For those of you playing high school golf in the state of Kentucky, the regional tournament has just concluded. You either find yourself making plans to play in next week's state tournament or your high school season has officially come to an end.
First of all, congratulations to the those that are state tournament bound! That is a huge accomplishment and is one of the tougher things to do in our sport. You have also extended your high school golf season by one week so I hope you make the most of it!
The rest of you are now faced with what to do next. For the seniors, hopefully you can continue playing competitive golf at the next level or at a minimum are excited to take whatever your next step in life may be.
The remainder of this message is for all underclassmen that may be looking to improve for next season.
You may not have made the state tournament, but this does not mean it is time to take "a break" from golf for a while. If you plan to be competitive it is in your best interest to get right back out there and continue to practice and play.
The next several weeks will bring ideal golf weather in our state (although right now isn't the best, but still playable!). You will have plenty of time to take a break when December, January, and February roll around.
In most cases, the reason you're not going to the state tournament is because the players that made it are better than you. They're going to be practicing and playing for at least one more week so you might as well do the same so you don't fall farther behind!
Just because there are no more matches or high school tournaments, there are still tournaments coming up that are unaffiliated with high school golf. Check kygolf.org for local section events as well as the AJGA, Hurricane Tour, IJGT, and any other junior tours that continue to operate year round.
The last, and most important thing you need to do now that your season is over is settle on a coaching plan for the winter. There are numerous instructors out there that can help you achieve your goals. Golf is an extremely difficult sport and it is even more difficult to improve your game on your own.
Over the last 10 years I have had the opportunity to work with several middle and high school players that have worked hard and gone on to qualify for the state tournament. If you don't have a coach, be sure to check out my coaching plans for this year.
Remember that you can always get to work now and make 2016 your best golf year ever!!
