It’s the time of year where students are beginning to prepare for the coming fall! With that, student athletes continue to pursue excellence, perfecting skills with routine practice over the break. Summer workouts, skill camps, tournaments, and games will lead to rewarding school seasons. I like to say, “the grind never stops.” Rising sophomore and resident, Anistyn Dennis, truly embodies this attribute of dedication. 

Since the age of 7, golf has been an important aspect of Anistyn’s life. Encouraged by her dad, she’s transformed the spirit of her game from mere recreation to a competitive nature as she’s grown. Every summer since the 8th grade she participates in multiple golf tournaments, some of which require her to travel all over the country! Last summer, she attended the Optimist International Golf Tournament at Trump National in Miami, Florida. There, she placed second in a worldwide tournament with golfers from Canada, Argentina, Venezuela, Thailand, Mexico, South Korea and all over the US. Anistyn said, “It was really cool meeting other people from all different nations, since we didn’t really speak the same languages but all shared a love for golf.” She also played in the Notah Begay tournament in Oklahoma where she shot her personal best: 74 the first day, 76 the second. Her dad travels with her to all tournaments, creating an opportunity for bonding and fun memories: “We have grown closer through golf and travel which has been really nice.” 

High school has given Anistyn the opportunity to improve her game as well as spend time with friends. Anistyn attends the Geneva School of Boerne. As a freshman this previous season she secured first place in districts (her sister, Peylin Dennis, secured second), and the team won first overall. Anistyn also triumphed in regionals and won first place yet again. This qualified her for the state tournament at Squaw Valley Golf Course in Glen Rose, Texas! Unlike the one day competitions of districts and regionals, the state tournament is 2 days long, with many talented golfers from all over Texas in attendance. State, however, proved a bit more challenging than previous games: Anistyn placed 4th. Nonetheless, this is incredibly impressive since this was her first season of high school golf! Anistyn is very excited for next year’s season and hopes to accomplish even more in the state run. One of her favorite things about the Geneva girls team is the head coach, Susan Greenlees. Anistyn said, “She’s been coaching for many years and she pours everything into the players. You can really tell she wants us to grow.” Not only does Anistyn love her coach, but she also loves playing her sport with friends from school. 

This summer, Anistyn has played in a few tournaments (and performed very well), but she’s mainly been focused on preparing for a very big trip to Scotland! She will be attending a 10 day golf camp held at St. Andrews Golf Course. There, for 7 days they will play 18 holes of golf, getting a feel for all the courses while receiving mental and physical training. A three day junior golf tournament will immediately follow the camp. During their time at St. Andrews, the players will stay in a dorm castle and will visit the sites of Scotland. Anistyn hopes to improve her game as well as acquire valuable knowledge at the Scotland camp.

While it is no Scottish golf club, Anistyn mainly practices at Fair Oaks Ranch Golf Club and enjoys it immensely. She practices for around 2 hours every day, working on chipping, putting, and her full swing. Anistyn said, “I like that they have 2 courses so I can have some diversity of greens for practice. The Black Jack course is my favorite since it’s been renovated recently.” Conveniently, the golf course is close to home for Anistyn, so she always has the opportunity to work on her game at the driving range! 

Even though she has several years left in her high school career, Anistyn has already found great value in her sport: “Golf has taught me to persevere mentally and physically. I now know how to strategize and think through my actions. Through my sport, I’ve been given incredible opportunities to travel and meet people from all over the world, something I will never forget. Even in business, a lot of people play golf, so if I want to enter that career field, it will come in handy to know how to play.” Thanks to the Fair Oaks Ranch Golf Club, this amazing young athlete has grown and will continue to play the sport she loves.