End of Season

The season has come and gone.  It feels as if we just began our season and it is already over.  The men finished up their season this past weekend at Thunder Hills Country Club in Peosta, IA.  It was a tough weekend as they played 54 holes in 2 days.  During the weekend, we played to our seasonal average but were bettered by 6 schools in the end.  The Beavers took 7th overall but this was a great learning experience for many as we have young team.  Although we did not place where we would have liked, I would give this season a great overview as many learned what it will take to play at the next level and what we will need to work on for the upcoming seasons.  It is my hope as a coach that the players understand what it is they need to work on so we can continue to lower our averages and play our best golf.  No matter where we end up in the conference standings, if we play our best golf that is all a coach can ask for.  We are working towards controlling what we can and not focus on the external non-controllable factors.

As for the women's season, they have been done for a couple of weeks now.  They put in a lot of work this spring and it showed in their final event.  Again, as we may not have placed high, it was a great way for us to finish up the year!  We have had many success throughout the year with low individual scores and working to lower our team scores each day.  We have some solid recruits coming in that will help us continue on with what we have done and continue to work hard to play our best golf.

It is important to me as a coach to not look to far in depth with the different places we finish but instead I want my players to focus on the positives, learn the game, and continue to prepare themselves for their futures.  We utilize many values that will be useful for the long term and not only in the game of golf.  Along with this, we want to have fun with the game.  It is a great pleasure to work with such great and motivated individuals and I look forward to what the future brings.

Go Beavers!

Time Flies

It is crazy to think that the golf season is already half over!  It feels as if we have just started.  As the time is running down, I thought it would be good to give an update on how things are going.  So far this year the men have competed in 2 events and the women in 1. 

The men would have to agree that we are not exactly in the place we want to be in with a few weeks left but we are working hard on bettering our games to be ready for conference.  We have shown improvement throughout the weeks and in the tournaments.  We have played in some tough conditions so far but we need to understand how to perform in any situation.  This weekend is the BVU Invite and it is our hope to play well and gain some confidence going into conference.  With what we are doing at practice, we will be ready to perform our best at our conference tournament.

The women just competed in their first of two events of the spring season at Mt. Mercy (Hunters Ridge Golf Course).  This is a tough golf course but we played well, seeing many changes from day 1 to day 2.  Several of the players made huge strides between the two days lowering our team scores.  With only one tournament left this upcoming weekend, the women will be working hard to continue to improve their games. 

As a coach, I have seen several ups and downs this season.  It is my overall goal to help each player perform at their highest level.  In order to accomplish this, it is important to have each player understand what it takes to compete at the next level.  We work everyday on performing on the course and understanding what areas are our strengths and weaknesses.  My overall motto is to continue to work on strengths and sharpen our weaknesses so we can score better each and every day.  The ideas we try to push are course management, fundamentals, understanding, situational awareness, and scoring.  This is the first layer of what we work on and, as a team, we are working toward pushing everyone to understand and work on their games with complete focus as everyone knows a chain is only as strong as the weakest link.

We will be ready to go in a couple weeks to show our conference schools who BVU is!

Getting the Itch

It seems as if spring is here and hopefully to stay!  With this week and into next week looking like nice weather, all golfers are getting the itch to get outside.  It is great to have players who are anxious to get outside to see the ball fly again after a long, cold winter.  It is looking like later this week and into next week that we will be able to head to our home course and hit some short shots before spring break.  This will be the first time for this during my time here at BV.  It is a great feeling that we will not go to spring break having to guess what is going to happen once we get outside. 

Along with this, there is another itch going on and this is for spring break.  It is less than 2 weeks away and we are getting excited to travel south to AZ for a week of nice weather, some golf, and some team bonding.  During our time down there, we are looking into a variety of options such as Top Golf, working with Mike Malaska who is a top instructor, and going to some spring training / NBA games, along with playing and practicing golf of course! 

It is looking like we are going to have a great season with some competition between our own to get into the traveling 5.  We are ready to work hard to do what we can to play our best golf.  With a short season, it is important to start strong and stay there throughout the season so we are doing our best to prepare.  Each day is the most important day for us and each player is better understanding what it is going to take to win!  This is the best feeling as a coach to have the players understand what it is going to take!  They are getting the itch to compete and the determination to play their best golf this season!

Keep an eye out for some scores and stories in the near future.

LET'S GO BEAVERS!

The Season is Now in Session!

The spring season has officially begun.  Even with snow still on the ground, it is great to have the players back in our indoor facility working on their games!  

