As the spring sports season approaches, Hills varsity golf captain Dylan Reissman is preparing to have his best season yet as a Hills golfer. After not having a sophomore year of golf due to the pandemic, Reissman, now a junior, is more motivated than ever to try to improve upon his craft.

“This off-season, I went to Florida to work on my game. The weather in New Jersey right now wasn’t letting me get the work that I need. My trainer is at a country club here, and he is helping me evolve my game,” Reissman stated. 

Reissman has drastically improved this winter. He is shooting in the low 70s consistently, even breaking par occasionally. But, this winter has been a huge sacrifice for Reissman; he has been isolated away from friends and family since December. 

“This was a tough sacrifice to make. But, it was necessary for me, golf is just so important to me. I want to achieve my dream of playing golf in college, and this was my best way to do that,” Reissman said. 

Reissman has attempted to elevate his game to the next level. This included changing his swing and his approach to the game. It was definitely a process, but the hard work is paying off. He has been training for not only the high school season, but also the Hurricane Junior Golf Tour, which is the number one ranked Junior Golf tour in the world. This tour, if it goes well, would open a lot of doors for Reissman for college opportunities. 

“Playing in college would be a dream come true for me, this has been my dream since middle school,” said Reissman.

This dream isn’t something that Dylan just wishes about and then forgets. He has put in an obscene amount of hours and work into his game, trying to improve every day he is out there on the course. 

“During weekdays, I practice four to eight hours per day practicing at the range and working out. During weekends, I practice eight to ten hours playing multiple rounds of 18 holes. My goal is to place in the top five in the tournament; that would be great,” Reissman said. 

Reissman has not been the only player that has improved on the Hills golf team. Junior Adam Yunaev and sophomore Sean Donahue are working on their swings as well. The Hills golf team has high hopes for this year, with advancing to states being the main goal.

“The team is going to be good this year. We are heavily improved and have virtual meetings every week. We are also practicing twice a week at the PGA superstore, and we are building a good camaraderie,” Yunaev said.

Because of the pandemic, many statewide tournaments have been canceled. The scoring format was also changed because there are fewer matches due to Covid. The team is going to play 10 to 20 matches, and there is going to be less practice time. The team’s first practice is April 1rst and their first match is April 12th.

“This year is going to be a challenge. The weather and conditions are going to be tough, but we are going to have to persevere and succeed as a team. I’m excited to see what we can accomplish together,” Reissman said.