Andover high school senior Grant Hatzenbuehler is one of the best players in the area, except he has taken a different approach than his peers. The senior has only played golf for three years due to spending a lot of his life as a full-time baseball player.
“I played baseball for longer than I can remember playing travel tournament ball for a lot of that time,” Hatzenbuehler said. “The switch wasn’t because I didn’t like baseball I think it’s because I found golf to be more fun and it’s a sport where everything is on you as an athlete. It’s not that golf isn’t a team sport but every player is on their own. If I play bad it’s on me. Either I didn’t put the right preparation work in or something got to my head. There are no excuses if I play good or bad that I could blame on another teammate.”
The senior picked up the sport really quickly thanks in part to his dedication and will to get better.
“I’ve only been playing golf for just under three years,” Hatzenbuehler said. “I started taking it seriously the summer of my sophomore year and it’s been an addiction ever since. I never really like it as a kid, only going to the course once maybe twice a year with my Grandpa.
Hatzenbuehler has gained the respect of his peers and his coaches and is now a pivotal part of a team who wants to win a state championship.
“Grant is a great all-around athlete,” head coach Ryan Harshaw said. “Grant also is more than willing to help others improve on our team, he is a grinder – he puts a lot of time and work into his craft.”
