CORVALLIS — Philomath High’s varsity five that played Trysting Tree Golf Club’s 18-hole course Tuesday afternoon are typically involved in a much more intense sport.
Seniors Kynlee Albin and Ashleigh Brown are used to the fast-paced environment on a volleyball court. Senior Anneka Steen and juniors Shaylee May and Isabelle Muir just wrapped up a state runner-up season in girls basketball.
Gallery: PHS girls golf at Trysting Tree (April 29, 2025)
A collection of photos from the Philomath High girls golf team’s appearance in a meet at Trysting Tree Golf Club on Tuesday.
So out on a peaceful and picturesque golf course, are there ever any “Happy Gilmore” moments?
“I’m not good enough to take it seriously,” Muir said after turning in the team’s top score of the day. “Golf’s really difficult and if I worry too much about it, I’ll just hate it. It’s definitely difficult going from such intense and high-speed things like basketball to this but it’s kind of nice to have something that’s relaxing.”
Albin said it’s definitely a different vibe.
“I don’t have to worry about other people and don’t have to guard anyone or whatever,” she said. “I can go out there and have fun and listen to music and just chill, so it’s nice.”
Brown also used the term, “more chill,” when offering a perspective on her new sport.
“It’s hard to adjust because we’re so used to such fast-paced games where it’s competitive in the moment but here, your mental game is so much more important than your actual game,” Brown said. “It’s definitely been an adjustment for all of us to slow down our pace and still be able to keep our minds up.”
May had similar comments.
“It’s hard to show your competitiveness during golf,” she said. “It’s an enraging sport, as our team would call it — you either hate it one moment or you love it. It’s just fun to see all of our improvement throughout the last month or two.”
The new program’s head coach, Logan Martin said there is a balance of competition on the roster.
“Recognizing that this is a fun and difficult game … my job is to try to keep their spirits up,” Martin said. “One of my main jobs when I’m driving around on the course during tournament days is keeping them in a positive head space.”
Philomath High added girls and boys golf to its lineup of spring sports this year. Seven girls signed up — in addition to the five mentioned above, seniors Sophia Bauer and Reagan Chisholm have also competed. A few said they tried golf simply because they didn’t have a spring sport.
“Honestly, I wasn’t doing anything and it sounded fun to try something new,” Muir said. “I just hadn’t played before other than a couple of random times with my dad but nothing real.”
Albin had a similar take.
“It’s fun to be outside and in the sun and it’s a good hobby — I’m not just inside on my phone all the time,” Albin said.
May saw an opportunity to spend time with friends and learn the game.
“I thought it’d be a very fun new sport, just something to try,” she said. “I mean, free golf lessons so why not?”
Salem Academy easily won the team race Tuesday with a score of 326, well ahead of runner-up Banks with 377. Individually, North Valley’s London Kilborn was the winner with a round of 79.
The girls usually play from the orange tees at Trysting Tree, which are in front, but the tournament had them going from the grey tees, the next ones back.
“It was kind of a mix of grey and orange because a lot of them were up with the orange but then there were some that definitely made the course longer and a little more difficult,” Martin said.
Even though Muir had the team’s top score, she wasn’t very pleased with her score of 110. She had a 52 on the front nine.
“I haven’t been to any practices lately because I’ve been at Outdoor School so I just kind of showed up and it shows,” she said.
May finished with a 114, followed by Albin’s 117, Brown’s 118 and Steen’s 127.
“In each round, I’m very inconsistent considering I’m such a new golfer but when I have my days, my driving is definitely the best because I can get it out there — but that’s only sometimes,” Albin said.
May mentioned that she needs more work on the green.
“My irons have been my best game,” May said. “My short distance needs a little work but I’m figuring out my driver, so that’s good.”
Said Brown, “My chipping is pretty good compared to the rest of it.”
Martin has definitely seen improvement in the group. The team finished with a 459 in Tuesday’s competition but they were coming off an exceptional showing on April 21 at a meet hosted by Stayton.
“It’s been remarkable growth for a team that’s compiled mostly of golfers who are new to the game,” Martin said. “We went from last place with a score of 547 in our first tournament to last week, we shot a 400 — almost 150 strokes better and came in second place. So it’s been an amazing improvement.”
As one can imagine, golfers fight to stay out of their own heads while on the course. The frustration can get to the best of them.
“I get so angry — not as much now,” Albin said. “In the beginning of the season, I threw like 20 clubs in practice, maybe more, and my coach started to take my clubs away every time I threw them. He’d put it in his bag and say ‘you can’t use it the rest of the day’ and that definitely taught me to keep my composure on the course.”
All of the golfers who were interviewed coming off the course mentioned those grey tees.
“Today, the conditions were rough and the course was a little long but they showed a ton of resilience,” Martin said. “One of the main things we’re working on is the mental side of the game because in golf, resiliency in the mental side is key so they’re growing in spades there.”
Beyond the five golfers that played with the varsity group, the Warriors were able to also send Chisholm onto the course to get in some work. The tournament did not have a junior varsity competition.
As for those who may play golf in the future, answers were mixed among the girls. One of the team’s juniors appears to be interested in continuing next season.
“I’ll definitely play this summer with my dad,” Muir said. “My coach has a lot of faith in me so I’ll definitely come and play next year and I’ll see where it takes me.”
Philomath’s next competition will also be at Trysting Tree when the team hosts a match on May 5. The Warriors will then move onto the Special District 3 Tournament on May 12 at Santiam Golf Club near Stayton — the same course where they shot the 400.
