(Courtesy photo/Albert Villegas)
By ALBERT VILLEGAS
Special to the NEWS
HARLINGEN, TEXAS—Treasure Hills Golf Course is a place that the San Benito Greyhounds golfers are all too familiar with.
The course serves as the ’Hounds’ practice hub and the site of the District 32-6A Golf Tournament next week. This weekend, however, is the Pre-District Tournament, where exactly 12 San Benito High School golfers will have the opportunity to hone in their skills on the course.
During Tuesday’s practice, San Benito Head Coach Henry Valle spoke to his golfers, not about the space between teeing off and sand traps, but rather the space between their ears – their brain.
“Golf is an incredibly hard sport to play, because it is so mental,” Valle stressed.
Mind games can sometimes negatively affect golfers. He wants them to overcome any doubts they may have once district play begins.
“You never know how any negative shot or positive shot will affect the overall round,” said Valle, who will also serve as tournament director for the two pre-district and district tournaments since the course is the ’Hounds’ home. “Our players must keep up their mental state for two days in a row and learn to be patient.”
Valle needs to exercise patience, too, with his golfers who sometimes have other SBHS ventures. Some are in extra-curricular activities such as band and athletics, he explained.
Focusing solely on golf is not a luxury they sometimes have. In fact, one of the ’Hound golfers, Ryan Lugo, recently earned a bronze medal at the Texas State High School Powerlifting Meet in Abilene, Texas. Thus, the senior goes from holding heavy weights to a light golf club in the course of any given week.
On Thursday, San Benito golfers were busy promoting a major San Benito CISD community event.
“We already had Thursday booked for KSBG (the district’s broadcast station) as they will be filming for a commercial on the upcoming superintendent’s golf tournament,” Valle said.
Inclement weather has played havoc with San Benito’s golf schedule. Valle said SBHS has not competed in more than a month. San Benito’s last competition was the Harlingen Invitational played at Tierra Santa, in Weslaco on Jan. 31 and Feb. 1. It was a full field of over 130 players.
San Benito golfers also competed at the Brownsville Winter Invitational at the Brownsville Golf Course, Jan. 17-18.
“Our previous San Benito tournament was cancelled due to weather, so the players have been hard at work practicing for the upcoming tournament,” Valle said. “Our players have a good chance of qualifying for the regional tournaments to be held in San Antonio in April.”
The boys’ regional tournament is held at Silverhorn Golf Course, and the girls’ regional tournament is held at Brackenridge Golf Course.
District 32-6A is made up of San Benito, Harlingen, Los Fresnos, Brownsville Hanna, and Brownsville Veterans Memorial.
“We won’t know if anyone qualifies to go until next Friday afternoon,” Valle said. “The top two teams, or the top two individuals move on.”
Treasure Hills Golf Course is located at 3009 Augusta National Dr., in Harlingen.
Among the boys competing are: 1 – Raúl Melendez, senior; 2 – Ryan Lugo, senior; 3 – Joseph Tamez, junior; 4 – Mario Landin, junior; 5 – Christian Gómez, sophomore; Medalists John Davila, senior; and Felix Sauceda, sophomore.
Among the girls competing are: 1 – Krysta Serrata, senior; 2 – Bianca Saucedo, senior; 3 – Damiana Navarro, senior; 4 – Nadia Rostro, sophomore; and 5 – Tiffany Castro, sophomore.
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