350 at Salem Hills. The conference has not had a tournament in the past due to participation numbers, but with five schools, they were able to have it this year. Columbiana held off United, Southern Local, Lisbon, and East Palestine.

County Championships

One of the newer trends is for teams to play for supremacy in their own counties. Stark County has been hosting a tournament for years, although it was rained out this season. Trumbull County, Portage County, Columbiana County, and Summit County have all joined the trend, either already hosting or about to host their respective tournaments.

Division 2 Sectional Sites

The first ever Northeast District seeding meetings took place this past Tuesday and went very smooth. Teams not seeded were placed geographically at Sectional sites. Division 2 sites are up on the Northeast District Athletic Board website while Division 1 seeding will take place this coming Tuesday.

Fox Den Golf Course

This week we would like to spotlight Fox Den Golf Course in Stow. Fox Den hosts multiple high school teams, several conference tournaments, other tournaments, and a girls Sectional Tournament. Head professional Joe Vojtko summed up his philosophy on hosting high school teams and events, “Who do you think is going to come play the course in the future?” This attitude shows why Fox Den is such a popular destination for golfers young and old. Thank you to Joe Vojtko, Brian Suydam, and the entire staff at Fox Den for all they do for high school golf.

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 three 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.

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.

Conference Races

The chase to win the Federal League is shaping up to be one of the most interesting storylines of the season. After winning the first league tournament and getting a huge victory over Hoover, the Lake Blue Streaks dropped a close match to Jackson at The Elms Country Club. That upset keeps Hoover in contention to win the conference and it brings Jackson back into the race as well. The match between Hoover and Jackson will go a long way in determining who has a chance to win the league.

Kent Roosevelt came into the Metro Athletic Conference as the favorites to win the league and dominated the first tournament. They hosted Cloverleaf at Twin Lakes on Tuesday with the Colts coming in with a conference winning streak of 118 straight matches. Cloverleaf was well prepared but fell just short as the Rough Riders held on for a four shot victory. The battle for individual conference supremacy remained very interesting as Cloverleaf’s Quinn Malarkey held of Kent’s Brooke Beatty by won shot. Malarkey ended up with a 38 and Beatty shot a 39. Cloverleaf will still have a chance at the conference but

In CVC action, the Chagrin Falls Tigers held on to defeat the Orange Lions by one stroke on Tuesday at Tanglewood. Chagrin Falls was able to impressively win the match without Elizabeth Pollock in the lineup. Anuja Patel of Orange easily took the medalist spot with a 38.

Brunswick took control of the Greater Cleveland Conference after winning their third league tournament on Thursday at Tanglewood. Riverside hung with the Blue Devils early on but Brunswick pulled away, getting stellar scores of 72 from Ellie Gonzalez-Ribble and 77 from Emma Gonzalez-Ribble. Riverside will have to defeat Brunswick in the final league tournament to have a shot to share the conference.

The Generals of Wooster High School have a commanding lead in the Ohio Cardinal Conference, but have not gotten to that position easily. Wooster won the first league tournament by one shot over Ashland and then doubled the margin of victory to defeat the Arrows by two shots last week at the Pines. West Holmes is still hanging tight, finishing close behind Wooster and Ashland in both tournaments. Wooster will look to clinch the conference in their next tournament.

Sectional Sites Released

The Northeast District Board has released the dates and sites for the 2026 Girls Sectional Tournaments. Teams will be assigned after the seeding meetings in early September. This will be the first year the Northeast District uses seeding to determine Sectional sites. The amount of teams that are seeded is determined by the number of teams that qualify out of each Sectional. The remaining teams will be placed geographically.

Here are the Sectional sites and dates:

Division 1
Big Met – September 28
The Elms – September 28
Old Avalon – September 29
Fox Den – September 30

Division 2
Pine Lakes – September 25
Punderson – September 28
The Pines – September 28

District Tournaments
Division 1 at Tanglewood – October 6
Division 2 at Good Park – October 6

Updated information can be found on the Northeast District Athletic Board website.

iWanamaker Rankings

iWanamaker Rankings will be used to determine seeding for Sectional Tournaments. When viewing the OHSAA rankings, here are the settings that need to be selected. This can be done in the OHSAA Golf App or on the iWanamaker website, but Ohio High School Athletic Association must be selected before going to rankings, or else it will default to National Rankings. A subscription may be required to view.

