Boys golf: Terra Linda enjoying historic success with experienced lineup
Terra Linda senior Sean Madden has rediscovered something important this season: Golf can be fun. The Trojans captain is bringing a more relaxed approach to the links these days, while Terra Linda is enjoying one of the program’s best seasons in years.
This past winter, Madden “went back to play basketball, which I hadn’t done since my freshman or sophomore year,” he said. “Then I eased my way back into golf. After a couple of rounds I realized that there was something I could still find in myself and in my golf game, something I hadn’t had the past couple of years. I feel like last year there was so much pressure on myself. This year I have so much trust in my teammates and that allows me to play more freely. That allows me to have fun.”
Madden started playing golf with his father, before joining a junior high school league.
“When COVID hit, the only opportunity to play was just the one sport because only the golf courses were open,” said Madden, who is weighing his college options, although he does not plan to play NCAA golf. “Through the COVID period, I was playing golf every day. But recently I realized I didn’t love playing golf every day. It’s just something I like to do to spend time with people.”
Madden and Derek Newhall came together as part of a young team when they arrived at Terra Linda, and are now part of the veteran guard.
“That first season was stressful the first few matches, but as the season went on, I got better as I got more comfortable,” Newhall said. “We didn’t have any older guys on the team really. It was just us young guys experiencing the season together.”
Madden and Newhall feel they will leave behind a Terra Linda golf program that continues to grow stronger every season.
“As a team, we get better as we practice and spend time together,” Madden said. “This year was one of the first where we recognized golf as a team sport… The whole team is friendly with each other. It allows us to be open. We’re connected with each other … we hold each other accountable in practice. We’ve grown to believe that if we have one bad score, someone else will come in and help out. We have more reliance and trust in teammates.”
The Trojans did not qualify as a team for the North Coast Section Division II tournament last year, but sent four players: Madden, Newhall, Micah Albers and Kaden Martin. This year, the Trojans have a chance to accomplish a historic first for the boys program by securing a team berth in the tournament, which this year will be held on the familiar greens at Peacock Gap on May 6.
“Last year was tough playing an unfamiliar course,” Newhall said of his NCS experience.
Madden, an All-MCAL first team pick during his junior campaign, shot a 75 in the NCS D-II playoffs, just six shots off the pace set by Branson’s Ryan Herbst, who shot a 69. Newhall was close behind at 79, with Martin at 83 and Albers at 85. Madden carried the banner for Terra Linda as he shot a solid 85 the following week in the NCS D-I tournament.
“From a team perspective, this is one of the best starts in school history,” Madden confirmed. “The team is older and more mature now. We started together when we were still pretty young, but we’ve grown and learned to lean on each other. … This last match against Redwood, I felt like we really had a chance to do something big this season. Seeing our No. 6 slot take over the No. 2 score is a big moment.”
Newhall added, “My scores are a little better, but not much. They’ve gone down maybe a stroke from last season. But we’ve had a lot of close matches that have come down to those last few scores and we’ve clinched them because of those last scores. We’re definitely more comfortable because we’ve together for a while and we’re more used to Stonetree as our home course now.”
The Trojans’ Stephan Roeck shot a career-best 38 at Meadow Club to lead Terra Linda past Redwood, 200-202, on March 18. The next day, Terra Linda (10-2) tightened its grip on a NCS berth as a team with a 216-226 win against Branson, as Madden took medalist honors with a 39.
“The MCAL has always been a league haves and have-nots,” Terra Linda head coach Steve Troya said. “Most years, we just hope we can get in the playoffs. This year, we seem to be a ‘have’, rather than a ‘have-not’.”
The Trojans will return from spring break with scheduled matches against Archie Williams (4/15), Tam (4/18) and then a tri-match with Marin Catholic and San Rafael (4/23). The MCAL tournament is scheduled for April 29.