Lady Warrior golfers gaining experience

Fallbrook High School’s girls golf team started its season with a 1-2 record and the win occurring by forfeit, but Fallbrook coach Dave Heid is treating the initial matches as experience for his newer players.

“Not disappointed at all. We know we’re young,” he said.

Seniors Amy Boren and Catelyn Coen are injured, so the team has only three returning varsity players. Heid said that his biggest disappointment was not having Boren and Coen, and he hopes that both will be back by the time the Warriors begin league competition.

Their absence during the pre-league meets means less experience for the team but more experience for some of the younger players. “That’s a bright spot,” Heid said. “Some girls who normally wouldn’t be in the lineup are getting the chance to get some playing time.”

The Warriors were scheduled to open their season September 6 against Mission Hills at Pala Mesa, but the Grizzlies didn’t have enough players to field a team that day and forfeited.

That deprived Fallbrook of competition experience, even if it did give the Warriors a 1-0 record at that point. It also meant that the occupants of the golf course that afternoon were solely the Fallbrook players. “We needed the practice,” Heid said.

The Warriors’ first actual match would take place September 8 against Escondido at the Meadowlake course. The Cougars took a 228-278 victory over the Warriors. Fallbrook’s golfers were led by sophomore Nikki Kohls, who had a nine-hole score of 45, and senior Jackie Kohls, who shot a 49.

The Warriors then traveled to the Monarch Beach course for a match against Dana Hills High School. That would turn into a 248-283 loss. Jackie Kohls shot a 49 that day while Nikki Kohls had a score of 51.

Heid attributes Nikki Kohls’ higher score to the course rather than to anything she did differently. “It was a tough course,” he said.

Jackie and Nikki Kohls are two of the three returning varsity players. “I hope that Jackie and Nikki will settle in the low 40s by the time the league starts,” Heid said.

Heid also expects other players to improve as they gain experience. “We’re happy,” he said. “We’re doing well.”