By Ross Weener

Sports Editor

For the fourth straight year, the Calvin women's golf team has finished their MIAA season in seventh place. The Knights play on the nicest golf course in the league, in Thornapple Country Club, but they just cannot get enough good golfers to come out and play. With the opportunity to play collegiate golf and play on one of the nicest courses in the area, what is keeping prospective players away from Calvin?

Women's golf head coach and HPERDS professor Ralph Honderd cites non-committal athletes as part of the problem. ``We just haven't been able to get commitment from the women's golfers that we need. I have had many golfers say they are coming to Calvin, and then in the summer months call me up and tell me they aren't playing or that they're going somewhere else. I have made literally hundreds of calls to potential golfers, asking them to come to Calvin.''

Honderd also commented about how poor the area was for good golfers. ``With many of our local feeder schools not having great golf programs, it is hard to pick up golfers from the area. Many of the great women's golfers around here get pulled away with scholarships. It is really frustrating.'' Coach Honderd also said that he had two golfers--one from California and one from Texa--back out on him at the last minute, as well as a golfer that chose to go to University of Michigan instead of Calvin.

Golf is one of the most individual team sports in the collegiate arena. Each team is allowed to have six golfers on the course at once. Only the top four finishers, however, count in scoring. Thescore is simply how many stokes it took to complete the 18 holes, with the lowest team winning. A solid golf team must have at least four consistent golfers who will score low each time out. Calvin does not have this luxury, said Honderd. ``We have three golfers who will shoot right around 100, but we had a hard time this year finding that consistent fourth spot.''

This year marks the last year coach Honderd will coach women's golf as he will hand over the reigns to some one else next year after 20 years of service. ``We need to keep working hard and stay on top of recruiting, commented Hondred with a glimmer of optimism in his eye. ``Golf is one of those sports that can get turned around in just one year. All of a sudden you can have three or four great golfers turn up in one year, and then you are a contender again.''

One of Calvin's top golfers, Alyssa Bruinsma finished 21st in the MIAA with a 18 hole scoring average of 102.6 and a low round of 97 strokes. ``The biggest frustration for me is the lack of getting good golfers in to play here. There are too many good golfers walking the halls of Calvin that really should be playing. I also feel that the athletic department should take us more seriously , because I think that if they take us seriously then we will take ourselves more seriously.''

Another top finisher for the Knights was Dawn Svenkeson, checking in at 22 nd in the conference with a 103.8 average.

Despite the poor finish in the league Honderd said that Calvin showed class at each jamboree. ``There were lots of other player from different schools that wanted to play with our girls,'' commented their Calvin mentor. ``I think they represented Calvin well, and showed a lot of class-and for that I am very thankful.''