For some it has been longer than others to hit any shots.  The first few times we are together is a great time for us to discuss what we need to work on to better ourselves.  It is my goal to make sure each player has the understanding of what is going on AND why.  In order to do this, it is more important for each player to learn about the process vs. the results. 

I have a great group of men and women to work with as they are all putting in maximum effort to work on their games.  It is a privilege to work with athletes who are looking to put in the time to better themselves.  Golf is a game that is both individual and team oriented so each player has to do their part to make everyone around them better.  It is part of my philosophy that everyone on the team has a role and that role is to make each other better people and players!

As with other seasons for us, this upcoming season is bring some changes.  It seems as if the players are much more focused and are working together, which provides a better working environment.  This season it is our goal to work as one unit - with different fingerprints - to achieve each of our goals.

We are all excited and anxious to get outside to watch our first shots fly! 

Stay tuned for future blogs.

Coach Brunick 
 

Early in the Season

The season is now in it's 2nd week and I have seen hard work and many improvements throughout the program.  The women played in their first tournament last weekend, August 29-30, at our neutral conference site, Pheasant Ridge.  Although the team scores may not have been where we want them, each individual showed many positives.  They also improved their individual scores from day one to day two.  We have used this Labor Day week to work on many drills to continue to better each player and their performance.

The men are preparing for their first tournament this upcoming weekend at Hunters Ridge in Cedar Falls.  I have seen some competition throughout the team which provides the extra push needed to get better.  As of right now, I have 4 individuals who have separated themselves but those other players are very close.  I look forward to watching the rest of the week and seeing how we perform in this first tournament.

Keep your eyes and ears out for future results and thoughts about how things are going.  Also, be ready to see a few drills that could possibly help you take your game to the next level.

Tis the Season

It is that time of year again - students are moving in, preparing for class, and living up their last couple weeks of summer.  This is an exciting moment as it means that the fall golf season is upon us!  The women's team will be moving in Friday and beginning their pre-season practice.  We will be working hard to prepare for our upcoming events so we can play to the best of our abilities and compete at our highest level.  The first tournament will be hosted at our conference neutral site (Pheasant Ridge) at the end of the month.  The men will be arriving the following weekend and beginning practice Monday the 25th.  Their first tournament is being held at Hunters Ridge the first weekend of September. 

With new faces coming in and having used the summer to recruit and learn more about coaching, I believe that we will be able to grow and compete at the next level.  As a coach, I look forward to seeing the players back on campus and work hard to achieve their goals.  Keep your eyes out for future blogs with updates and tips.

School's Out for Summer...Almost!

It is very close to the end of finals week here at BVU and I wanted to get one last blog out there for the year.  As this year might not have gone exactly the way we would have liked and there may have been a few bumps in the road, I believe that we have had a growing experience.  I wanted to say that it has been my privilege to coach the seniors who are graduating for their final two years and I wish them the best of luck in their futures!  For those who are returning, I look forward to the upcoming seasons as I know that we can continue to improve and achieve our goals.  This summer will be a new experience for myself and I believe that it will help me grow as a coach along with helping build our teams.  It is my hope that everyone gets to have a relaxing summer and also gets to play some golf so we are ready for the season. 

Go Beavers!

Most Important Week

This week, the week of the start of conference, is the most important week of the season.  We started yesterday with a great practice.  The players seem to be more motivated than ever to play well this weekend to start off the conference tournament in the right way.   We will be traveling to Iowa City and playing Finkbine Golf Course this Thursday through Saturday.  Throughout this week, we will be doing a variety of different things to make sure we are prepared for the task at hand this upcoming weekend.  It is great to see the determination and dedication of the players to want to be at there best come this weekend.  Keep an eye out for a post next week about how the first weekend went.  Go Beavers!

Season Updates

Men's Golf: 

The men have competed in 2 events thus far.  Each day of competition they have lowered the team scores.  Starting with a 325, with limited outside practice due to mother nature, and working their way down to finish at 305 at the Wartburg invite this past weekend.  With only 2 weeks until the start of conference we are moving in the right direction.  It is great to see the hard work and dedication of each player to do what they need to do to make them better each and every day.  This weekend we are hosting a small field tournament at home to finish out our competitive rounds before conference.  This will be a great time to better understand where we are at.  With only 2 weeks before the first rounds of conference, we will be working hard to achieve our overall goal - winning a conference championship.