Settings
2026-27
Best 6 Rounds
Team
Boys or Girls
iWR
9 Hole Rounds
Select Division
Northeast District
All Conferences
6 Count 4

Golf Course Recognition

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.

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.

Cruising

Magnificat has broken 300 as a team in every tournament they have had at full strength. Senior Kayla Knaze, juniors Calli Reed and Kellan Gleason, and sophomore Korinne Knaze have been on a remarkable run, making them one of the favorites to take home the State Championship trophy in Dayton in October this year.

Brunswick junior Ellie Gonzalez-Ribble is on a tear of her own, bringing home several medalist trophies and being at or near the top of the field in every tournament she has played. She is the unquestioned leader of the Blue Devils and plays golf with the perfect demeanor and mindset.

Freshmen

It is always fun to see the new faces in high school golf each year. Many freshmen are already making a huge impact on their teams and in their conferences. The most impressive might be West Geauga standout Anna Phillips, who is ranked ninth among all freshmen on BOYS teams in Northeast Ohio. Phillips has registered nine hole rounds of 37, 41, and 41 and is the number two overall player at West Geauga, only behind her brother Dylan Phillips. In Division 1, Elizabeth Jia has done more than anticipated at Hudson, scoring in each of their tournaments, posting a low round of 77 at the Stow Invitational at Fox Den. Not far behind her is teammate Mya Buzzelli, who has had solid showings at the events she has been summoned to play in. Sedona Benedict has given Avon a jolt, consistently shooting in the high 30s and low 40s in nine hole matches, with an 18 hole low of 83 at Thunderbird Hills. Benedict, along with teammate Wynter Delarm will keep Avon competitive for the next four years. When Bobbi Woods showed up at Champion, they immediately became a contender to make it to the Division 2 State Tournament. Sanaya Dubey has been a nice surprise at Hathaway Brown, finding a nice comfortable spot in their starting lineup, while Ellison Greenwood has done the same at Howland. Mia Turner has been a pleasant surprise and a huge piece of the lineup at Kent Roosevelt, while Sari Rosenblatt at Orange and Claire Bir at Westlake have done the same. Payton Papuga from South Range recently had a top five finish at the tournament hosted by the Raiders. In the Federal League, GlenOak is getting production from a pair of freshmen, Leah Krum and Lyla Karam, while Jackson freshman Ava Tester is ready to be the next star for the Polar Bears. Ellie Risaliti might be the top player for Canton South and Aris Asher at Green is showing a good amount of potential. A final name to watch for is Tessa Yonadi at Rocky River, who is still a raw talent, but a player who will have a big impact not too far down the road.

Growing the Game

Ask any girls golfer and they will be able to tell you a story about someone they have run across on a golf course that has made them question their love for the game. Recent incidents stick out showing this not-so-new phenomenon. Elderly gentlemen yelling at an entire team of high school players for talking to each while waiting for a space at the driving range, course employees commenting on teenage girls’ attire when they are wearing clothing designed for golf, and patrons blaming slow play on high school players, who had to wait five to ten minutes on each tee box because the people in front of them were playing slow all do not realize how much their actions and comments could deter our young players from wanting to pursue the sport.

The good news is there are many more instances of teams being supported at these courses that counteract the negatives that occur. The girls who were yelled at on the driving range were offered spots by at least seven other people after they witnessed what happened. Other employees at the golf course stood up for the young players that were being discriminated against. And the golf course starter stepped in and informed the players complaining about slow play that the high schoolers were not responsible. These people understand how difficult it can be for a teenage girl to be comfortable in a public golf course setting and they are great ambassadors of growing the game.

Coaches, let’s all make an effort to continue to promote respect on the course, proper attire, and pace of play. But also, let’s make sure we continue to stand up for our players to show them that we have their back. This is the next generation of supporters of our sacred game, and we need to give them all the tools and support necessary.

We would also like to thank all the courses that support high school golfers. We plan to have an article highlighting the places and people that go above and beyond to promote our players and their talents. Readers, if you know of any courses or individuals that meet this criteria, please email us at bolinr@hudson.k12.oh.us to tell us who they are and what impact they have. A huge thanks to everyone who supports high school golf.

Federal League Update

In a huge match, the Lake Blue Streaks defeated the Hoover Vikings at Sable Creek on August 14th. Lake now has a considerable lead in the Federal League, looking to end Hoover’s reign at the top of the conference. The Blue Streaks won the Preseason Conference tournament before defeating Hoover head-to-head. There are still several matches left for both teams and the league tournament in September. Hoover and superstar senior Ellie Hutzler will not go down without a fight, however. It will be fun to see how this race shapes up.

