When senior Evan Solter began playing golf during the summer before his sophomore year, he quickly fell in love with the intricacy and strategy that the game entailed. Going into his sophomore year, Solter decided to stop playing baseball and basketball and follow his interest in golf. Now going into his third year of competitive golf, Solter has emerged to be one of the best on Redwood’s varsity golf team and is planning on continuing his golfing career at the collegiate level.
Multiple colleges across the nation including Chapman, NYU and Lafayette College have expressed interest in Solter. However, out of these three, Chapman is his favorite.
“Over this past summer, I visited Chapman and met with the golf coach. I really loved the school and the location of it. So as of right now, it is at the top of my list,” Solter said.
Although Chapman is a Division III school and Solter has interest from Division I schools such as Lafayette College, he would rather stay in the Division III rankings due to the less rigorous practicing and tournament schedule.
“Even though I have had interest from some Division I schools, I feel as if I want to stay in Division III golf because Division I schools are primarily for kids who want to play golf for a living, and I don’t see myself doing that,” Solter said.
According to Solter, his success did not come without hard work. Solter practices regularly at the Meadow Club; whether it is perfecting his short game or adding some more yards onto his drives, he always has a goal for the day. Senior Charlie Marks, Solter’s teammate, has noticed how hard Solter has been working over the past few years and is certain he can compete at the collegiate level.
“If you go to the Meadow Club on any weekday or weekend, there’s a good chance you will find Evan there. He is at the Meadow Club at least five times a week and is always determined to better his game. I truly believe Evan can make it to the next level because he is so good all around and his determination to get better every day is remarkable,” Marks said.
Along with practicing at the Meadow Club, Solter has competed in tournaments outside of school such as the Silverado Invitational Golf Tournament, in which Solter placed fourth. For Solter, tournaments have been a great way for colleges to see him perform and have also prepared him for the upcoming season.
“Through the tournaments I play in, I can meet coaches that are there spectating and introduce myself,” Solter said. “This is how I’ve met some of the coaches that I am talking to right now. It also helps me get ready for the season by playing under stress.”
Solter finds most of his success in his drive and mid-range shots and in the span of two years has gotten his drives upwards of 280-290 yards. Coach Ryan Lloyd, the boys’ varsity golf coach, has seen Solter’s success off the tee and believes it can be the key to getting Solter into college for golf.
“The best part of his game by far are his shots off the tee and mid-range shots. He is very good about placing the ball in the fairway and putting himself in a good spot for his next shot,” Lloyd said.
After Redwood defeated Tam and Branson last year to take home the MCAL title, Solter would like to do the same in his last season at Redwood. However, Solter wants more than just the MCAL pennant.
“Going into my last season of high school golf, I really want to win MCAL and then NCS. I know we can do it this year because we have such a solid team of guys who can all shoot around even par. If we can continue to stay consistent like we did last year, I think we will be very successful,” Solter said.
