Penn men's and women's golf kick off spring season trips of a lifetime

While Great Britain in March might not seem like the ideal vacation destination for many, it is for Penn men's golf.

The Quakers are flying to Edinburgh on Friday for a trip that is sure to be exciting. Once they land, they will play golf in the area around the capital city before heading north to play in the town of St Andrews.

Junior Josh Goldenberg is looking forward to the chance to travel to the country where golf originated.

“It’s really an opportunity for us to take advantage of what the program is providing, which is a fantastic trip to the home of golf,” he said.

Over the course of the week, the team should also have a great chance to bond and create goals for the spring portion of the season.

“Whenever we go on a trip together, whether it’s a weekend tournament in Louisiana or a week-long spring break trip, it’s always valuable. We stay in the same hotel, in the same rooms,” Goldenberg said. “We’re going to use this time to set in line our goals and try to accomplish all that we can in this semester."

The weather for the trip will likely be less than stellar. The average high temperature in Scotland in March is about 48°F, and many of the famous courses in the country were covered in snow this week.

Assuming the snow melts enough for the Quakers to play, Goldenberg thinks that the weather will serve as helpful preparation for the spring.

“The conditions are so parallel to what we’re experiencing here in Philadelphia and where we’re going to be playing over the spring,” he said. “It should provide a great practice set and simulation for what’s to come.”

The women’s team, on the other hand, will have an extremely different spring break experience. The Quakers will travel to the Los Angeles area next week for seven days of golf in more comfortable conditions.

“[It’s] really just a chance to get out in some warm weather, let them get some rounds in, and get ready for the season that’s coming up shortly after that,” coach Mark Anderson said.

After returning to Philadelphia, the team will have to prepare quickly, as its first match is only a week after school resumes. Although the women’s starting five includes three freshmen and only one upperclassman, Anderson is confident about their chances in the spring.

“We do have a young team but they did well in the fall, and I think now that they have a semester, especially the freshman, a semester of getting used to being at Penn, traveling with the team, practicing, and all that, that they’re going to be able to handle it a little bit better. I look forward to the spring,” he said.

Likewise, Goldenberg is feeling extremely bullish about the men’s team going into the second part of the season.

“I think everyone is attacking the plan that we’ve set out for us to do really well, and I’m excited,” he said. “We have a lot of momentum coming from the fall, and I think we all know each other’s games well enough to know that we have the ability to do really well.”

So whether their spring break is hot or cold, Penn men’s and women’s golf hope that their preparation for this half of the season is just right.