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.

Low Scores

Kayla Knaze, a senior at Magnificat, had a day in Parma. The conditions at Ridgewood, by most accounts, were not as scorable as they had been in the past. That didn’t stop Knaze as she swept through the course with a record setting 63 on the par 72 setup. She had seven birdies and eagle in her bogey-free round. The eagle came on the 415 yard par 5 16th hole. There was a buzz around the golf course the rest of the day as people came and went through the fabulous new clubhouse. Confirmation on whether 63 is a course record has yet to come.

On Monday, Ellie Gonzalez-Ribble shined at Fox Den in Stow. Her five under par 66 vaulted the Brunswick Blue Devils to a win the Stow Lady Bulldog Invitational. Gonzalez-Ribble was locked in from the moment she stepped on the course, birdieing three holes on the front nine followed by birdies on three of the first five holes on the back nine. Her lone bogey came at the difficult 15th hole and she managed to finish with three straight pars to easily lap the field at Fox Den.

Sister-Sister

The connection between both Ellie Gonzalez-Ribble’s and Kayla Knaze’s stellar rounds this past week is that they both have younger sisters who played amazing. We don’t want to overlook how good the rounds of Emma Gonzalez-Ribble and Korrine Knaze were on Monday and Tuesday respectively. Emma Gonzalez-Ribble shot a 75 at Fox Den to tie for 4th place overall in Brunswick’s tournament victory. Korrine Knaze shot an amazing 69 to finish second overall only to Kayla at Ridgewood as Magnificat shot a tournament record 285, nearly breaking their school record for the lowest score. The golf gene is a real thing and these two groups of incredible sisters are showing it on a daily basis.

There are some other pairs of sisters to keep an eye on. Ellie Hutzler and Frankie Hutzler are the top two golfers at Hoover High School and are pacing the Vikings to make a run at another conference championship this year. Willa Streeter has developed into one of the top golfers at St. Joseph Academy and her sister Izzy is right behind her competing in several events for the Jaguars. While Kaylee Kirk is on her senior year tour at Riverside, sophomore Madison Kirk is waiting in the wings to take over in the lineup. In Chagrin Falls, there is a new Venorsky in town. We have become accustomed to the game of Natalie Venorksy over the last four years, but her freshman sister Olivia is already making an impact. She will be a mainstay for the Tigers moving forward. The same can be said at Champion, where freshman Bobbi Woods is looking to add to the already deep roster that includes older sister Brilea Woods.

At Wooster, not only are Ava and Ella Scott sisters, but they are twin sisters, and the Generals are relying heavily on both their scores as they look to make a splash from the far reaches of the Northeast District. Both Ava and Ella play a similar brand of golf and we are sure the competitiveness is at an all time high in the Scott household. Medina twin sisters Natalie and Olivia Maybaum are in the same boat, both contributing significantly to the Bees this season. With the dissolution of the Our Lady of Elms golf programs, St. Vincent-St. Mary hit the jackpot as they received both of the top players from the Elms program. And guess what, they are twin sisters as well! Brooklyn and Gracelyn Berkowitz were exactly what the Irish needed as the move their way back up into competitiveness this season.

While they aren’t both playing, there is a big sister connection in Brecksville as Coach Sylvia Stibley gets to coach her younger sister, Claire, who is a sophomore this season. Claire got some playing time as a freshman and looks to fight her way into the lineup this season as well. Brecksville has gotten off to a fast start this season and will continue to make their run through the Suburban League.

We know there are more sets of sisters currently on rosters out there. Let us know who we missed so we can spotlight them in future TWIG columns.

A Roller Coaster Season

Yes, we use that term often as most golf teams go up and down throughout the year. The term was much more literal last week as several teams headed out to Sandusky to not only take on some formidable golf opponents at Sawmill Creek Golf Course in Huron, but also to take on opponents such as Steel Vengeance, Gatekeeper, and Millennium Force at Cedar Point. Even with a heavy shower that halted the amusement for about an hour, the girls had an amazing time at Cedar Point and made memories that will hopefully last a lifetime.

In tournament action, Magnificat had another impressive performance as they finished first in a State Championship quality field at Sawmill Creek. Hudson and Revere were the second and third Northeast Ohio teams to finish in the tournament with sixth and ninth place finishes respectfully.

