Coach's Page
Coach Walker and son Danny Walker |
Personal:
Walker has been coaching golf at Amarillo High since 1990. He presently teaches chemistry and has done so for the last 12 years. He has also taught all levels of physical science. His family consists of wife, Laurie, who is an accomplished golfer in her own right, and two sons, Scott and Danny, who are also golfers. Scott attends Texas Tech in the school of business studying to be a CPA. Danny is a senior this year at AHS, and a returning varsity player. When not on the course, Coach enjoys mountain biking, fly fishing, camping, and scuba diving.
History:
Since 1990, the Sandies have captured 11 district championships, 2 regional
championships, 1 state runner-up team, and a state second-runner up team.
Only one time since 1990 have the Sandies not advanced to at least the
regional tournament. Several players have gone on to college golf scholarships
at both division I and II schools. There are Sandie golfers at all skill
levels, from successful amateurs, mini-tour players, and PGA
professionals.
Season:
The golf team is picked through tryouts at the beginning of each school year. A fall practice season is played, consisting of about 6 area tournaments. The spring season begins in the middle of February, and tournaments are played in Abilene, Midland, San Angelo, Andrews, Plainview, as well as our local Amarillo Relays tournament. District season usually begins the week after spring break, and consist of 2 rounds, played in both Amarillo and Lubbock. The top 3 teams from the North Zone will play in a 36 hole district zone playoff, with the top two teams in the district advancing to the regional tournament. Players make the tournaments through their qualifying rounds, and their tournament scoring averages.
Practice:
Two days a week, the team will participate in a conditioning program,
consisting of plyometric type workouts, concentrating
on the abdominal muscle group, as well as general strength. Players also
stay in good cardiovascular shape through running and using the jump rope.
The workouts are generally followed by short game and range workouts at
the local golf courses, either Ross Rogers or Comanche Trail. Two days
a week are spent playing the courses.. These rounds are used to calculate
a player's position on the team. Since much of the fall and spring season
tournaments include Saturday competition, players are usually released
on Fridays to play or practice at one of the local clubs.
Team:
The golf team is made up of all classifications
of students. While the actual number may vary from year to year, it is
usually between 13 and 16 golfers. Historically, a golfer needs to be
able to shoot 85 or better at one of the local courses in order to make
the team.
