Just one year removed from a historic 15-2 record, Coach Spautz and the Bernards Golf team will look to dominate once again in 2024. The team is headlined by an incredibly strong senior class, including Hayden and Cutter Kreikemeier, Fin Spitaleri, Simon Bramwit, and Charlie Giebel. Underclassmen on the team include Juniors Garrett Senior and Bobby Burke, and Sophomores Noah Ochab and Andrew Tropp.
The season began with a handful of practice rounds at nearby public course Green Knoll, in Bridgewater, where Coach Spautz closely watched each of the players in order to decide on his starting varsity lineup. Each match has six players per team, in which they all play nine holes. The top four scores are counted and put against the opposing team’s best four, and whichever team has the lowest score wins the match.
Last season the Mountaineers averaged 167 strokes per match, and had a low of 159 in a match against Somerville.The only two losses Bernards took were both against 16-4 Ranney, in two tough matchups that both came down to a few strokes. Head Coach Spautz has even higher expectations than last year, feeling that “with the talent on this year’s squad we could get that closer to 160 [stroke average] this season”.
The team will have to find a way to fill the holes left behind by former Varsity starters James Kolvites and Jake Timone, who both transferred following the 2023 season. Despite the losses, Coach Spautz is optimistic that the “core group of Seniors” will be able to “guide this team to a quality season.” Spautz also has faith in the “deep pool of underclassmen” that will look to compete for Varsity spots.
The golf team isn’t just about the matches and getting good scores and great records however, as the true goal of the team is to grow the sport and show people just how great the game of golf is. There are over 30 interested students all around the school that are trying to get interested in the game and develop their skills. Although there is no guarantee that anyone will get starts on Varsity or JV, Coach Spautz ensures that this season will “be able to teach some of the newer players how enjoyable [the] game can be.”
So whether the team repeats its phenomenal season from last year or not, the Bernards Golf team is without a doubt in for a great season. The team begins its quest for repeated dominance against Hillsborough on March 21st.
