The fifth in our series of profiles of local college golf programs. John Edholm, head coach of the Medaille College men’s golf team, completed our questionaire, and we thank him and assistant coach Marlene davis for it.
1. What does your program provide that is unique to college golf?

Medaille is a small private college competing at the Division III level competing as a member of the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC).  Most of the AMCC schools are located in PA.  Medaille offers very small class sizes and a variety of choices for majors.  While as a DIII school, we can not offer scholarships for athletics, scholastic scholarships up to $12,000 annually are available.

2. Where does your team have practice access and what does this course access contribute to your program?

Our golf season is mainly in the Fall (8-10 tournaments) ending with the AMCC Conference Championship.  In the Spring, we play 3-4 tournaments and most years take a trip to Myrtle Beach during Spring Break.  Players get to play a vast variety of Courses.  A favorite is the St Vincent Invitational played at Latrobe CC where Arnold Palmer learned to golf and is the current owner).  Medaille golfers during our season get to play a Glen Oak anytime they wish after 2 PM.  Glen Oak is a Robert Trent Jones, Senior course with an excellent driving range and putting/chipping green.   Coach John Edholm is a retired business executive who focuses on the mental aspects of the game and golf course management.  Assistant coach Marlene Davis is a registered Class A LPGA teaching pro and is an excellent swing doctor.  Edholm and Davis make up a solid team and are heading into their 6th year together at Medaille this Fall.

3. What fitness/non-golf activities do you employ and how do they make your team members better, fitter golfers?

We encourage physical conditioning and especially increasing flexibility.

4. What short-term goals do you have for your team and how will you reach them?

During the past 4 years, we have finished 2nd twice and 3rd once at the Conference Championship.  OUR GOAL IS TO WIN THE AMCC CHAMPIONSHIP!  This would earn us an automatic berth to the National Division III Championship held in the Spring. Medaille has never competed in this event.

5. How much does a player’s potential go into the recruiting process?

Our ideal player consistently shoots in the 70’s.  Being DIII we also take players who can shoot in the low 80’s with the potential to break in the 70″s.  Our team best score is 304 (average 76/player).

6. What factor do golfing alumni play in your program?

Currently alumni do not play a role, but we hope that will change soon.

7. Golf is an individual sport that is played in team format at the collegiate level. How do you balance players’ individual and team goals?

We play 5 players and 4 scores count.  We emphasize that an individual can never quit.  Every stroke counts.  We finished 1 stroke out of 2nd at last year’s Conference Championship out of 650 strokes!  Individuals make up the team, but the team is also the coaches, the school and all its integrity.

8. How does the weather affect your training program during the winter?  How do you combat it?

Weather is a big issue.  We hold many practices at the Paddock Golf Dome in Tonawanda to keep the swing rhythm and focus on chipping and putting.

9. What areas of the country are your key recruiting areas?

Most of our recruits come from New York State.

10.  What element besides weather could make collegiate golf in western New York better/How can the existing programs work together to make better college golf in WNY?

Perhaps getting all the local high school and college coaches together to discus how to make both high school and college golf better in WNY would give a better answer to this question.