June 19, 2017 at 1:08 p.m.
Team review: RHS golf
Hodags back up 2016 conference results
Team review: RHS golf
The process has been slow going for the Hodags who, after four consecutive fifth-place finishes in the conference standings, took a jump up to third in 2016. Rhinelander backed up that third-place finish this year, finishing behind only Medford and Lakeland in the conference standings, despite a spring in which the team displayed hot and cold stretches.
"All-in-all we had a pretty decent conference season," coach Adam Schmidt said following the conference finale May 19 in Medford.
Here are five storylines from the RHS golf season.
Early momentum
Questions about Rhinelander's lineup lingered at the start of the season as the Hodags sought to replace their top two golfers from 2016 - Logan Johnson and Alex Gaber.
Those questions were quickly put to bed as Rhinelander shot 338 and won the first leg of the Great Northern Conference tournament April 25 at Inshalla Country Club in Tomahawk.
Returning letterwinners from the 2016 squad - Zach Olds, Nick Twite and Matthew Reinthaler - all carded rounds in the 80s as did junior Will England as the Hodags held off Medford by two strokes.
Schmidt said the Hodags used a simple recipe for success.
"If you guys shoot mid 80s all the way and one of us goes a low 80, there's no reason why we can't be competitive and win just about everything," he said.
Conference results
Try as they might, however, the Hodags couldn't recapture that magic the rest of the season.
Their best finish the rest of the way was a runner-up showing in round 3 at Eagle River Golf Course. The Hodags added two third-place and two fourth-place finishes, and a disappointing sixth in the conference finale at Black River Golf Course in Medford.
Still the Hodags matched last year's finish in the GNC at third place overall and had three players earn all-conference recognition. Twite and Olds both made the conference's second team while Reinthaler earned honorable mention.
The places you go
It seemed like the further Rhinelander traveled from home this year, the better the team played.
That was especially true April 24 when the Hodags won an invitational hosted by Sheboygan Country Christian at the Irish Course at Whistling Straits in Kohler, the sister of the Straits Course that has hosted three PGA Championships and will serve as the venue for the 2020 Ryder Cup.
"It was really cool to get to play a really awesome course," Schmidt said afterward. "The hospitality was awesome. It was a really good experience to play a really nice course and we played it in the wind. It was kind of fun."
The Hodags also posted the third best score in Division 1 May 3 when they played in the Princeton/Green Lake invite at the Links Course at Lawsonia.
Troubles at home
For as well as the Hodags fared on the road, the same could not be said at their home loop - Northwood Golf Course.
Though the Hodags finished third when the GNC tournament made its Rhinelander stop, the team's 366 score that day was its second-highest in the seven-round event, only better than a 374 in the final round at Medford.
A week and a half later Rhinelander hosted a WIAA Division 1 regional for the first time since 2003, but didn't fare any better. The Hodags shot 373 to finish seventh in the eight-team regional.
The problem for the Hodags, as many competitive and casual players have experienced at Northwood, was keeping the ball out of the dense woods that surround most of the fairways.
"I always tell the kids when you're playing Northwood, you're playing the course," Hodag coach Adam Schmidt said. "Don't try to beat your opponent, but beat the course. That's what it really comes down to. Today, the course beat us."
Despite the poor team finish, the Hodags nearly had an individual qualifier for sectionals. Nick Twite lost a one-hole playoff with Wausau East Michael LaPree for the final qualifying spot despite making par on the par-4 first hole. LaPree drained a 40-foot birdie putt to advance.
What's next?
The Hodags figure to be in slightly better shape entering next year than they were entering this year.
Rhinelander will look to replace only one varsity regular - Reinthaler - along with fellow senior Gunnar Millot who made a few spot starts as Rhinelander's fifth varsity golfer.
"Next year, there's no reason why we can't do a whole lot better, but golf's one of those individual sports where you've got to put in the time," Schmidt said last month prior to the team's banquet. "Over the summer you've got to hit balls, got to go out and play and then work on getting stronger. Being able to do that is really going to be key."
Olds, Twite, England and Joseph Schmitz will all be upper classmen with multiple years of varsity experience under their belt and a number of younger JV players could be in the mix for the Hodags' final varsity spot in 2018.
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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