Building a Team

MORRISTOWN, N.J. - When Kevin Casey agreed to become the first golf coach in the 165-year history of the Academy of Saint Elizabeth, he thought he knew what he was signing up for. 

He had wanted to coach golf for much of his adult life. What he quickly discovered, however, was that this would be much more than coaching a team. 

It would mean building one. 

The Academy of St. Elizabeth, an all-girls school in Convent Station, had never fielded a golf program. When the opportunity arose to change that, Casey was approached by longtime friend Pat Scarpello, the school's athletic director, who knew of Casey's extensive involvement in the game. Casey served for several years on New Jersey Golf’s board and is the author of Remarkable Stories of New Jersey Golf. 

By December, the two were discussing what it would take to launch the program. A few months later, Casey had a team — although not necessarily one that looked like a traditional high school golf team. 

Twenty-four students initially expressed interest before the roster settled at 18. Of those 18, only three had ever played more than nine holes. 

Casey quickly realized the inaugural season wasn't going to be measured by a win-loss record. 

"It was a clinic, it was an ongoing clinic," Casey said. 

And in January and February, that clinic sometimes took place in unconventional places. 

With winter weather limiting outdoor options, Casey and his players found a suitable stretch of carpet inside the school's library. In a room with 20-foot ceilings and columns, the girls began learning how to putt. 

Casey jokingly estimated the carpet rolled at about an eight on the Stimpmeter. 

From there, finding places to practice became part of the challenge. 

With established high school programs already utilizing many of the area's courses, there wasn't an obvious place for a brand-new team to call home. Casey leaned on relationships he had developed throughout New Jersey golf to find opportunities wherever he could. 

Early on, the team used Pinch Brook Golf Course and spent time indoors at Florham Park Golf Club, while Casey worked with clubs such as Morris County Golf Club, Spring Brook Country Club, Fairmount Golf Club, and Mendham Golf & Tennis Club to find openings in their crowded schedules -- even one-day, foursome-only openings. Bit by bit, the girls were exposed to some great places to learn how to play golf. 

Even when course access was available, Casey had to balance giving the girls experience with the realities of introducing beginners to on-course golf. 

A group of players learning the game could easily spend an hour playing only a couple of holes. Casey made sure his team understood how to respect the facilities that welcomed them, emphasizing that they should leave each course in better condition than they found it. 

Those lessons extended well beyond how to swing a club. 

Grip, stance, alignment and shotmaking formed the foundation, but rules, etiquette and sportsmanship became equally important parts of the program. 

Casey was learning, too. 

After spending much of the winter and early spring working on full swings, he realized during one practice just how much the team needed to work around the green. 

One player stood roughly 20 yards from a green with a wedge in her hands. She made a full swing, struck the ball well — and sent it about 80 yards beyond her target. 

The moment made Casey reconsider the way he was teaching. 

"I hadn't put enough emphasis on the short game," Casey said. 

Putting on the library carpet could only go so far. Bunker play presented another challenge entirely. Finding places for nearly 20 beginners to practice every element of the game required creativity, patience and help from facilities willing to make room for the new program. 

Gradually, though, the progress became visible. 

The Academy didn't win a match during its first season, but that was hardly the point. As the spring went along, the margins in those matches began to shrink. 

More importantly, golf didn't end when the season did. 

Many of the players continued playing during the summer and began taking lessons on their own. Four became caddies at New Jersey clubs, including Somerset Hills Country Club, Montclair Golf Club, Maplewood Country Club and Suburban Golf Club. 

For Casey, that may be a better indication of the program's success than anything that appeared on a scorecard. 

A group that began with only a handful of players who had ever experienced more than nine holes was beginning to see golf as something they could continue long after high school. 

"I think a lot of these young ladies joined because they wanted to learn the game that they thought that they could play for the rest of their lives," Casey said. "They had no interest in competition or going to college for golf. It was more learning how to play the game." 

That remains an important part of Casey's vision as the program moves into its second year. 

Competition will begin to matter more. Several returning players showed considerable improvement during their first season, and Casey believes the Academy can field a stronger team this time around. 

There's also a freshman entering the program who has aspirations of playing college golf. Casey believes a few others could eventually consider that path as they continue to develop. 

But he doesn't want a more competitive program to come at the expense of what made the first season meaningful. 

If another group of girls simply wants an introduction to a game they can enjoy for decades, Casey wants there to be room for them, too. 

"I feel somewhat obligated to keep that going," he said. 

For Casey, the experience has reinforced that introducing someone to golf is about more than simply teaching them how to hit a ball. 

"It's not just a golf ball," Casey said. 

That's a fitting description of the Academy of St. Elizabeth's first season, too. 

There were no victories in the standings, but there were 18 girls learning a new game. There were afternoons on the course, winter sessions on a library carpet and beginners discovering everything from how to hold a club to how to care for a course. 

And months after that first season ended, there were still girls playing, practicing and carrying golf bags around New Jersey. 

For a program built from scratch, that's a pretty good place to start. 

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