After the conclusion of the season, we had the opportunity to chat with Curt Benge, Plainfield High School's girls golf coach, to find out his thoughts on the season and get to know a little more about him.
Based on your response when we chatted last year, this would have been your 19th season as girls golf coach, correct?
That’s correct. Although, I’ve sort of lost count.
What do you teach at the high school and how long have you been at PHS?
World History, social studies, current events. I think this is my 29th year; I started in 1994.
That’s some great longevity. Moving on to the season and coaching in general, it seems like in golf – unlike a lot of sports – the athletes are competing against themselves as much as they are against their opponents on the course. How do you approach that aspect of the game as a coach, because I’m sure it’s vastly different than coaching a sport like basketball?
Yeah, it’s quite a bit different. Really, you’re competing against yourself, you’re competing against the course, and the conditions you happen to find yourself in that day. So, it’s definitely unique.
I tell the girls, if you came from outer space and didn’t know anything about this game, it’s really bizarre. You’re trying to hit a white ball into a 3-inch diameter circle that’s a quarter mile away. And you’re trying to do that swinging an instrument at over 100 miles an hour and hit it on a sweet spot that’s less than an inch wide. It really is insane.
So, every day, every swing, every hole is its own challenge. That makes it considerably different.
Was there an element of competition within the team that helped to keep everyone sharp? What’s that dynamic like?
We didn’t really talk about that all that much. For most of the season, if you look back at most of the events we played in, Demi Bolin was our medalist. Annabelle Hacker overtook her on a couple of occasions. After that, there was a gap back to Eva (Mennonno) and Harper Dorris, and then Reagan (Rice) stepped in and played pretty well a few times. That fifth spot was pretty wide open until about halfway through the season.
I’m sure they compete with one another and want to beat each other, but with girls golf at the high school level, that sense of competition – unless you have a lot of depth – isn’t always a productive thing. If you had six or seven golfers that were overtaking each other at any given time, then I think there’s a healthy team dynamic of competition. But when it’s usually this kid versus this kid, one beats the other, that’s not always healthy. This team was pretty good at ignoring that; just go play and not worry about your teammates.
If I were to sit down with the girls from your team, what would they tell me is the coaching advice they got from you over and over throughout the season?
Wow, I don’t know what they would say. I perpetuate probably what they would say because I go in on Day 1 and tell them that I’m a basketball coach that coaches golf. So, there’s that aspect of it. I did not play competitive golf growing up. It’s something I developed a passion for after I got done playing college basketball.
So, on the one hand, I don’t know that they have as much respect for my opinion when it comes to their swing. But with Kayla (my daughter) being a state champ and winning the state amateur and winning the state match play and playing Division 1 golf, I’ve been around high-level swing coaches and around the game for a long time. So, I try to help them with the mental aspect of the game and just being a competitor, course management and plotting things out, and letting them know what it takes to reach whatever level they want to reach. I think they would say they listen to me about that stuff. When I try to talk to them about their swing, sometimes that doesn’t go as well.
Well, I’m sure that aspect is every bit as important. What are some highlights from this season that stand out for you?
We only lost one dual match all year. We were 13 or 14 and 1, so that’s good. We were second in the conference, which is sort of the best of the rest. We were not going to beat Franklin. They’re a very talented team that will be competing for a state title. But being able to finish second in the conference was nice.
We advanced out of the sectional for the 13th year in a row. That longevity being in the top three in our sectional is something to be proud of. That was not a sure thing this year. Mooresville and Avon both could have beaten us, so being able to pull that off was a highlight.
Also, we were ranked in the top 20 for most of the season; in that 15 to 20 range.
What are some things you learned about this team – or from this team – this season that you’ll be able to apply with next year’s squad?
I don’t know that I learned it from this team, but I confirmed what I already thought, and that was that sometimes in golf, it’s not what you say or do; it’s what you don’t say or don’t do. It is such a fragile thing when it comes to mindset, and how they approach each match can be affected by just about anything because it is such a mental game. So, I think maybe just trying to be more measured about when I give advice and how I give advice.
You touched on this a bit ago, but do you get a chance to get out on the links yourself very often?
I do and I don’t. I had my knee scoped over the summer and there’s little things that come up from time to time, so I don’t get out there as much as I would like. Some of it has to do with my kids playing at the level they’re playing at, so I think I get more enjoyment out of paying their way than paying my own.
I played a lot when I first got out of college before I had kids, but you know how it is. You just run out of time, and then they get involved in things, so next thing you know you’re paying for their golf clubs and their tournaments. So, I’ve kind of just gotten to the point where I enjoy it when I can.
What’s your favorite course to play?
I grew up on the Brickyard Crossing, so I played out there for a while. Until Roger Penske bought it, I had a free run out there. But new sheriff in town, I don’t get to be out there as often as I used to.
Other places that I love going to play, I love Fort Benjamin Harrison up on the northside, Martinsville Golf Club, Trophy Club up in Lebanon. There are a lot of courses that I just enjoy.
My daughters and I have a saying that what makes a golf course pretty also makes it hard. A lot of high grass and water and trees are beautiful, but there are a lot of things to catch my golf ball out there.
Do you have a favorite golfer that you follow, or an all-time favorite?
Like everybody, I enjoyed watching the way Tiger Woods competed. As far as current players, I’m a huge Justin Thomas fan and a huge Jordan Spieth fan. I just feel like they’re real people. I got the opportunity to meet Justin Thomas with my daughter at his event in northern Kentucky, and his dad worked with Kayla on some things. Seeing somebody that gives back and is a real person; not just somebody who’s off on television. Those two would probably be my favorites.
Do you have anything you’d like to say to the seniors on this year’s team, or to the families and fans who’ve supported them along the way?
We had one, Harper Dorris, and she’s a kid who just loves to play golf. I told her on senior night that I’m sure she’s going to continue to play golf. With most team sports, when you’ve played your last game – whether in high school or college – it’s just over. Chances are, you don’t ever do it again. But with golf, tennis, running, things like that, there’s no finality to it. You can still go play. Harper is one of those people who will continue to play. She just enjoys golf.
Things didn’t always go easily for her. As a freshman, she battled some injuries. Sophomore and junior years she competed for positions. In today’s world, a lot of people wouldn’t stick with it. Harper stuck with it and had a successful senior year.
In the golf world there are a lot parents out there who don’t get it, but don’t realize they don’t get it. Harper’s parents knew how to watch and be supportive of their kid without overly involving themselves in the contest. That’s hard to do in golf. When you’re walking along and there’s no rope, or court, or sideline, to keep you from interfering. They were able to do what you should do as parents. That’s an achievement in golf.
That’s all I’ve got. On behalf of the Booster Club, congratulations on a good season. I’m sure we’ll talk again soon after basketball season. Thanks again.
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