Women's Golf:

This past weekend the women competed in their final event of the spring season.  I know the season is short but the women worked hard to better themselves and prepare for their tournaments.  It was great to see our hard work from the off season pay off.  I believe that we got better each and every day no matter what the scores showed.  I want to wish the seniors the best of luck in their futures and also thank them for what they have accomplished during my short 2 year span here.  For those returning, I would like to say keep up the good work and we will get back at it next fall.

Go Beavers!

Hitting the Links

After a long, cold winter, spring has finally arrived.  Although it took a while to be here, we are looking forward to seeing our new swings take action on the course.  It is my hope that we transition well, continuing to work on what we have accomplished while getting back into the feel and swing of things.  This next week, we will be outside as much as possible.  The course is now open to walkers only which is perfect for us.  If the range is not open, we will spend more time on the course working on what is needed to prepare us for our first event next weekend at Otter Creek.  The goal of the first tournament for me is to get the last bit of rust off and make sure we get back into competition mode.  From there, we will be able to self critique and diagnose what we need to work on individually to continue to get better and achieve goals.  I have no doubt that each player will perform to their best abilities while learning on the course.  Throughout the course of the spring season, we will be working on our weaknesses while maintaining our strengths.  It is going to be a great season! Go Beavers!

Spring is in the Air

With the first day of spring on it's way, the weather has certainly started to show signs a little early.  Don't get me wrong, I think all individuals in the Midwest are OK with it after a long, cold winter.  As the weather is getting nicer, it is our hope to be outside soon.  The students have been working very hard indoors and are itching to get outside and watch the ball fly while working on the items we have worked on.  I look forward to watching the transition from indoors to outdoors.  With spring break being a little over a week away for the players, it would be great to get outdoors before to see where we are at.  If not, we will have to wait until the week after spring break, which could put us in a semi-difficult position being that our first tournament for men and women is the first weekend of April.  We will have to see what mother nature has in store for the next couple of weeks and also wait to hear from the golf course about getting outside.  Keep an eye out for future blogs indicating how the transition went and how the teams are doing.

Spring Time Preparation

It is time for Mother Nature to make up her mind.  Any and all golfers in the Midwest are itching to get outside and watch a ball fly through the air and end up in the cup.  With this in mind, BVU has started practicing already with our new indoor/outdoor simulator.  Throughout the time frame of our indoor practices, I have seen dramatic improvements in each player that I am looking forward to seeing outside!  Each player has worked so hard during our time inside and they are looking forward to transitioning to outside to see their hard work pay off.  As the winter is hopefully coming to an end soon, it will be our goal to maintain what we have worked on.  The simulator, being indoor and outdoor, will be outside with us and allow us to gain more knowledge of what our swing is providing us each and every day.  Along with this, we will be able to transition from the practice area to the course to make sure we better understand where the ball is going and how far.  As a coach, I am looking forward to the season so that we can show our competitors that we are continuously working hard to get better!  Keep an eye out for the next blog which will be as we begin to be outdoors.

Start of the Season

The start of the spring season is quickly approaching.  The official start of our season is the end of this month!  Starting in February, the players will be using our new toy, the GC2, to prepare for the spring season.  This new simulator allows us to work on dialing in our scoring clubs while also having some contests and playing a round of golf also.  A huge benefit of this machine is that it can be used indoor and outdoor.  Another change for us is our ability to hit year round.  We have moved our net and mats into a new room where the players are able to hit at any time.  As February rolls around, the players will be hitting 2 times per week and 2 weeks each month until 1) spring break or 2) the snow melts, whichever comes first.  I am looking forward to working with the players during this time as I have learned a lot over this off-season from both the mental and physical side of the game.  It will be great to finally work with the players and provide the insights that I have gained to help our teams take the step to the next level.  Looking forward to a great spring season!  Go Beavers!

Preparation for the Spring

Not only are the players going through a workout program with our Strength and Conditioning Coach but they are going to have the privilege to work with a simulator over the off season.  We now have an OptiShot and it works great with irons.  It is the hope that this will allow the players to dial in the scoring clubs while getting a better understanding of their ball flights.  We will also be demoing a FlightScope for 1 week so see the different paths and numbers that we can get.  It should allow the players to get the most out of this demo and continue to work hard during the off season in preparation for the spring. 

Off Season

With the off season now underway, it is time for the players to start preparing for what they will be doing.  At the end of this week, the players will begin their workouts with our Strength and Conditioning Coach.  These workouts will work on rotation, flexibility, and core strength - the main fitness for golfers.  Also during this time, the players will have the opportunity to hit balls into a net.  We have just purchased an OptiShot simulator so players can continue to work on getting consistent with their clubs, mainly the irons.  Throughout the off season, I am able to work with the players periodically to help them tweak a few parts of the swing that might help them become more consistent.  I will be using my sight along with video to show the players the different aspects of the swing.  This provides easier feedback to each player and we will be able to view the results from the beginning to the end.  I am looking forward to watching the players gain strength and continue to work on their swings over the off season.

