Members of Polk County's golf team work Saturday at Tryon Country Club. Front row, Blake Rackley. Second row, from left: Nick Wilson, Austin Jackson, Mitchell Yoder, Devin Panchyshyn, Josh Chupp and Dillion Overholt. Back row, from left: head coach Pat McCool, Christopher Jackson, Eric Bayne, Zach Bayne and assistant coach Chandler Miller.

Polk golfers lend helping hand; Wolverines set for WHC tourney

April 24, 2016

Polk County’s golf team begins play Monday in the Western Highlands Conference tournament – and spent part of the weekend preparing for it by lending a helping hand.

Members of the team, along with head coach Pat McCool, headed to Tryon Country Club on Saturday morning to help spread mulch around plants and buildings.

TCC is celebrating 100 years since its opening with a two-day celebration on April 30-May 1. Polk County routinely practices and holds matches at TCC, so the team decided to give back to the club by helping prepare the grounds for the festivities.

It has been a year of growth for the program, which didn’t have enough members last season to field a complete team. With a full contingent this season, the Wolverines have been placing fifth in most WHC matches, and McCool said he expects the team to be in that range at this week’s conference match.

The two-day event will be played Monday at Black Mountain Golf Club, then shift to Mountain Air Country Club on Tuesday for the final round.

While not expected to challenge for the team title, Polk County could qualify some individual players for the 2A West Regional. Gabe O’Brien, Josh Chupp and Dillion Overholt have been the team’s top players this season.