After a season of long drives, five-hour matches, and post-match team dinners, the Nueva golf team ended its year with a strong ten to two record. They made a second consecutive appearance at CCS qualifiers, capping one of the program’s strongest seasons.
The team advanced to CCS qualifiers after beating Harker at the WBAL championships. Though the team did not advance farther, the season still marked clear progress. A highlight came at Sunnyvale, where the team achieved a school-best three-under-par performance against Menlo and King’s Academy. Annabel Y. ’27 said the record-setting moments, both personal and with the team, made the season feel larger than any single match.
“It was really cool to be like, ‘Oh, you’re part of Nueva’s sports history,’” Annabel said.
For Ryo S. ’29, who was in his first high school golf season after two years with the middle school team, the season was a major step up.
“The high school team was definitely a much larger time commitment, but I already knew most of the people on the team, and so it was fun to finally be able to actually spend that time with them,” Ryo said.
Although golf is usually scored individually, players said the team environment changed the way they approached the sport. In high school matches, six players from each team compete in nine-hole stroke play, with the five lowest scores counting toward the team total. Co-captain Cameron L. ’27 said that format added a layer of support he had not expected from golf.
“If people come off a bad hole, we will be like, ‘You got the next one, don’t worry about it.’ And that sort of small thing adds that team dynamic to golf that I would’ve never expected,” Cameron said.
That culture carries off the course too. After late-night matches, the team often went to In-N-Out, Popeyes, and other restaurants, while van rides also gave players time to talk personally, beyond school and golf.
For players new to the team like Ryo, that support made the transition easier.
“[It] really made it feel like I wasn’t a freshman on the team for the first time,” Ryo said. “[Cameron] invited me out to play different courses outside of school and really helped me with my game.”
For Annabel, being on a co-ed team created challenges, especially because many opposing teams were all boys. Opponents were sometimes inclined to cheat on their shot count, assuming that nothing would be said. Still, those moments helped her learn to advocate for herself and focus on her own game.
“I think golf is a game of integrity, and that’s important to me,” Annabel said.
The co-ed team is set to be separated into the boys and girls teams next year, but with several strong underclassmen and new players expected, Cameron believes the team is already looking ahead.
“I’m super proud of the team this year and just wish we made it a step further,” he said. “But I know everyone’s going to work hard this summer, so I’m super excited.”
