Ponte Vedra has made its name as a golf community throughout the years. One player who exemplifies this is Ponte Vedra High senior Hannah Berman who continues to search for new ways to make a difference both on and off the course.
Berman could tell early on that the game of golf was a perfect fit. As an 8-year-old, she partnered with her first coach and continued to climb to higher level tournaments and coaches from there while never feeling as comfortable with any other sport.
“When I was 12, I began to realize that I could do this professionally and certainly in high school,” Berman said.
Family has been a major influence from the time that she first swung a golf club and continues to be the main source of encouragement to this day.
“My grandpa got me started,” Berman said. “They are always in my corner trying to help, and I really don’t know if I would have continued without their support.”
The key to her success is accuracy off the tee as she has developed a reputation for rarely missing fairways, the first step to playing a good hole.
At the same time that she realized that golf had a future in her life, she also started a fundraiser for Cystic Fibrosis called “Hitting it with Hannah.”
Her relentless community initiative took center stage over the summer as she was chosen as the female recipient of the 2015 USGA-AJGA Presidents’ Leadership Award which takes into account attributes of character and leadership.
“It’s the most important award that I could have ever won,” Berman said. “I always did it because there are just so many people that need help. It means the world to them just to know that somebody cares.”
Berman enters her second season as captain and seventh season playing golf at the varsity level after spending sixth grade to her freshman year of high school at Bolles before transitioning to Ponte Vedra.
“The captains that I had at Bolles were so influential in my life,” Berman said. “It’s been fun to look over these [Ponte Vedra] girls for the past two years.”
The work that Berman has continued to do for her community throughout the years is something that she can rely upon when tough circumstances arise in the middle of a round.
“You can get frustrated on the course very easily, but knowing that my problems will never be as big as the people I need to help, keeps it all in perspective,” Berman said.
The mindset required for golf is unique from various team sports as the individual pressure is almost unavoidable and the only way to relieve it is to make the necessary shot.
“You’re kind of on your own out there on the course, and I have control of everything,” Berman said. “The quiet nature appeals to me and it is different from what I normally like which is being in a crowd of people.”
She had a busy and competitive summer with an array of events that included qualifying for the U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship in Portland, Ore.
“It was probably the coolest experience of my life,” Berman said. “There’s a higher level of play, and you see how they interact with the caddies and how they handle themselves. It was a really big learning opportunity.”
The qualifying process came down to eight girls in a playoff to claim the final spot in Florida. Berman finished in the first alternate spot and a week later received a call that someone had dropped out and that she had the lowest qualifying score of any state.
“I definitely played much better than I did last summer,” Berman said. “My game really came together toward the end.”
Playing and experiencing higher quality tournaments has helped fine tune her game for what she hopes is an unforgettable senior season.
As for most golfers, repetition is important and a key tool toward improvement. Berman is no different as she practices an average of four hours a day with an occasional Monday off and tournaments usually taking place on weekends.
“It’s nice not to be an individual all the time because as a team you’ve got more people that can help,” Berman said. “I’ve seen how hard they’ve worked and every year you learn so much more.”
She is currently committed to play golf at the University of West Florida, and after that her sights will shift to a possible career on the LPGA or Symetra Tour.
Quick Hits
Driving average: 220 yards
What’s in her bag? She plays Ping 125 irons, Titleist Vokey wedges, TaylorMade R15 driver, TaylorMade woods and hybrids and a TaylorMade Spider Mallet putter
Favorite course: tie between Sawgrass CC and Ponte Vedra Lagoon course
Best Score: Lowest high school round was a four-under 67, winning the Regional Championship in 2014
Shot a one-under 71 at Vero Beach CC in July to qualify for the 2015 US Women’s Amateur Championship
Favorite thing about junior golf has been the opportunity golf has given her to contribute to the community and the friends she has made from around the world.
Favorite golf moment: Playing the US Women’s Amateur Championship was by far my most incredible tournament experience. Off the course, receiving the USGA-AJGA Presidents’ Leadership Award was the top honor
