Feb. 26, 2024, marked the first Rainier High School varsity golf practice in the school’s history. Fourteen student athletes, 11 of whom don’t have extensive golf experience, joined head coach Andy Bartell at the Tahoma Valley Golf Course in Yelm to work on their stance, grip and swing.
Golf quickly became a school sport at RHS as the school had a golf club last spring, which was a big hit with nearly 20 students participating, Bartell said. Athletic Director Rob Henry and Rainier School District Superintendent Bryon Bahr proposed that golf become an official sport, and it was approved by the School Board on Sept. 20, 2023.
“We had a really good turnout. We got 14 kids, nine girls and five boys, and a lot of them didn’t play a spring sport last year,” Bartell said. “To get that many kids that weren’t involved in sports for us is a huge asset to our school, and this is an awesome thing to have. Hopefully it just gets bigger from here.”
Bartell, who also serves as the Mountaineers’ varsity football head coach, is coaching golf for the first time but has played it for about 20 years as a hobby. He said that, while the intensity between the two sports doesn’t compare, he wants to establish a similar championship mindset for both programs.
“I try to keep with the same mindset that we can go play for state championships, individually and as a team. We’ve got a goal in mind,” he said. “That was part of my message when we first started. It might just seem like, ‘Oh, we’re just gonna go play golf to play golf.’ No, there’s a goal here at the end of the year. We can go to districts, and we can go to state and put some trophies in the case.”
Three boys on the team have extensive golf experience, including freshman Thomas Sprouffske, who has played for nine years and has competed in numerous tournaments and leagues. He said he had to adapt to playing with a team but enjoys the opportunity to learn from others.
“When I joined the high school team, I wanted to be the top player. I wanted to dominate,” Sprouffske said. “But I want everyone else to do well with me. I want to go to state with quite a few of these guys and build a team bond.”
Senior Emma Flannery joined the team to improve at golf, a sport she plays recreationally occasionally but has never played competitively. She said Bartell’s coaching style has helped fine tune her physical and mental approach.
“I’ve learned how to get out of my head and to calm down. It’s a relaxing sport. I’m looking forward to my progress and seeing how far I’ve come,” she said.
Bartell said the first weeks of practice have helped all the players find their swings and enjoy the process of improvement.
“I think it’s finally starting to click, and they can see the strides themselves. They’ve already made huge gains in just a short amount of time,” he said. “I’m not saying we’re gonna go out and shoot 500 or nothing, but I think that their confidence is building daily.”
Eighth grader Riley Lynch is another experienced golfer with tournament chops, as he has competed in PGA Junior League events. While he does come to the team with experience, he wants to continue to grow in the sport and help his teammates do well.
“I like that I can help my teammates. It’s pretty cool to see them improve, as well,” Lynch said. “I’ve learned how to keep my cool and not get in my head because once you’re in your head, it’s over. Golf is a mental sport.”
Upon their arrival on the team, the golfers received a new set of golf clubs. Bartell said it meant a lot to him to not only be the first golf head coach at the school, but to give students an opportunity to overcome the typical struggles of being a first-year program.
“I just want my kids to succeed. I hope we get two or three state champions out of this by the time we’re done, and we only have one senior,” he said. “We’ve got a lot of kids that might return next year, as long as they like it. We can really build this program and make this thing take off.”
The Mountaineers began their inaugural season with a match against Adna at Newaukum Golf Course in Chehalis on Wednesday, March 13, but results were not available before press time. The girls will follow it up with a match at Ilwaco on Monday, March 18, before a co-ed match at Newaukum on Friday, March 22. They will play a total of 10 matches before district events in Longview and state competitions in Tumwater.
