The fertility of our Midlands golf seedbed continues to prove itself through performance.

World class golfers are produced regularly and have been for 2 decades. Jensen Castle won the most prestigious women’s amateur event, the USGA Women’s Amateur a few weeks ago to completely surprise the world.

This past weekend, the Gray Collegiate Academy graduate helped the United States rally from an early hole in the biennial international match versus Great Britain and Ireland to win the 2021 Curtis Cup.

She earned 1.5 points this past Friday to even the match heading into Saturday. Castle then rallied from 3 down with 4 holes to play to halve her singles battle and steal a key half point.

“It was awesome,” Castle said of the comeback. “It was just a battle the whole time and I just kept trying. I was never out of it.”

Just as surprising to me was Dru Nix’s 2020 Gilbert girls winning their first state golf championship in just their 5th season.

Remember that the golf team got started in “Price Pasture” with all brand new players. They had no money, or equipment either. All that changed with the vision and effort of Nix.

It wasn’t long before the entire local community was in complete support of this new golf initiative.

I spoke briefly with Coach Nix and her passion for golf is contagious.

“Just look at what happened recently, Jensen Castle wins the US Womens and Kevin Kisner from Aiken wins a PGA Tour event,” she said. “There are so many supports of golf here locally and around our state.

“Brandon Smith of Lexington, Roger Smith at River Bluff and I can’t say enough about the Women’s South Carolina Junior Golf Foundation. The chair is Susie Ellison, but also on the board are 7 people who give great effort including Christie Coggins. Executive Director Clarissa Childs, works hard and this initiative has been going on for nearly 15 years.”

Other golf enthusiasts in the community who have contributed continuously for decades include Charlie Roundtree and Happ Lathrop.

Roundtree teamed up with Lathrop back in the late 80s and ushered in an era that produced impressive fruit. This seed bed was fertile enough to create an NCAA champion, Korn Ferry, PGA tour champions, and most recently, our world’s number 1 in Dustin Johnson.

Nix seems to be 1 of the quiet “unordained and behind the scene” leaders.

“Coach Smith at River Bluff does so much for high school girls golf and now, Kathy Hill is starting a new golf team in Swansea.”

More next week on High School girls golf.

Now, the focus will be on family recreational golf. Each of the local recreation commissions will offer fall family and junior golf programming.

What’s unique about these programs is that the entire family learns together in a “Learn through play” setting. Visit the local websites:

http://richlandcountyrecreation.com/fall-golf-programs-at-linrick-golf-course/

https://sports.bluesombrero.com/lcrac .