March 11, 2025 • 9 mins
UND Head Golf Coach Todd Schaefer gives an update on the season.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Back here. Okay, Yeah, you know I've got the math
guys here. I know he can do the scorecards. Yeah,
we're getting I'm getting there too, all right, everybody, I
tell you what it is. The spring season back on
HOWK Talk here inside the five oh six pub across
the Fighting Hawks Radio Network. Time now to talk to
(00:21):
the head coach of men's golf, our own Todd Shaffer.
Everybody given my warm round of applause for his as
he mentioned his one stop buy basically a year. But
you know what, it's a good week to stop by
because we got some good things to talk about in
men's golf. Grayson wetch is running good right now. The
Some League performer of the week followed it up with
another great outing. Uh the U and D men's golf team,
(00:43):
a great finish out in Vegas as a team. This
is gonna be kind of fun. Yeah yeah, So, I
mean this is going to be kind of fun for you,
coach Schafer.
Speaker 2 (00:55):
Yeah, we're getting a lot more competitive, We have more depth,
So it's kind of fun to be in the hunt
and really enjoying it.
Speaker 3 (01:03):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (01:04):
I mean, you've built this program, You've had to take
a few lumps along the way, and it just seems
like you've got a good core that seemed to push
one another and finish around one another. And usually when
that happens, that that means you're finishing fairly far up
the leaderboard as a team.
Speaker 2 (01:19):
Right right, We've it's been kind of baby steps. Every
year we're getting a little bit better or average has
been going down. I think when I first started, we
were averaging around three eighteen for eighteen holes of golf,
and now we're down to around two ninety seven, so
or about sixty some strokes better per event, and that
gets you from last to competing, and so we're I
like the way we're going. We got to clean up
(01:40):
some areas still, and I think the kids believe in
themselves and feel that they they can go out and
win some golf terms and compete.
Speaker 3 (01:46):
Is that about the uh the competitors that you're or
what's what's led to that drop in the total?
Speaker 2 (01:55):
It's just I think back players, Yeah, we're I mean
actually back in the day with men's golfiers drop twice, right, yeah,
so I mean they didn't know if they're to have
a program or not, so they really just put together,
you know, tryouts walk on tryouts and put together teams
and so forth. But I've been involved with in recruiting
(02:16):
players and trying to get more depth, which we need.
We still need some more depth, and so that's been
the direction, and their numbers are coming down.
Speaker 1 (02:24):
Lucas fatal, he had a couple of seventy threes to
close out, and you know, and so it was nice
to bounce back and close out the tournament that way.
So you look at Grayson's performance, certainly in the last
two individually being right there, but it takes guys like
Lucas to have a couple of strong rounds that really
(02:44):
are our counters basically, or what Joe Corton I think
was up there as well. So really those guys can
make all the difference of Grayson's having some unbelievable individual performances.
Those guys got to follow it right up with them right.
Speaker 2 (02:58):
Kind of the key is, you know, you have five
players and you count four scores, and you got to
have two players just go off right right, And the
better teams will do that to all players that go
real low, and it's kind of habit forming you get
one or two guys going loan everyone on a team
feels they can bring it down load and they're competitive
amongst each other, so sure, so it's really important to
get those guys going out and shooting some low numbers
(03:20):
and they'll follow the leaders.
Speaker 1 (03:22):
Would you describe what a day one of a tournament?
Most of these tournaments are a two day, three round event,
so day one can really sap you. And so you
guys do strength and conditioning because you have to be
able to survive the day. And I don't know if
there's any good way to do it, even strength and
conditioning because you just described you know, I've been a
(03:43):
part of it. Now I've seen it. Day one is
a slog. It really is mentally too right.
Speaker 2 (03:48):
So we like our last event we played in Las Vegas.
We were teaing the ball up at seven am. Yeah,
on a Monday, there's thirty six holes. We're up at
four forty five and we're doing the breakfast thing so forth,
and then they're worming up. Then they're going to tea
times and shot gonna start. You play thirty six holes straight.