Due to a lack of autocorrect on a certain not-to-be-named coach’s cell phone, a new golf term was coined overnight in Northwest Ohio. We will soon be reaching out to both Miriam-Webster and the Oxford English Dictionary to include the word glooded, which is defined as “a golf course immensely saturated with water, including standing water in many places, but is still playable.” Sawmill Creek was certainly glooded on Thursday, but a huge credit to the entire staff of the resort and course that made it playable and welcomed all the teams for an amazing event.

The Coaster Classic was hosted by Brunswick and Coach Chad Thompson, who had a vision and made it a reality. We are hoping that the Coaster Classic becomes a staple tournament in the state of Ohio for years to come.

PAC and MAC

It is wonderful to see conference tournaments expanding. The Principals Athletic Conference Preseason Tournament this year featured six teams this year, up from four last season. With the addition of Triway and Manchester, nearly the entire league is fielding girls golf teams, which is a huge step forward for our game. Congratulations to Canton South for winning the tournament.

Soon the PAC Tournament will also feature the Cloverleaf Colts. But they have business to take care of first. Kent Roosevelt invaded the Metro Conference and made a huge statement in the first tournament at Pine Valley. Cloverleaf and Kent will play a huge head-to-head match later this season and will also compete in the conference postseason tournament. Cloverleaf will have some work to do to compete with Kent and will rely heavily on senior Quinn Malarkey, who outplayed Kent’s Brooke Beatty by two shots in the first tournament. Kent Roosevelt has been a staple in the girls golf scene going on two decades now under the direction of Coach Bryan Harvey. After competing for years with Highland in the Suburban League, Kent landed in the Metro Conference and have already made a big impact on the girls golf scene, as they look to oust Cloverleaf from the top spot.

More Conference Races

Two conferences have already hosted their second conference tournaments of the year, both this past Friday. Brunswick, back to full strength, jumped back into a tie with Riverside as they dominated at Big Met to win the GCC Tournament. Revere and Hudson both had victories in the second Suburban League Tournament. Each conference still has two tournaments remaining, all in September.

Outside the Northeast

We have a few teams that fall out of our coverage area that still are big contributors to Northeast Ohio golf. One of those teams is Minerva, who has gotten off to a hot start this season after making it to the State Tournament last year. With recent wins over United and Massillon, the Lions have improved to 6-0 on the year. In tournament action, Minerva won their Invitational, won the Garaway Invitational, and won the Tri-County Conference Preseason Tournament. It has been a fun stretch for the Lions as they look to repeat as East District champions.

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.

Buckeye Bucks

On Wednesday, August 5th, the Buckeye Bucks played their first girls golf match in over 20 years as they have recreated their girls program this year. Fittingly, it was junior Angelina Vannello who hit the first tee shot on hole 10 at Coppertop Golf Course as the Bucks hosted Hudson. Vannello and graduated senior Grace Palermo are the most recent Buckeye golfers to compete in OHSAA girls tournaments, and now Angelina will be the leader of the new look Bucks.

More New Programs

There is no clearer evidence that the game is growing than seeing schools start girls golf programs. The Manchester Panthers and Triway Titans both have new teams this year with very high participation numbers. Ashley Midock will be at the helm in Manchester as she looks to build their program up and prepare her two daughters to become future Panthers. Jay Winans has plenty of coaching experience at both Smithville and Triway as he will lead the Titans in 2026.

School Records

The first week of the season tends to be when school records get shattered at a frantic pace, especially in schools where there are some new impact players. That is the case at Champion High School as they welcome in Bobbi Woods to join their already strong team featuring her sister, Brilea, and sophomore sensation Avery Robinette. The Flashes have played in three matches and have broken the school record each time. That is a good indicator that Champion will be a team in contention come late September.

Hole in One

Congratulations to Chardon senior Riley McKenna, who recorded a hole in one on the 4th hole at St. Denis Golf Course during the first day of tryouts!

Federal League Shocker

The Lake Blue Streaks came to play at the preseason Federal League Tournament, finishing ahead of multiple defending champion Hoover by ten shots, and lapping the rest of the field. Lake was led by juniors Charlie Brophy and Jamie Burns, who tied for second in the tournament with 81s at The Elms. Hoover senior Ellie Hutzler easily won the individual crown with an even par 72. Hoover will be out for revenge, making this a very fun race in the Federal League.