Summer

As it seems as if we are still awaiting summer to begin, it is tough to get out to the golf course due to the wet weather.  It is my hope that all players are using the nice days to their advantage.  This summer will be a great time to continue to work on the game to improve and prepare for next season.  I am looking forward to the start of next season to see the improvements of each player and welcome the incoming players to the teams. 

End of the Year

As the spring season came and went extremely quick, it was still great to see all the improvements in each player.  The men ended up placing 6th in the conference. There was some struggle on the first day, but as a whole, we played well and I am proud of my team. Even though we may not have placed as high as we wanted, there were many goals accomplished throughout the year.  With our varsity squad being filled with mainly returning players, I am looking forward to the upcoming years which will be filled with upcoming players.  For both the men's and women's team, it was a great recruiting year as there a several players joining the teams that will give both conference and our own lineups some competition.  Now that my first year has come to an end, I can definitely say I have learned so much from the players and other coaches that will allow us to continue to grow and improve in the game throughout the next years.  This summer is a great opportunity for the players to continue to work hard and prepare for the upcoming seasons.  Keep an eye out for updates this summer and early next fall!

Go Beavers!

Golf Weather

Men

With the spring season being cut rather short due to mother nature, it is nice to say that we got a full weekend in for the first two rounds of the conference golf tournament, which was hosted at Finkbine Golf Course in Iowa City.  With the first day weather being a bit chilly and windy, there were some teams that struggled and scores were much higher than normal.  The weather took a toll on the players.  After day one, we were able to regroup and play much better on the second day.  After the first weekend of the tournament, BVU sits in 6th place.  Next weekend is the final two rounds and will be hosted at Elmcrest Country Club, which is the home of PGA Pro Zach Johnson.  It will be a challenge to all teams so the goal is to move up and finish in the top 4.  With a good week of weather we will be able to prepare ourselves for whatever comes our way and play the best golf we can.

Women

With mother nature not cooperating with golf this spring, the women's season was cut very short.  The last tournament of the season of the year was supposed to be last Tuesday but again cancelled due to weather.  The women played two full rounds of golf this spring and was in the beginning holes of their third round when it was cancelled due to weather.  From the beginning of the Fall season, the women continuously improved and lowered their team score ~40 strokes.  This is a huge achievement and I look forward to watching more improvement over the next couple of years.

Winter Weather

It seems as if mother nature is not happy with outdoor sports this spring.  Since the start of the 'spring' season, BVU golf has played 4 rounds of competitive golf between the men and women.  This weekend was supposed to be a busy weekend of golf for both teams with the men hosting their spring invite Friday and Saturday and traveling to Iowa Lakes for a tournament Sunday while the women traveled to Waverly for a 2 day event.  Due to the wintery weather, all of the men's tournaments had to be canceled or postponed.  The women were lucky enough to still have their event in Waverly.  With that in mind, keep an eye on the scores to see how the women are doing.  After this week, the women are almost done with one more tournament on Tuesday in Orange City.  The men, however, have a couple of weeks left and we are hoping for some nicer weather.  Next week brings the first 2 rounds of the conference tournament which is held at Finkbine Golf Course in Iowa City.  It will be interesting to see how the men prepare for these first 2 rounds.  With the talent we have, it would be nice to go out on a positive note with the women and have a good start to the conference tournament for the men.  Go Beavers!  

A Day for Golf

As the week starts off with a decent day for golf, the BVU women's team competed in the Iowa Central Invite in Fort Dodge.  Although the weather was still a factor, the women showed great mental toughness and were able to post a great score of 355, which is their lowest round of the year.  Leading the Beavers was senior Arinda Abbuhl who shot her lowest competitive round in her college career with an 81.  It is great to see all of the hard work paying off along with continuous improvement.

While the women were competing in Fort Dodge, the men were at home practicing and preparing for our upcoming home invite.  This weekend is going to be a great time to show our conference that we are ready to fight for the conference title which begins the following weekend.  With tomorrow scheduled to be another nice day, we are hoping to get out there and really focus on improving in each aspect of the game.  As of right now, we are keeping our fingers crossed that mother nature will cooperate with us and hold off any more winter weather so we are able to compete.