The HRV boys and girls golf teams hosted their only match of the season this year, fitting in 18 holes between the rainclouds Monday at Indian Creek Golf Course in Hood River.
After starting its inaugural season last year, Indian Creek’s PGA (Professional Golfers’ Association of America) Junior League Golf program is now really getting into the swing of things.
HRV’s boys and girls golf program may have a young roster, but it’s an expanding one — at nearly 20 golfers, the team is twice the size in 2015 as it was 2014.
Hood River Valley High’s Dan Kuechmann shot a two-day total of 165 — 21 over par — to finish in a tie for 32nd place at last week’s OSAA 5A state golf championships at Banks’ Quail Valley Golf Course. Crescent Valley sophomore Kevin Geniza won the tournament with a three-over-par total of 147.
Dan Kuechmann will be the lone golfer to represent Hood River Valley High School at next week’s OSAA 5A boys golf state championships. Keuchmann and Coach Mark Gradin will travel to Banks, home to Quail Valley Golf Course, on Sunday for a practice round before the two-day tournament next week to determine the state’s top high school golfers.
With the goal of maintaining numbers and re-establishing enthusiasm for the sport at the high school level, the Hood River Valley High School golf team is taking its early season scores in stride, focusing instead on individual growth and the future of the program. The team, led by first year head coach Mark Gradin — also Indian Creek Golf Course’s director of instruction — has just three girls and a handful of boys, several of whom are first-year players.
