Nine-iron club in hand, golfer Sayers Allen walked on the green, confident from practice time and improvement.

“It’s been my lifelong dream,” Allen said, following the team’s first tournament against 180 competitors and placing him in the top ten as a freshman.

Despite their consistent wins over the years, Allen and her teammates are confined to a small classroom, dreaming of missed opportunities because there’s nowhere to practice. 

Bond C offers new practice facilities for golf teams in response to athletes having limited practice time from lack of space.

“On the girls’ side, we only have one day of practice a week, and we have really short practice,” Allen said. “The boys’ varsity team has two different practices because River Crossing Golf Club only allows eight Smithson Valley kids at a time.”

Because of COVID-19, River Crossing offers high school teams discounts for practice space, though it pushes their limits financially and cuts down the team’s practice time as a result.

With the area growing, golf courses are getting more and more busy. 

“We’re allowed only 8 kids at a time, which is taking away the opportunities from the kids,” Coach Jason Pape said. “Ultimately, when you’re dealing with a private entity like River Crossing, you have to abide by what they have to do as a business,”

 All the other top golf programs in Texas, like Lake Travis and Westlake, have an on-campus place to practice, giving them more time to practice.

“Right now we’re practicing at River Crossing 3 days a week. It’s my 10th year being a golf coach and the 1st year I’ve ever had my numbers capped,” Pape said.

Once the team finally gets to River Crossing, they are limited in time and what they can do by abiding with River Crossing rules and regulations. 

“An on-campus facility for all campuses who want to have a respectable golf program is gonna be a priority,” Pape said. “An applicable facility with putting range, chipping, all the things you need to do in order to develop one’s game is going to be imperative for any golf program’s success.” 

The golf team is trying to win district again this year, but their main goal is state championships.

“We have a really good chance at getting to state,” sophomore Cole Cantu said. “I feel each year is just gonna get better. It’s a great year for SV golf.”

The golf team is one of the most accomplished sports programs on campus and represents multiple kids on campus.

“Golf at Smithson Valley represents 35 kids on average so they’re as important as any other program,” Pape said. “I believe it’s a no brainer when it comes to adding that facility to Smithson Valley High School.”