Throughout her childhood, senior Maggie Hill played what felt like “every sport,” but in sixth grade, when her father persuaded her to try golf, she knew it was something she had to keep at.
“[My dad] was like, ‘You should just try [golf], [and] if you don’t like it, you don’t have to do it, but you should try’… and I just kind of picked up on it really quick,” Maggie said. “So I just decided it was something that I wanted to keep doing.”
Maggie has been playing golf for FHC since she was a freshman and has been on the varsity team for the last two years. Throughout the past four years on the team, Maggie has had the opportunity to have new experiences. Especially this last season, she was able to go to the state finals for golf, which was Maggie’s first time at states, and the team placed third.
Golf has changed her life in a lot of ways, particularly by expanding her social circle. She has enjoyed many aspects of golf, from spending time outdoors to its calm atmosphere, besides competitions. But for her, the overall occurrence of finding new connections and friends has been a highlight of her time golfing.
“For me, [golfing is] more about the experience [and just] meeting people I usually wouldn’t have met without [golf],” Maggie said. “I met some sophomores this year, who I probably would not have ever met if I didn’t do golf.”
While she has certainly enjoyed her time golfing, it’s not without its challenges. One of the hardest things about golf is the mental game, something Maggie feels like not everyone understands.
When she has a bad shot or hole, it’s hard not to dwell on it and not let an issue affect her game moving forward. But Maggie has learned how to stay positive about a match even when things don’t go perfectly.
“I usually just tell myself that there’s more opportunities to be better,” Maggie said. “And [also that] I’ll have another shot, next hole, or next match.”
Overall, she’s learned a lot from all her years of playing golf. She knows it’s not always the easiest sport for everyone, but she has some simple advice for those who are struggling with golf.
“Keep practicing,” Maggie said. “I feel like a lot of people, whenever they say they do golf, they’re [say], ‘Oh my gosh, I’m so bad at it. It’s so hard and annoying.’ And you just gotta keep going and keep practicing. I feel like it ends up all clicking at once.”
As a senior, this past season of golf was Maggie’s last. While it was filled with an end-of-season triumph at the state finals, it was still bittersweet, and a little bit strange to say goodbye to the team and a sport she has spent so much of her time with.
“There are so many memories I have, especially with the team,” Maggie said, “I just feel like I’ll definitely miss all of them, and it’ll be pretty hard to just [leave] because I’m not doing golf after high school, so I’m just kind of done.”
Golf will not be the only thing Maggie will have to say goodbye to this year. Come this May, Maggie will finish her time at FHC, which is something she is both excited and forlorn about. Post high school, Maggie is still deciding between colleges, but she plans to major in nursing. She was drawn to a career in nursing because she wanted a career where she was able to help people one-on-one.
While golf has had a great impact on her life, especially throughout high school, it’s definitely not the only thing she will miss after she gets her diploma and heads off to college.
¨I’ve gotten to know a lot of people [in] my grade better this year,¨ Maggie said. “I feel like that just kind of will make me miss [FHC] more, [and also] I’ve built relationships with the teachers. I feel like college is more free, and you’re more independent, and I feel like that’s really fun, but it’s also kind of scary.”
