Like a Phoenix rising from the ashes, golf is back at Bushnell-Prairie City High School in 2026.
“We’re excited to have it back,” said Coach Tyler Snyder.
The program started in 2021 and ran through 2023.
In fact, in 2021, Dalton Strode qualified for the Illinois High School Class 1A State Finals.
So why now for the return?
“The sophomore class kind of spearheaded a lot of this to get it going which was really good,” said Snyder.
The program was formally approved by the B-PC Board of Education at its August meeting.
Numbers are promising for the program with eight boys and five girls.
“That’s the most I’ve had,” said Snyder.
With the board allowing athletes to participate in multiple sports, the girls roster includes four cheerleaders looking to give the sport a go.
“It’s been great,” said Snyder. “It’s been a good talk around school. The kids seem to be excited to have golf. But it’s very new to a lot of my golfers.”
The class breakdown for the boys includes one junior, six sophomores and one freshman. For the girls it’s two seniors, two juniors and one sophomore.
“I think with the numbers that we have, it looks like this program will last for a little bit anyways,” said Snyder. “I know there’s some junior high students that are looking at playing golf. So that will help out the numbers when they get to high school.”
One of the more experienced golfers on the squad is Landon Ferguson.
“He’s been golfing for a while,” said Snyder of Ferguson. “You can see he knows the game.”
But for many others, it will be a matter of building a foundation, learning the game from the ground up.
“My thing moving forward is that we're getting a base,” said Snyder. “We’re getting a starting point. We’re seeing what our number is on a nine-hole match and we’re looking to improve every match.”
In that vein, Snyder looks to recognize the players’ efforts and achievements along the way.
“We try to celebrate everything anytime somebody does well,” said Snyder. “It’s great. Whether it’s a par or a birdie. Whether it’s even shooting a stroke better than they have before, that’s a great accomplishment.”
“I’m truly excited to see each one of the kids improve and see where their game goes,” he added.
Players for the 2026 Bushnell-Prairie City High School girls golf team include the following. Left to right, Norah Hilton, Finley Hess, Ayden Berry, Jamea Perry and Abby Waldo.
