Two years ago, the Grady golf team had no teacher coach, few team members and only one scheduled tournament.

With a new coach, math teacher Linda Brasher, and new members, the golf team has overcome the obstacles of low funding, inadequate facilities and competing extracurriculars.

“Ms. Brasher came in last season, and [the team] immediately got better,” said junior Luke Webster, a member of the golf team. “We had a good three to four matches last year before the region tournament, which is more than we can say for the season before that.”

Brasher said she had been golfing for 10 years and figured she had the ability to coach as well. Webster and junior Chad Watson both joined the golf team freshman year and were enthused when Brasher started coaching.

“She doesn’t have much experience [coaching], but I think she definitely does a very good job, especially with organizing,” Webster said. “She knows how to run [the team] well.”

Watson appreciates Brasher’s attitude on the golf course.

“She provides us with positive feedback and she never lets us down,” Watson said. “She always says positive things to help our spirits when we’re playing games.”

Brasher coaches all nine boys and two girls on the team. Watson said the team has both beginners and experienced golfers. During the spring season, the team practices twice a week and competed in 10 matches. The regional tournament will take place on April 28. The top four boys on the team are Luke Webster, Chad Watson, junior Jeffrey Cox and senior Kyle Barry, and the two girls are sophomore Schora Thomas and freshman Zewditu Turpeau.

The team has won several matches, and while Brasher hopes they will fare well at regionals, Webster understands the realities.

“We are not terribly good, but we are good sports,” Webster said. “We are flexible.”

Webster said the team has learned to adapt to the challenges they have faced.

Brasher said one of these challenges is that several students on the team participate in other extracurricular activities.

“Our biggest weakness is that everyone’s involved in so many other things,” Brasher said. “Everyone’s got 15 different directions they’re going in. … That’s definitely the biggest fight that we have, keeping everybody out on a regular basis.”

Another difficulty that the team faces is its lack of funding. Brasher said the school gives the team no money, and therefore, does not cover the cost of uniforms or tournaments. To help pay for tournaments next year, Brasher plans to raise funds before the season begins.

Brasher said the team has the ability to maintain a positive and fun-loving attitude at all times, no matter the situation.

“Everybody gets along great,” Brasher said. “We’ve never had any issues. There is a lot of joking around, a lot of ‘joning’ on each other. There is just good team camaraderie.”

Watson and Webster agreed that the players get along very well with each other.

“We are all just really supportive of each other,” Webster said. “There’s a lot of teamwork. You have to support your teammates, and that’s something the Grady golf team is good at.”

Brasher believes the students on the team have truly learned the values golf offers.

“Golf’s one of those games that I think everybody should learn if they have the chance,” Brasher said. “You learn a lot of rules. You learn a lot of etiquette. You learn sportsmanship. It’s what they call a gentleman’s game.”