Friends help Paisley

Paisley Piasecki has family friends to thank for her foray into golf.

The 15-year-old who was born in Newport Beach and now attends boarding school in Monterey, Calif., started playing golf two years ago and the game has gripped her heart.

She tied a personal-best (87) for Santa Catalina School’s golf team in the Central Coast Section championships Tuesday at Rancho Canada East Golf Course in Carmel. Santa Catalina did not qualify for the NorCal championships.

Still, Piasecki, a sophomore, made the Tri-County Athletic League second-team as Santa Catalina topped six schools to claim the league championship.

Piasecki went to Carden Hall in Newport Beach from kindergarten through eighth grade and played volleyball.

But between seventh and eighth grade, Piasecki went on vacation with family friends and tried golf.

The friends encouraged her parents, Cassie and Jack, that Piasecki should play golf. Once volleyball season ended, Piasecki said her focus shifted to golf and realized it was a sport she enjoyed.

She said she “gets around the volleyball court” every now and then, but golf has taken the lead as her sport of choice.

When she visits home on breaks, Piasecki plays at Tustin Ranch Golf Club on a junior membership. She comes home about every five weeks during the school year and for three months during the summer.

She chose Santa Catalina because, “I wanted something new and really liked the campus. I was also interested in the golf program.” She also spent parts of four summers at camp near Santa Catalina.

Santa Catalina has schools for boys and girls from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade and an all-girls day and boarding school for grades 9-12.

In school she likes French, English and drama. She will participate in a mid-winter play.

Acting is more of a hobby, she says. But Piasecki looks up to Michelle Wie, Paula Creamer and Annika Sorenstam in the golf world.

BRYCE ALDERTON’S golf column appears bi-weekly. He can be reached at balderto78@yahoo.com.