Most of the members of the Seymour High School golf teams have their favorite nine holes when it comes to playing at Shadowood Golf Course.

Bailey Goben prefers the back nine.

“I like the back nine because you get more chances to make up some strokes with all the par fives,” Goben said. “When I pull it, it goes a little bit to the left, and when I hit a bad shot, it will go toward the left, so when I’m on the back nine, it’s safer to have the right out of bounds. I like how Shadowood is mostly flat and it’s pretty open.”

Goben has been playing on school teams since sixth grade and uses her knowledge of the course throughout her practices and matches.

“It’s helped me because I can get so many different viewpoints on how I can chip in from around the greens and get many different outlooks on things,” Goben said. “I always check to see where the hole location is and go from there and see how I can hit it.”

The senior began playing golf at Immanuel Lutheran School in sixth grade.

“I love the game,” Goben said. “I love how you can meet new people, and you just always have a good support system with your teammates and the coach.”

She said her chipping has been her strongest area at the start of this season.

“I can tell how far I need to take it back and where I need to grip the club,” Goben said. “I can usually tell pretty well with that.”

On the links, Goben always keeps track of the wind.

“It can carry your ball any which way,” Goben said. “It depends where it’s going, and you’ve got to play it sometimes. You’ve got to make sure you take the wind into effect before you hit the ball.”

She said her favorite away course is Cascade in Bloomington, where she shot her career low (92) her junior year.

Goben likes the challenges that golf presents.

“I love how you can come out here one day and have a great round and then the next day it changes up on you because that’s how golf rolls and that’s how it is,” Goben said. “It’s not the same thing over and over.”

She said you have to keep a positive outlook throughout your rounds.

“If you’ve had a bad hole, you’ve got to make sure you forget about it and act like it didn’t even happen,” Goben said. “The mental part of the game is so important.

“Practice is the most important thing about it. If you don’t come to practice, you’re not going to play well. That’s just it. It’s nice to play when the sun’s out and there is a cool breeze so there’s nothing to complain about.”

Goben said she has enjoyed attending Seymour.

“I just love all the friends I have and classmates,” she said. “I love the atmosphere at the school.”

Last year, Goben helped the Owls qualify for the regional. She’s hoping the team can advance again.

“I just want to hit them long and straight and try to keep it under 100, and as a team, we just all do well and support each other and have a good season and make some good memories. I hope we have a good, solid team,” Goben said.

[sc:pullout-title pullout-title=”Goben file” ][sc:pullout-text-begin]

Name: Bailey Goben

School: Seymour High School

Parent: Sara Lynch

Sports: Golf, 4 years

Athletic highlight: 2016 regional qualifier

Organizations: National Honor Society, Immanuel Lutheran youth group

Plans after high school: Attend college

Favorite food: Pizza

Favorite TV show: “Friends”

Favorite musician: Luke Bryan

Favorite movie: “Pitch Perfect”

Favorite team: Indiana University

[sc:pullout-text-end]