As a golfer, it had always been my dream to visit Scotland, the home of golf. Even better than just visiting, playing on some of the world’s oldest golf courses would be beyond what I could ever imagine. When San Diego Junior Golf Association rolled out their travel team applications around December of my junior year of high school, I quickly glanced down the opportunities they were providing. Girls’ Junior America’s Cup, The Aaron Baddelely Invitational, and lo and behold, the Euro Junior Golf Cup. The Euro Junior Golf Cup is a prestigious juniors golf event where America, Canada, and Scotland all produce one team to compete against each other. Each team consists of seven boys and two girls who compete against each other in a match play format. When I saw this, I immediately knew that I had to do whatever I could to receive this honor.
San Diego is known for its beautiful weather year-round, so it is a hotspot for junior golfers. The opportunity to compete and train year-round is a privilege for all golfers as it is not possible in most parts of the US. With this being said, I knew that the competition was high. The team only accepted two girls, so I definitely did not get my hopes too high.
I remember receiving an email that March. I was in math class, my last class of the day. My teacher had very strict rules on using phones in that class, so I had wait for what seemed like hours. I kept looking at the subject title – Re: Travel Team Application. I was never known to be patient, so it was completely frustrating for me to wait. Once it was 3, I didn’t even bother packing up. After I read through the email, I was in shock. I first found out that I was chosen to represent San Diego at the Girls Junior America’s Cup. That was a huge honor because it consists of a team of four girls, also very competitive spots. However, that was out shadowed by the fact that I got chosen for the Scotland tournament!
Traveling to Scotland was a long trip. We first flew to London, where we had a long enough layover to have lunch. Soon enough, we were right back on a plane and on our way to the home of golf.
The trip itself was 13 days long. During this time, we trained, explored, and just tried to make it the best trip ever. It was truly “a trip of a lifetime.” Visiting courses such as St. Andrews and learning about the rich history of Scotland and golf was all a golfer could ask for. I even got to play with hickory sticks, which are golf clubs made out of wood. It transformed the game for me, and all I could think about the whole time was how lucky I was to be there. Representing my country, playing the game that I love. When it came down to the tournament, I channeled all of this positive energy and delivered a performance. I snagged every point possible for me, beating out all of the girls I played against. I played through wind, strong winds, and the thickest fescue grass I have ever seen.
My love for the game drives me in life. It has led me towards some of the most amazing opportunities, such as college. Whenever I play a difficult course, I think back to the tough courses I played in Scotland, and it makes every course seem like a little mini putting course.
I don’t know when I will be going back to Scotland, but I know for sure that I will be going back. It’s a place I will never be ready to let go.
Courses I played:
Scotscraig Golf Club (13th oldest golf club)
Leven Golf Course (Since 1820)
Crail Golfing Society (7th oldest golf club)
