The boys and girls’ golf teams at South Paulding are excited to have the season under way after their first match March 12 against East Paulding and Paulding County High at Creekside Golf and Country Club in Hiram, their coach said.

The golf program at South Paulding began last year with head coach Trey Donaldson leading the team.

“The first year started as a very young program, but now we’re very competitive,” Donaldson said.

South Paulding will tee off against all the Paulding County high schools along with Cartersville, Rome and Woodland, prior to the region matches.

This year’s team has eight boys and six girls, making up a group Donaldson described as a “good hard working group of kids.”

Three of the players on the teams are junior Henry Gee, and seniors Emily Ring and Lauren Singletary.

Gee has played golf for four years and said he began playing at Creekside with his father. He also said golf is the only sport he plays, and he plays year-round.

“I like that I have to rely on myself and not a team,” Gee said.

Ring has played golf competitively for two years and also said golf is her only competitive sport. She said if it wasn’t for her grandparents she wouldn’t play any sports at all.

“My grandparents were golfers and got me into it…I’m just not interested in any other sports,” Ring said.

Singletary has played golf for three years, but she is also a member of the varsity competition cheerleading team at South Paulding as well.

“My dad always plays golf and we live on Creekside…I like the competition. I’m very competitive,” Singletary said.

Donaldson said he looks forward to the season and feels like the season will go well.

He said golf is a very difficult, mental sport and those who play must be able to “let things roll off their back” so they can hit a good next shot.

According to Donaldson, golf is also a sport that can never be mastered, thus making that the challenge of the game and “what makes it addictive.”