Matches Become Picnics, Thanks to Golfer’s Mom

It’s the end of a grueling golf match and the tired players from Marina High file off the course in semi-slow motion with heads down.

After catching a glimpse of Sheila Goebel--plastic grocery bags stuffed with treats in hand--the pace quickens and faces brighten.

For the last two years, Goebel, mother of Marina’s top player, Courtney Goebel, has been waiting after every match with cookies, cupcakes, chocolate bars or some other snack.

“The first time I did it, I could see how happy they were,” Sheila Goebel said. “So I didn’t want to let them down the next time. Then it got to the point that the girls were counting on it.”

And it’s not just the Marina players who have grown to expect it. Because Goebel brings enough for both teams and their coaches, opponents have begun to look forward to matches against the Vikings.

“They will be coming off the course and be like, ‘Yes! It’s the mom that brings snacks,’ ” Goebel said.

Marina Coach Frank Ruotolo embraces the activity as a way to increase sportsmanship between the teams.

“Instead of just packing up the cars and taking off, everyone sits around and talks and gets a chance to know each other,” Ruotolo said.

Because many courses do not allow spectators, the post-match picnic gives Goebel and the other parents a chance to get the skinny on the match. It also offers a chance to spend some quality time.

“I really love it, hanging out with Courtney and the girls and hearing all the gossip,” Goebel said. “I gotta get a life.”

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With junior Christine Joo the only experienced player returning from last year’s 8-8 team, Los Alamitos didn’t figure to be a factor in the Sunset League this season.

But a couple of key additions have made the Griffins one of the county’s elite teams.

Freshman Jamie Oliver is rapidly rising through the SCPGA Junior ranks, and Michelle Eastlick, a junior transfer from Texas, appears to have a solid game.

Led by Eastlick’s six-over-par 41 and Oliver’s 42, the Griffins shot 131 Thursday at Dad Miller in Anaheim--among the top scores in the county last week. But despite playing well on a course they hadn’t seen before, Griffin Coach Bob Atherton is not ready to heap the praise.

“I was surprised,” Atherton said. “I didn’t know what we could do. But that was just one match. We just want to compete with Marina and Esperanza in the Sunset League.”

Atherton said matches later in the season at more difficult courses will show if Los Alamitos is for real.

“When we play at [Navy Golf Course] a few times, then we’ll get a clear picture,” he said.

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After shooting an impressive 19-over-par 127 at the Green River Riverside Course in its opening match, Villa Park looked deserving of its No. 2 county ranking.

But the Spartans struggled in their second match, shooting 34-over 142 at Green River’s Orange Course in a loss to No. 4 Santa Margarita.

Shelly Raworth and Priscilla Park, the top players for the Spartans, had trouble dealing with the high winds and shot 45 and 47, respectively.

“It was disappointing,” Villa Park Coach Gordon Sutorius said. “That was Shelly’s worst round in three years at Green River. But I guess if you’re going to have a bad round, the earlier in the season the better.”

Raworth’s two-over 38 at Rancho San Joaquin Tuesday against top-ranked University helped the Spartans rebound, but they fell behind, 123-134, after the first nine holes. The match will be completed today.

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The early-season match of the year is Thursday when University, Villa Park and Santa Margarita square off in a three-way match at Coto de Caza.