Golf: No Longer Worried About Green, Hopatcong Focuses on Greens

It was cold, and a gray sky hung over the soggy course, a reminder it was early in the high school golf season.

And though Hopatcong's swings were as rusty as junkyard steel, it was better than the alternative of a golf-less spring.

The Chiefs lost both ends of a tri-match with Kittatinny and Newton on Monday. But after months of wondering whether his team would even exist, head coach Dominic Schiavone had reason to be relieved.

"It can only get better from here," he said.

Hopatcong's Board of Education after taking a $1.7 million reduction in state aid. But the team's parents revived the program through fundraising and a last-second large donation from a local club.

On Monday, though the Chiefs struggled while taking the course for just the fourth time this year—the result of recent unseasonable weather—junior Shane Sickles, who tied for the day's best with a 44, wasn't upset.

"I think it'll be a pretty good year," he said. "Hopefully better than last year."

Hopatcong finished with just four wins last season. This time around, the team has 20 athletes, including 10 freshman, which Schiavone said is about double its usual amount.

"You now just have to see improvement," he said. "That's what you hope for."

For a long time, junior Colleen McNamara said she just hoped for a team, though for a while its future was murky at best. Lacking the school board's financial support, the club had to raise money for travel, greens fees, uniforms and Schiavone's coaching stipend.

Sickles' father, Randy, in January said the Golf Parents Association , in addition to smaller fundraising efforts throughout 2010. He said in an email it would cost "approximately 6900" to fund the team.

Then the Lake Hopatcong Elks Lodge in March, securing its future for at least a season.

"For them to do that was outstanding and wonderful," Schiavone said. "They allowed the kids to have a team. It was just a great, charitable thing they did and it gave the kids the chance to play."

That's all Sickles wanted. And after averaging 41.9 last year, he hopes to remain one of the area's top golfers. He proved he could do just that Monday, despite needing eight shots on the par-five eighth.

"He was tied for low round of the day," Schiavone said. "You can't be mad at the kid for that."

Schiavone also said he wasn't worried about Monday's showing.

"It's just a testament to how bad the weather's been," he said. "What can you do? If you can't play golf, it's real hard to come out here and play for real. That's tough. It's real tough. I wouldn't want to be in their situation and play any competitive round. It's a really hard thing to do."

But probably easier than a lost spring.