A sharp crack sounds throughout the Harborside International Golf Center as a perfectly arced golf swing strikes the middle of a ball. A familiar noise to the Jones-Payton boys golf team, who spend their fall afternoons with the smell of a freshly cut green wafting into their nose while driving down the fairway of this very course, practicing day after day to maintain their status as one of Jones’ premier sports teams. Winning has become an expectation for this group, delivering five city championships over the last 10 years. This group aims to uphold this culture of victory.
This season, however, the team doesn’t just play for themselves. They play to honor head coach David Gilmer, a man who has done an incredible amount to bring the golf team to the heights of success they have today, in his final season before stepping down to focus on his responsibilities as athletic director.
Eleven years ago, Gilmer became head coach of the program which, at the time, rostered about eight players with only one who could regularly break 80, a city-playoff-worthy score. A decade of hard work later, the golf team has reached its strongest point ever.
The program now stands as a pride of Jones athletics, now fielding a full varsity and JV roster with four to 10 golfers able to consistently shoot in the high 70s and low 80s, and most impressively turning into a city championship-winning machine. The golf team has seen extraordinary development over the last few years, which Gilmer attributes to the effort of the players.
“I think all of them have seen what success looks like. They want to continue to be part of success, and so they just put in a ton of work,” Gilmer said.
After a rough start to the season, suffering an unprecedented two losses early on in the season, the team knew they had to pick up the level and give Gilmer the success he deserved in his final season.
“There’s a communal feeling for the team that we kind of had to do something this year,” William Kerr, a senior on the varsity team, said. “This is the last time that we can prove ourselves to him and give him the last season he deserves.”
This feeling had engulfed the team since finding out Gilmer would step down. One message resounded through the team group chat: “Let’s go to states this year.”
While some teams may fold under such high expectations, Jones did the opposite. Despite barely qualifying for cities, a late-season hot streak of thrilling, driven and impressive performances earned Jones a spot on the podium with a third-place finish, allowing Gilmer to celebrate one final triumph with his team following a season of highs and lows. The team was thrilled to be able to succeed for both themselves and their beloved coach.
While the program will miss Gilmer, the future of the golf team looks bright. Gilmer believes the dedication and talent of the players who will stay a part of the program beyond him will ensure the winning culture of the golf team lives on, with Gilmer himself selecting a new coach.
“We’re going to make sure we hire a great coach, someone who can support them and continue to grow the program,” Gilmer said.
