LAURINBURG — Through good and bad times, Scotland’s girls golf team has remained a tight-knit family.
The senior-laden group has exhibited strong chemistry on and off the course.
“This is the best experience I’ve ever had coaching,” Scotland girls golf coach Meg Jernigan said during the team’s senior night festivities on Wednesday.
Five senior Lady Scots — Abigail Gibson, Claire Carter, Emily Hendrix, Samantha Hendrix and Ashlyn Soles — were honored after Scotland hosted a Sandhills Athletic Conference match at Scotch Meadows. It was a bittersweet occasion; the Lady Scots didn’t want their high school golf careers to end, and they also didn’t want Scotland’s wave of improvement this year to be curtailed by the end of the regular season.
“It’s too bad there aren’t more matches to improve our scores,” senior Ashlyn Soles said. “We’ve made so much improvement this season. I’m glad to be a part of the team.”
Soles has put together a strong senior season, registering the team’s lowest nine-hole score of the season with a 51 at Bayonet earlier this week. She was the team’s top scorer four times this season.
“(The 51) was the best I’ve done the whole time I’ve been playing,” Soles said. “I feel that practicing every day as much as we did helped all of us.”
Soles, who is planning on pursuing a healthcare or education degree in college, said she hopes to continue playing golf after high school, albeit on a less competitive level.
Soles has developed an appreciation for the sport, and she’s also learned to handle the mental challenges each round presents.
“It can be frustrating,” Soles said with a smile. “But it’s a love-hate relationship. That’s a good way to describe it.”
Last round for the Hendrix sisters
On the golf course, Emily and Samantha Hendrix can be each other’s biggest supporters — at times.
“We argue sometimes. I try to give her advice, and she says ‘I don’t need your advice,’” Samantha said. “But we help each other out more than hurt each other in the game.”
The pair can agree on something; Samantha may be the better golfer, but that doesn’t mean Emily can be counted out.
“I do agree with that, because she does play in a higher group than me and her scores are lower, but I do have my good moments,” Emily said.
And both sister can agree that this year’s golf team had a remarkably strong bond.
“It’s been really nice,” Emily said. “We all have a lot of classes together at school, so we really bond there, and we bring that to the golf course. So we’re able to help each other fix what we need to fix. … We’ve been really supportive of each other.”
“It’s been really fun,” Samantha said. “I’m sad to be leaving, but I’m glad I got to play for at least two years.”
