Courtesy of CSU Club Golf
It’s already difficult to fill multiple spots on a roster with talent, but rebuilding an entire team takes the challenge to another level entirely.
That’s the predicament Colorado State club golf faced while going into the most recent season. Last year, the team only had five active players on the roster — according to club president Marshall Hilfman — which posed issues when trying to compete at a high level.
But after a change in leadership, Hilfman helped shift the entire culture of the team, significantly shifting the mentality.
“That is still kind of the biggest goal that I am going to set for the officer team that comes after me: to continue to work on task delegation and to get things done more as a group moving forward.” –Marshall Hilfman, CSU club golf president
“I took on the role of vice president first and then took on the role of president in year two,” Hilfman said. “My No. 1 goal has just been to grow the team and to grow member engagement and to make sure that we’re playing for each other, that we’re practicing together, we’re competing together and we’re having a good time together.”
Although changing the mindset of an entire organization wasn’t going to be an easy task, it was a challenge Hilfman didn’t shy away from. He’s worked to create a culture of acceptance, helping potential and current members understand that the club offers an opportunity for anyone to try out, with a spot on the team welcoming almost any skill level.
Going from hardly having enough players to compete in a tournament to now having an A, B and C team, each separated by skill level, has been regarded as an enormous success within the organization.
“I don’t like to take too much credit, but we have grown that club from only five active members to over 30, and we have 43 people in total on the roster now, so that’s just been a huge improvement in general,” Hilfman said.
The team’s competitive nature has also shifted. The Rams have played in three tournaments, winning two and finishing second in the other by only one stroke. The team is a strong contender to win the Mountain Region.
“Assuming we don’t trend vastly away from where we are right now, we should be able to win the Mountain Region comfortably,” Hilfman said. “I know that we do get entry (into nationals) for sure if we win the Mountain Region.”
Making it to the national tournament is uncharted territory for CSU club golf, but it is a goal for many A-team members, especially Ian Paddock.
“This gives me the ability to go out there, keep my skillset sharp and still play competitive golf,” Paddock said. “It is a privilege to be able to do this still, even not playing in the NCAA.”
Overall, the team has grown, and the direction of the organization has changed in the past year. But more importantly, they are competing at a level that has not been seen for some time now. Players like Hilfman and Paddock have laid the foundation for an organization that can flourish in the coming years.
“That is still kind of the biggest goal that I am going to set for the officer team that comes after me: to continue to work on task delegation and to get things done more as a group moving forward,” Hilfman said.
Reach Luke German at sports@collegian.com or on social media @RMCollegianSpts.
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