Marin Academy is joining the sisterhood of the links with the launch of a girls golf program.
“It’s exciting to have an actual girls team,” said Parker Rothbart, one of three girls who played on a coed team competing against boys teams in the spring. Cameron Colpitts and Genevieve Zeches also played on the coed team in the spring.
Everything changes this year, beginning with the Wildcats’ inaugural girls golf match on Sept. 1 against St. Ignatius.
“I hadn’t thought about it in that context, but I suppose this is history,” said Piper Marner, one of the incoming freshmen who could be part of the foundation for the program’s future.
Rothbart proved last season that she was good enough to break into the starting lineup on the Wildcats coed team. Head coach John Haight expects that experience to pay off for Rothbart.
“I knew I’d never be the best on the boys team. They hit farther than I do, but it was still a great way to get into the game,” Rothbart said. “The boys were nice about helping me and encouraging me, but it was a different environment.”
Before this season, the girls were so eager to play golf for their school, they would rather compete against the boys on a coed team than not play at all. Colpitts acknowledged the girls still didn’t play a lot of matches as part of the coed team, so she’s looking forward to having more time on the course.
“It’s going to be an adjustment, but I’m excited,” said Colpitts, who is also a member of the school’s girls soccer team and is in the player pool for the Canadian girls under-17 soccer team.
This season is already a success for Rothbart, who asked Marin Academy boys golf head coach John Haight in 2020 if the school had a girls golf team.
“He said, ‘No we don’t have a girls team, but you’re welcome to play on the boys team’,” Rothbart recalled. “My sophomore year, I wasn’t really good, but I kind of built up from there and eventually I was in the starting lineup and playing with the boys. It was really cool to play in that sort of atmosphere, but I was always hoping that I would be able to have a girls golf team that I could play on.”
With some prodding by Rothbart and a show of encouragement from the students, the school supported the idea and declared in the spring that it would field a girls golf team for the first time this fall. Haight was tapped to take over coaching duties for the girls team as well as the boys team. Haight had also coached Tam’s girls team for the past 15 years.
“It’s about the student experience,” Marin Academy athletics director Rob Rafeh said. “We will find the resources when we have students who are committed. These experiences are all things we want for students.”
With the cost of travel, uniforms, renting time at Peacock Gap Golf Club for matches and practices and other expenses, the girls golf program represents an investment of $15-20,000, comparable to the cost of the boys golf program, according to Rafeh.
Rothbart, the Wildcats senior captain, has done her best to drum up support on campus for a girls team, seeking any potential players at school assemblies, club meetings and other events. The recruiting efforts paid off as freshmen and longtime friends Marner, Ruby MacKnight and Elsa Anderson signed on.
“I played a little golf in the summer with my family, but nothing like this,” said Marner during practice at Peacock Gap Golf Club, the Wildcats’ home course. “I’ve never kept score before and I’m learning the rules and the skills, but it’s a great feeling here.”
Another potential impact recruit was already somewhat familiar with Marin Academy golf. Incoming freshman Sterling Colpitts watched her sister, Cameron, play golf in the spring. When Sterling heard Marin Academy would field a girls golf team, she jumped at the opportunity to play with her older sister and her friends Marner, MacKnight and Anderson.
“I’m still learning the rules, but it’s a cool game,” said Sterling Colpitts, who plans to join the Marin Academy girls basketball team in the winter. “It’s good to play with my sister. We have a natural competition with each other, so that’s fun.”
With the additions of Siena Rollins and Stephanie Zola, the Wildcats have a roster of 10 golfers.
Rothbart is taking her role as captain to heart as she tutors some of the newer players in the finer points of the game and helps them with their mechanics. Hight and assistant coach Ian Hodges are happy to see Rothbart acting as a mentor.
“I want to encourage the girls to practice as much as they can and to encourage them to love the game,” Rothbart said.
The time spent on the course means a lot to Rothbart, who describes it as “calming and peaceful.”
“When you mess up in other sports, sometimes it’s good to get angry,” said Rothbart, who has also played soccer and tennis. “In golf, if you make a mistake, it’s good to catch your breath and take a moment to center yourself. I like that.”
Said Hight, “It’s been a pleasant surprise. Having these young athletes builds for the future of the program. We have a nice blend for starting a program… We have some talent and I’m looking forward to seeing that grow. We told the girls that winning is something you obviously want to do at the varsity level, but the most important thing now is to grow the program.”