With no indoor golf training facilities located in the community, Windham High School coach Roger Young has set up a place for his athletes to practice putting and chipping during the off-season.
“The purpose was to have an area where members of the team and potential members could improve their short game during the winter,” said Young.
A putting mat was purchased through donations by the Windham Athletic Boosters and is located in a storage room connected to one of the classrooms.
Young, who teaches biology and oceanography, allows students to use the room while he is teaching his classes. Students simple have to sign out of their study halls and sign into the putting room.
“It is nice to putt with other team members,” said varsity golfer Keegan Brown. “But I like the fact that you can be alone. There are no coaches and no distractions; just you and the ball.”
The surface itself is 8 feet by 15 feet, providing 120 square feet, which is plenty of room for putting drills.
It contains three practice holes spaced in a triangle formation and stepping on the mat causes it to sink a little, as if one were on a real green. With the use of the additional foam pads a slope can be formed which helps a golfer’s ability to read a green.
The mat also came with a small square on which golfers can practice chipping. Composed of thick grass-like material, the chipping square is able to absorb the contact of a wedge or a 9 iron and to still allow the ball to travel onto the green.
“It is better than most golf course practice greens,” said Brown. “The feel is so realistic.”
Without an overall match win in the past two seasons, the Windham golf team is hoping this new facility can help lower the strokes in their short game.
The Eagles will look to use the extra practice time and be more competitive. They have only lost one senior to graduation and Sam LeBlanc, the 2005 team MVP, will be returning.
Young will also be looking for contributions from the rest of the squad to see if the putting room has paid off.
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