Hesperia is heading into season No. 4 of girls golf, and while the program is still building, there’s hope that the next step is in the near future.
“It has been exciting to watch girls golf become a bigger sport in both Newaygo and Oceana counties,” Hesperia coach Roxanne Kammer said. “We work closely with First Tee of Newaygo County and feel that their programming has helped make the sport grow stronger,”
The Hesperia team, too, looks to be stronger this year thanks to three veteran returnees. Senior Sarissa Conkle and junior Britney Budde are the Panthers’ most experienced players and should be strong leaders on the course this fall.
“Sarissa had a great season for us last year and proved to be a strong, consistent competitor on the course,” Kammer said. “Britney was also one of our top golfers and made tremendous gains in her game as the season progressed. I’m excited to see both of them build on the success they had last year.”
Sophomore Zoey Bostrom is also back after joining the team midseason a year ago. She showed improvement as a freshman and has made gains in the offseason leading into her first full season of play.
Macy Kammer, daughter of Roxanne and assistant coach Shane Kammer, should have a solid freshman campaign thanks to her wealth of golf knowledge accrued from having parents coach and brother Logan play. Another freshman, Marabelle Elenbaas, has shown an early aptitude for the game.
Cora Sharp, Chloe Ross and Karma Brimmer are other returning players to look for, and Karma’s younger sister Lana, a freshman, joins the team this year.
“Overall, we have a great mix of returning experience and new talent,” coach Kammer said. “What I’m most excited about is the potential this group has. If they’re willing to put the work in, there is a lot of room for growth, both individually and as a team.”
Hesperia will join county foe Shelby in the new West Michigan Conference Rivers golf division. Twelve WMC teams now play girls golf, allowing the split into two six-team divisions. The WMC also changed the format of its jamborees this season, going from 18 holes to nine to match the boys programs.
“I think our conference meets will be a great way to see where we stand and how much we’re progressing throughout the season,” Kammer said. “There are a lot of unknowns going into the year, which makes it exciting.”
Hart
Hart’s girls golf program remains in its infancy, and coach Michael Giddings’ goal is for the team to show improvement and enjoy the game as the Pirates embark on the 2026 season.
“We have eight girls on the team and six of them are golfing for their first year,” Giddings said. “With more experience as the season goes, they should improve quite a bit as golfers.”
The two returning players for the Pirates are Reese Smith, the team’s only senior, and Lillian Wasson, a junior. Smith projects as the team’s top scorer and will have a chance to compete for all-West Michigan Conference Lakes honors. Giddings said the Pirates will have a good idea of where they stand in the WMC Lakes after its first two jamborees, hosted by Oakridge and Montague respectively.
Hart’s varsity lineup for its first match, Monday at The Colonial Golf Course, included juniors Grace Tucker, Baleigh Klotz and Joselyn Flores, as well as freshman Tenley Amstutz.
“We hope to continue to grow as a program and get more girls out every year,” Giddings said.
Shelby
Shelby is playing its first season of varsity girls golf this fall after getting its feet wet at the JV level last season. With former Tigers’ boys coach Rick Zoulek at the helm, the hope is that Shelby will fill a full lineup each match and get used to this level of competition.
“It’s exciting to see how these girls work and watch them improve week to week,” Zoulek said. “Oceana Golf Course has been awesome in what they are doing to help develop girls golf and golf in general.”
Zoulek added that the Joe Foster Junior Golf Fund has been a big boost to the team through its promotion of junior golf among both boys and girls. Tim Simon, the Tigers’ first base coach in baseball the past several seasons and the School Resource Officer for the district, will also help in coaching when he’s available.
Returning players for Shelby include three juniors, including Zoulek’s granddaughter Jordan Wolting. Bailey Blohm and Kadence Blohm are also back, and sophomore Nicole Ortiz also returns. The Tigers will play in their first 18-hole match Sept. 18 at Benona Shores Golf Course, a needed look at the endurance required for such a match before the regional meet in October.
