At the start of 2024, junior president Ari Hyman created the golf club at Redwood to open up the sport to all students. From beginners to enthusiasts, there is a place for all students in the club. Because of the relaxed environment and accessibility, members get a different opportunity to play with their peers rather than the varsity sports teams.
“The goal of the club is to bring together people who do not make [the Redwood golf] team,” Hyman said.
Junior and treasurer Adam Sicklick helped Hyman create this club and emphasized that anyone could participate, regardless of outside commitments or skill level.
“A lot of people that play other sports can’t find the time to play as much [golf] as they would like to, and we set up times around [that issue] to play,” Sicklick said.
The golf club allows anyone to play and still be equal in competition, even if they don’t make the team.
“There’s a handicap system [in golf], where a person who is really good will have fewer points. A person with a larger handicap [who] shoots more will get more strokes back, so it evens the playing field,” Hyman said.
With this even playing field, everyone is even more encouraged to get outside and join the club.
The club is financed through Youth On Course, an organization that allows players to access any participating public golf course for only $5 on the weekends. Also, many courses have golf clubs that players can borrow. This incentivizes even more participation as most of the cost to play is minimized.
Along with zero financial stress, the club plays entirely at local courses, which are open to the public. According to Hyman, the golf club visits the McGinnis, Peacock Gap, Indian Valley and Mill Valley courses, enhancing students’ access to the sport through the availability of these locations.
In addition to playing at these local courses through Youth on Course, the golf club partners with another organization called First Tee, which makes the sport more accessible to the community. The goal of First Tee is to enrich the lives of underprivileged youth with the game of golf. The organization is a donation-based nonprofit with over 150 chapters, and the golf club aims to elevate the Marin County chapter through community service.
“Peacock Gap, a well known golf course in Marin, has [many] lost and found golf clubs. We’re going to take those clubs and clean them by working with Golf Mart to regrip them [and] get new shafts,” Hyman said.
After each golf club is repaired, it is sold and the club donates the money to First Tee. By supporting the Marin chapter, club members provide opportunities for others in the community, even beyond Redwood students, to play. This extends their impact beyond their club and improves accessibility to golf for teens throughout Marin. The golf club is an interactive and tight-knit community on and off the course. In future years, they hope to continue growing the game at Redwood. Whether you’re an experienced player or have never picked up a club, the Redwood Golf Club welcomes you to join and experience the joy of the game. To learn more or sign up, check out one of their meetings in room 252 during lunch on Wednesdays.
