<p>Like many accomplished high school golfers, Austin Crowder discovered success at the collegiate level is more difficult to attain.</p>
<p>Gone are the days of 9- and 18-hole matches close to home.</p>
<p>As a collegian, a golfer must adjust everything from his itinerary to his game, with tournaments occasionally lasting as long as three days.</p>
<p>“College golf exposes your weaknesses,” said Crowder, a sophomore at IUPUI who over the Jaguars’ fall and spring seasons ranked fourth-best on the team with an 18-hole average score of 76.8.</p>[sc:text-divider text-divider-title="Story continues below gallery" ]
<p>“It’s all about confidence for me," Crowder said. "It seems like for me when I’m hitting the ball well, the other parts of the game come with it.”</p>
<p>Crowder and Christopher Heck, his one-time Center Grove teammate, are playing virtually every day during summer break to fine-tune their game.</p>
<p>Heck, a sophomore at the University of Indianapolis, plays primarily at The Legends Golf Club in Franklin, where his family has a membership.</p>
<p>Crowder practices at either Dye’s Walk Country Club or Hickory Stick Golf Club.</p>
<p>Different layouts and challenges.</p>
<p>A like purpose.</p>
<p>“From high school to college it’s bigger tournaments and it’s longer,” said Heck, whose 75.6 norm was fourth-best among Greyhounds golfers. “My freshman year I would have a good one or two rounds and fizzle out. You have to be competitive all three or four days.</p>
<p>"It’s why we all play in these Indiana golf tournaments during the summer. It’s about staying in a competitive atmosphere and working on your game.”</p>
<p>Crowder is coming off an up-and-down performance at the June 20 to 23 Indiana Amateur Championship at Elcona Country Club in Elkhart.</p>
<p>Locked in a fourth-place tie after shooting 76-72 the first two rounds, Crowder fired scores of 79 in each of the final two rounds to finish in a tie for 22nd place.</p>
<p>Heck failed to make the cut, going 83-82 at the outset.</p>
<p>In May, however, he secured a 13th-place finish at the Indianapolis Open with a 74-72—146. Heck’s 2-over-par total took place at Prairie View Golf Club in Carmel.</p>
<p>It’s common for Crowder during the summer to play three or four golf balls at a time, whether it’s shots off the tee, long irons or his short game.</p>
<p>His father, Bob, is there more often than not as an extra set of eyes.</p>
<p>“Once you graduate high school it’s tough to find events to play in, which leaves you a lot of time to practice,” Crowder said. “My dad has always been my swing coach. Before a tournament we’ll go out and fine-tune things up a little bit.</p>
<p>“I’m a perfectionist, and the night before the State Am I’m hitting my driver everywhere.”</p>
<p>Meanwhile, former Franklin Community High School golfer Jacob Hash, who would like to be experiencing practice rounds and summertime tournaments, is channeling his efforts into physical therapy.</p>
<p>Hash had been enjoying a solid freshman season at Franklin College when a shoulder injury sustained before the Hoosier Collegiate Athletic Conference Tournament (April 23 and 24) forced him to readjust his focus.</p>
<p>“I haven’t played all summer. I tore my labrum in my left shoulder during a practice round,” said Hash, who is scheduled to complete his physical therapy sessions in late July. “Normally I would play six or seven times a week during the summer.</p>
<p>“I felt like I was making strides and then this happens. You’re forced to step away. I don’t mind not practicing, but I’m not able to play in any tournaments. I hope to play again at some point this summer.”</p>
<p>University of Indianapolis men’s and women’s golf coach Brent Nicoson said offseason emphasis varies from player to player.</p>
<p>Nicoson, while praising Heck’s character, short game and ability to focus regardless of the competition or golf course, knows there are subtle tweaks that need to be made.</p>
<p>“Basically it’s just evaluating what happened during a player’s freshman year and making changes. What they did well. What they need to work on,” Nicoson said. “Christopher needs to make a couple swing changes and needs to pick up distance.”</p>[sc:pullout-title pullout-title="Summer golf pullout" ][sc:pullout-text-begin]<p>A DIFFERENT COURSE LOAD</p>
<p>Johnson County golfers who will play for college men’s programs during the 2016-17 school year:</p>
<p>Name;School;Class</p>
<p>Austin Crowder;IUPUI;Sophomore</p>
<p>Jacob Hash;Franklin College;Sophomore</p>
<p>Christopher Heck;Indianapolis;Sophomore</p>
<p>Jackson Williams;Franklin College;Freshman</p>[sc:pullout-text-end]
