by John Austen

Nick Galbraith wants the world to know that there is a golf team at Concordia, and that any aspiring players should think about joining the squad next season.

“All the universities have tons of players out there,” said Galbraith, 22. “We had four people who ended up playing this year — I think Laval showed up with a team of 15.”

While they may have been small in numbers, it didn’t stop Galbraith from finishing second at the provincial championships, held the last week of September at La Venise Golf Club just outside of Sherbrooke. He shot rounds of 74 and 74 to finish just one shot out of first place.

“I actually thought I had won the tournament,” said Galbraith.
“I kind of took it easy on the 18th hole and thought a bogey would be good enough to win. Well, it wasn’t.”

When a couple of students approached Concordia Vice-Rector Marcel Danis last year with the idea of forming a golf team, he was all for it. All they needed was a little funding — and a coach. Les Lawton, who is entering his 20th season as head coach of the women’s hockey team, decided to add golf to his coaching resumé, although he says he “administers the golf team more than he coaches them.”

The golf team doesn’t fall under the umbrella of the Recreation and Athletics Department and receives no funds from the university, although Galbraith says the team does have some sponsorship. Members of the team include Brent LeCraw, Nick Poplemon, J.F. Mercier and Galbraith.

During the team’s first year, they travelled to Ottawa for a qualifying event for the World University Golf Championships, which were played in Ireland. While none of the Concordia golfers advanced, they did place two in the top 20 in a field of 64. This past season, Concordia hosted its own tournament at the Hemmingford Golf and Country Club in August.

“Most people on campus don’t know we even exist,” Galbraith said. “We want to spread the word that golf is alive and well at the university. We just need a few more able bodies.”