The NMU golf team  got off to a difficult start last weekend as they placed 12th at the LSSU invitational while the University of Findlay Oilers finished in first place in the event.

Head coach Dean Ellis said he felt that the team didn’t come to win that day. “Nobody played as well as they could have,” he said. “I think we needed to get on the range speed that day,”

Ellis said the team has a lot to work on if they want to improve.

“We could use more consistency with our swings and accuracy.”

The factor of weather can have a tremendous impact on a golf course, and adverse weather can have an impact on the game play. Ellis said that while the weather did not help the Wildcats succeed, it wasn’t doing any favors for their opponents either.

“It is a factor for everybody, with 20 mph winds and it rained on the last two holes,” he said.  “The weather can make the game good or bad out there.”

Next weekend, the Wildcats will compete in the Division II regional conference in South Haven, Michigan, where they will seek to improve as a team and better their chance in the Division. Ellis explained that the match is very important to the team.

“We are taking small steps, and would like to move up in the standings,” he said. “One practice at a time can make a tremendous impact on improving our play, even though we got off to a slow start last weekend.”

Ellis said he is expecting to see a performance improvement next weekend.

“I would like to see a more consistent performance by everybody,” he said.

The Wildcats will look to pick up from the slow start they had last weekend, and prove themselves against the other teams in the division next weekend (Sept. 19-20) at the Divison II regional in South Haven, Michigan.