Salem golfer is an inspiring example of how hard work pays off
Salem senior Amelia Olson has proved that hard work and dedication can dramatically improve your golf game.
Less than one year after posting a season-best 18-hole score of 111, Salem senior golfer Amelia Olson made a joyful call to her parents following Wednesday’s Dan Young Invitational held at Plymouth Township’s Fox Hills Golf & Banquet Center.
“I called them and told them I shot an 86 today,” Olson recounted, smiling. “They were like, ‘Oh my gosh! 86! Congratulations!’ It feels good to see results like this because I’ve been putting in a lot of work.”
Slicing 25 strokes off a personal-best in less than a year — regardless of what your low round was previously — is almost unheard of in golfing circles.
Bound and determined to get better
It would happen more often if more people were as determined and diligent as Olson.
“Last year I started loving the sport more and I decided I wanted to try to play after high school,” Olson said. “I started working with a coach and I practiced whenever I could.
“My mindset and confidence are so much better now. I’m dialed in more now and my swing is all muscle memory.”
Olson didn’t start golfing until her freshman year of high school. She tried out for Salem’s golf team in the fall of her sophomore year and immediately earned the team’s No. 2 varsity slot.
Range regular
Salem Head Coach Hope Warkoczeski, who works at Fox Hills, said Olson’s work ethic is inspiring.
“Once she got a job here at Fox Hills, it’s been work, go to the range and practice, work, go to the range,” Warkoczeski said of Olson’s practice regimen. “It’s crazy how much progress she has made over the past year because she wanted to get better. She has definitely put in the work it takes.”
Olson said her perspective has changed during the course of her improvement.
“Last year, when I’d hit a bad shot or two, they’d stay with me for a while and affected the rest of my round,” she said. “Now, if I hit a bad shot, I just brush it off right away.”
Rain or shine
Olson’s practice diligence is bordering on legendary status.
“I try to have a club in my hand at the range at least an hour a day, rain or shine,” she said.
What advice would Olson offer to a young, beginning golfer who may be struggling to shoot under 115ish?
“If you have a bad round or a bad day, always remember that there’s always tomorrow,” she said. “Practice as much as you can, listen to your coach and you’ll see your score get steadily better.”
Ed Wright can be reached at 734-664-4657 or edwright@socialhousenews.com.
