High school athletes play sports for various reasons.
Trinity Lutheran’s Mark Shoemaker enjoys everything about golf.
“I enjoy getting away from everything,” Shoemaker said. “It’s relaxing, it’s out in nature. I like having a good time out there.”
Shoemaker started playing golf his freshman year at Trinity.
He is playing the No. 2 position for the Cougars this spring after competing at No. 3 last spring.
“I try to focus on how I’m hitting the ball, how I’m going to want to play that day, and the score I’m going to try to put up,” Shoemaker said. “I don’t usually focus on how the (opponent) is playing.”
The Cougars play home matches at Shadowood Golf Course in Seymour.
“I like the front nine the best,” Shoemaker said of Shadowood. “I don’t like the back nine, I don’t like OB (out of bounds) on the right. No. 10, 11, 12 and 13 all have OB on the right. Occasionally I hit that weak fade to the right or whatever and I don’t like that to ever be a possibility.”
He said hole five is his favorite at Shadowood, which is a short par five with water left and along green.
H low 9-hole score has been 39 at Timbergate Golf Course in Edinburgh, and his low 18 an 89 at Wooded View in Clarksville. His said his favorite high school course is Champion’s Pointe Golf Club in Henryville.
“Ball flight, being able to shape the ball is probably the strongest part of my game,” Shoemaker said.
He said his distance and accuracy off the tee has been, “pretty fair. I hope to get it dialed in by the end of the golf season. I can get my irons up in the air pretty well. If I’m feeling good, I can usually adjust the ball flight quite a bit, and I can hit fades or draws. I can shape the ball like that, and under the trees I hit that little ‘stinger’ shot.”
He said golfers have to adjust to the wind hole-by-hole.
“Whenever it’s really windy I try to flight the ball low and if the wind is coming off from the right I’m hitting a draw, try to aim over to the right quite a bit more and try to play with the wind, go a long with the wind rather than against it,” Shoemaker aid.
The senior is always working on his game.
“Practice is really important,” Shoemaker said. “That’s where you practice to get good match play and I can work on different shots that I need for a match later that week or a tournament that Saturday. Usually we play out on the course, and then afterwards we’ll hit the range or work on our chipping or putting.”
He said it important to keep a positive outlook on any sport you play.
“The past couple years I had a really bad mental attitude,” Shoemaker said. “If I have a bad hole, it effects my whole round. That’s what I’ve been struggling with so I have to fix that part of my game.”
He has enjoyed attending TLHS.
“I like the small class atmosphere,” Shoemaker said. “I feel you get a really personnel touch with the teachers because they know you very well. They’re more than just a teacher. You feel like you actually know them and they actually care how well you’re going to do and how well your future is going to be.”
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Name: Mark Shoemaker
High school: Trinity Lutheran
Parents: Mike and Renae Shoemaker
Siblings: Mitchell, Sarah
Sports: golf 4 years
Athletic highlights: most improved 2017, 2018
Organizations: National Honor Society, events team, 4H
Plans after high school: Attend Indiana University, study finance and accounting at Kelley School of Business
Favorite food: pulled pork
Favorite TV show: The Office
Favorite musicians: Lil Uzi Vert
Favorite movie: Wall Street
Favorite athlete: Tiger Woods
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