Jennifer Parkes, a senior on the Sacramento State women’s golf team, did not start playing golf competitively until her sophomore year in high school at the age of 15. She grew up in Newhall and attended high school at Hart High, but her school did not even have a women’s golf team. The school started a women’s golf team because of Title IX. Title IX was passed in 1972 and was the first federal law that prohibits sex discrimination against students and athletes.

Before golf, Parkes played softball. Parks was an accomplished softball player, winning two national championships, one at the age of 10 and the other at the age of 12. The reason Parkes started playing golf instead of softball was because her pitching coach’s dad was the new golf coach and told her to try out for the golf team. “After my first year of golf, I loved it and gave up softball,” Parkes said.

Parkes said she likes golf because it is a team sport, but you are in total control of your shot.

“It’s not like softball, where if you’re pitching and someone hits a grounder, you have to rely on a teammate to make a play for you,” Parkes said.

Through Parkes’ love for her new sport she earned herself a scholarship to play on the Sac State golf team.

Parkes decided to come to Sac State because it is a Division I golf program and said that she didn’t get enough experience in the three years of high school to go to any big institution for golf.

“The weather played a big role in deciding were I wanted to go. I did not want to leave California.” Parkes said.

With golf, school and traveling consuming hours of her time, she said some teachers just don’t understand what the players go through. The team practices year-round and plays during the spring and fall semesters of school.

“All year round we are playing golf and missing classes. That makes it hard to concentrate on school” Parks said.

Parks said the most memorable moment for her while at Sac State was winning the Montana State Bobcat Classic this year. She said last year the team lost the same tournament by one stroke and she was sick of coming in second place.

“I have wanted to win a tournament for five years and finally got one my senior year. It was amazing,” Parkes said.

Margaux Sheehan, the only other senior on the team, said Parkes is a hard worker and always wants the best for everyone. “Parkes is a great leader on the team,” Sheehan said.

Coach Adam Pohll had a lot of good things to say about his two senior leaders. Pohll said Parkes is very committed, determined and focused. He said Parkes has been behind in experience because she never played junior golf like most college players do before playing at the collegiate level, so she has to work twice as hard as everyone else.

“Parkes is (the) type of a player we call a grinder. She does whatever it takes to get it done,” Pohll said.

He said Parks is more of the motivator by talking the girls up and getting them ready, while Sheehan is more of the silent leader on the team.

“Sheehan leads by example, and everyone respects her game. She doesn’t need to talk,” Pohll said.

Three years ago, Pohll took over the golf program and said that when he first arrived. the there was a good core of players, but they were not very skilled. Parkes said since Pohll has taken over there have been vast improvements on the golf team.

“Before Pohll was here, we used to be happy to break 320 as a team, but now want to break 300. We can compete at venues now. Schools know who we are now, and we get invited to bigger and better tournaments,” Parkes said.

After Parkes graduates, she will be attending UC Davis to get a masters and wants to be a teacher, most likely for kindergarten through eighth grade, she said.

She is majoring in liberal studies with a concentration in health and physical education. While at Sac State, she has been on the student-athletic advisory council for three years and also been president of the University Union Program, Service Committee and vice chairman of the Student University Union. During her tenure, she was also a four-time Big Sky all-academic selection.

Parkes said she would also consider coaching golf after she gets her masters and starts teaching. Sean Wolf can be reached at [email protected]