As golf balls flew down green fairways during competition this year, for the first time ever the Upper School Parker golf team competed with three female players on what has been a predominately male team throughout Parker’s history.

Last year, the Varsity Golf Team had ten members, all of whom were boys. In 2015, the golf team had thirteen members on the entire team, all boys. The team members and the coaches are excited about the addition of female players. “For the first time since I’ve been here,” Head Coach and eighth grade math teacher Timothy O’Connor said, “we have three female golfers, which has been a nice addition.”

With fewer girls than boys on the team, there is a risk of a gender bias, but the female team members have so far felt respected and included by the coaches. “I definitely see that they are equal to both girls and boys,” sophomore team member Jade Nguyen said. “They definitely help me improve, and accommodate with the fact that it’s only my first year. I think it’s more like they treat the players differently depending on Varsity and JV, and that just makes sense.” One example of this is how the Varsity team occasionally has extra practices, and more time to improve their skills while the JV team has a day off.

Walking down the halls, the veteran senior golf team members sling their golf bags over their shoulders, as the many golf clubs peek out from the top. The clubs carry experience, and so do the players. That experience and strong senior leadership has been important to making a more gender-balanced team work. “I think it’s really good that we have strong senior leaders this year,” O’Connor said. “They really help the team have a good atmosphere, which I think is part of the reason we’ve gotten new members.”

Given the success so far, thoughts have turned to the idea of an all-girls’ team in the future. For there to be an official girls-only Upper School golf team, there would have to be at least four members, and the team now has three. But with the girls on the team feeling respected, it could possibly increase the number of girls who join in the future. “There’s only three girls,” sophomore Chloe Bartelstein said, “but it seems normal.”

One reason female presence is in short supply on the golf team is that field hockey and volleyball compete during the same season as golf, but coach O’Connor hopes that will not be an issue going forward.

“I would love for it to happen,” O’Connor said. “I’ve heard of other schools that allow field hockey players to stay on the field hockey team and at the end of the golf season when it’s time for the state tournament, they allow the field hockey players to then play in the state tournament as a girls’ golf team. So it’s something that we might look into.”

In addition to the increase in female membership, the golf team also has increased in overall numbers to its largest ever–20 members. Other fall sports such as Field Hockey and Soccer can have up to 50 or 60 members. “It’s a sport where anyone can join,” captain and senior Ryan Skok said. “It’s not like you have to be super-gifted athletically to join, so I feel like it’s a good space for people who want to have fun, as well as be around friends.”

Many afternoons throughout the fall, golf player can be seen lining up at the elevator doors at 3:30 with their golf bags as the team gets ready for their next competition. Sporting navy blue and white striped polo shirts and khaki pants, the team is hard to miss. The combination of greater female participation and increased numbers overall has also changed the dynamic of the team. Skok said,“I think that we are a very competitive team this year.”

And players are enjoying themselves. Whether hitting the ball back and forth on the grass before entering the bus, or just discussing the season, they can be found with smiles on their faces and laughing with their coaches.

“I love the golf team a lot,” Nguyen said, “and I’m definitely hoping to do it all three years.”