The Woodlands High School Golf Team has had a lot of success over the years both individually and as a team; each part makes up a whole. When talking to a couple select players about what makes our golf team so great and gives them their drive, they cite different reasons for their start to golf and ongoing interest in the sport.
Charlotte Stick’s dad got her involved in golf when she was four. Her dad played in college at Austin Peay and got her into golf as soon as she could join him at the course. Charlotte’s handicap is a +1 and her biggest school tournament was in 2023, her sophomore year. She shot seventy five-seventy and finished ninth out of seventy two girls in the state. Charlotte played in the Greenwood Cup with her partner, Sophia Ellestad, last year. They finished second place in a very competitive field and they were invited back this year and played in the field with the number one boy and girl in the world.
Her favorite golf memory is, “going to NYC with [her] dad for a golf tournament this summer.” She advises “younger golfers to stick with it and trust the process! There are going to be ups and downs in golf and it’s the ones that get through the downs who become the best! Work hard and have so much fun.”
Charlotte will be playing Division 1 golf at Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The golf program competes in The Summit League Conference; Go Golden Eagles!
Claire Smith got started when she was three because her dad owns Summit Golf School. She credits him with teaching her “everything [she] knows and has been a big part in [her] success and love for the sport. I started playing at three years old and never had a second thought.”
Claire’s scoring average is a seventy five and she plays in many Texas Junior Golf Tours and some Southern Texas Professional Golf Association Tournaments, as well as a couple American Junior Golf Association tournaments. Her school season this year has been very successful with two under par rounds.
Claire explains that The Woodlands High School’s biggest competition is everyone that plays in the state tournament every year. Claire has a lot of fun playing at state because it makes more competitive-and she is able to have fun while doing it.
One of her “favorite memories is definitely travel tournaments” with her favorite one being either state or regional tournaments. Her and whomever she’s rooming with just have “so much fun joking around and talking about the crazy shots we had that day or the funny things that happened.”
Claire will be playing college golf at the University of Mary-Hardin Baylor; the Crusaders compete in Division three. The University is private and located in Belton, Texas; Go Cru!
Claire’s advice echoes Charlotte’s advice to make sure you are having fun! She also adds this suggestion to young players, “don’t stress about the little things. The game is supposed to be hard, but it also really fun and enjoyable!”
