The high school golf season isn’t an easy one to begin. It’s cold. It’s wet. It can be one of the dreariest times of the year. But Anna Greer, Tift County High’s #1 female golfer and one of the best in the region, couldn’t be happier to be back on the course. Last year’s Region 1-6A low medalist, Greer watched Tift win a state championship the year before she could join the Blue Devils. Since then, she’s been a part of a region title and has played at the state tournament. The Blue Devils, however, haven’t been able to bring another state trophy back to South Georgia. This year, Greer hopes that will change.
1. When did you start playing golf? I really started when I was in the eighth grade. My dad always played and I went the course with him. Early on, I was a competitive cheerleader. But around the eighth grade, we started thinking about college. Since there aren’t that many girls who play golf, it’s not as difficult to get a college scholarship. We felt like golf might be the ticket to college.
2. What has kept golf fun all these years? I like being outside. I love the outdoors. It’s also fun getting to know people you play with. When you start out, you may not know the person you’re paired with. But during the round you get to know them and maybe become friends. I also like golf because it’s an individual sport. The pressure is more individualized and you don’t play in front of large crowds.
3. What’s your average score these days? I’m a five handicapper.
4. Over the last few years, how have you and your team done? We’ve done well. Tift has always had good golf teams. 
When I was in the eighth grade, Tift won a state golf championship. Last year, we won region and I was the low medalist with a 77. We went to state but we didn’t play well. It was one of the most intense golf tournaments I’ve ever played in. We had a good team and our expectations were high. But we just didn’t play well.
5. What are your goals for this year? We want to win region again and I’d like to hold on to the low medalist award that I won last year. We also want to finish in the top three in the state.
6. How do you approach the mental side of golf? One of my mom’s best friends is Nancy Bowen, who won the 1995 Nabisco Dinah Shore. She teaches mental golf and I’ve attended her classes before. I always try to do what she says: never think about more than two aspects of your swing at a time and try to take your mind of what you need to score on a particular hole or even in a round. Count pine cones as you walk down the fairway – just do something to help you relax during the round. Focus on each individual shot and don’t look too far ahead. The hardest part is not focusing on your swing. Those two things I think about on my swing – they depend on how I’m hitting that day.
7. How do you make adjustments during a round? Most of the adjustments are mental. I don’t want to mess with my swing during a round. That can take you from bad to worse in a hurry. You have to put bad holes behind you and just try to do better as throughout the round.
8. Where do you plan to attend college? I’m going to the University of North Georgia in Dahlonega. I like the team up there and I love North Georgia. The campus and the area are just beautiful. It’s also a unique campus – it’s part military school so the buildings on campus surround a large drill field. It’s just a beautiful place.
9. What does the future hold for you? That’s something my parents ask me every day! I’m not sure what I’m going to major in or what I’m going to do. I used to want to be a teacher. From the time I was in the second grade on, I wanted to teach. On career day, I used to dress up as a teacher. But now I’m not sure.
10. What’s the best piece of golf advice you’ve ever received? Play more than you practice. You can hit range balls all day long but unless you get on the course, you won’t know how to score. And scoring is the most important aspect of golf.
10 Questions/South Georgia/April 2015
Anna Greer
Tift County High School
Tifton, Georgia
Robert Preston Jr.