You don't stop to eat, well, I mean you get
box lunches the lead on the fly. Yeah, no bathroom breaks.
(04:08):
You know if you put a little heat in that
with that humidity, and you're walking carrying a fifteen pound
bag for you know, up to twelve hours. It's it's
pretty tough.
Speaker 3 (04:17):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (04:17):
And time you get back after dinner, you know, you're
looking at seventy eight o'clock and the kids are so
tired they just go to bed and eat it all
over again.
Speaker 1 (04:25):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (04:25):
Do you have a nutrition program and all that stuff
or can you? No?
Speaker 2 (04:30):
We can. We do have that, and we do have
some trainers on front here. Yeah, but we try to
keep them. You know, we're we're out there trying hydrate
and so forth, and snacks and salting stuff.
Speaker 1 (04:39):
So where to next for because really we're only what
a month away essentially, give or take a little bit
more than a month from the some of league championships
down in the desert this year, I think down in Arizona, Well,
what's left for you and d men in the spring
golf season?
Speaker 2 (04:54):
So we'll leave a week. A week from Saturday, it's
a new golf tournament called the Bell Bank of the
sw Bail Bank from Fargo sponsoring this golf event and
it's an outstanding field. It's probably the best field we've
ever played in. There's gonna be like the Minnesota Gophers
be there in Nebraska, be there, Iowa State, four or
five teams some summer league. So really cool that they're
(05:14):
involved with that bel Bank from Fargo, and and he'll
be a wig Mom in Phoenix, Phoenix. Yeah, so we'll
go down and compete in that, and then from there
the next week we'll go play a Deer Run where
the John Deer Classics at And you've done that one before, Yeah,
we have done that a couple of years in a row,
great golf course. The problem is the weather, you don't
know what you're running Midwest and april's a little rough.
(05:36):
So then from there we have our Summer League conference
and of April it down at Longbow in Mesa, Arizona.
Speaker 1 (05:43):
And you know, when you look at a player like Grayson,
who's had some good tournaments here in recent weeks, and
you look at his development in his career, what did
you think when he came in that he had to
develop the most and what are you starting to see
him get the most out of here in his career?
Speaker 2 (05:59):
Well, first of all, Grayson, wetch I recruited him during COVID.
I never saw him hit a golf ball. Okay, So
when COVID came on, they did not let us watch
or recruit for a whole year there, and it was
just basically word of mouth. The first time I ever
watched him play was in the state Class B championship
and he was coming here too. He had already committed.
Speaker 1 (06:17):
He's at Oak Grow, Oak Grow.
Speaker 2 (06:19):
Yeah, so kind of a funny story there. But he's
just he's got a lot of talent, uh, more talent
than he believes he has. I mean, he's kind of
getting it now. So if he just puts together his
confidence and believes in his ability, he's I mean, he
can he can do some damage.
Speaker 3 (06:36):
Wow, here's a simple question from a guy who sort
of plays the game. What's the toughest thing for those guys?
Is it off the tee? Is it irons? Is it putty?
Speaker 2 (06:47):
Well, every guy has strength and weaknesses. And Okay, they
might be great drivers the ball and iron player have
a poor you know, short game. They might be good putters.
So every kid is different. What's important for us, I
mean is like we went down and competed this, you know,
a week ago here and hadn't played around to golf,
so our first event, we finished fifth out of fourteen
(07:09):
teams and hadn't played around to golf. I kind of
think to myself, like, what are those other nineteens thinking about?
When the North Conin's come down here and haven't played
and we beat them.
Speaker 1 (07:17):
That's awful.
Speaker 3 (07:17):
We said that the teams got to go art Theakna.
Are you kidding me? What are they doing?
Speaker 2 (07:22):
Yeah? So I was really impressed with that, I mean,
first time out, and then we played really well the
two in Las Big. We're proud of those guys. I mean,
we got to clean up some areas. It's not the
super Bowl, but it's a good process.
Speaker 1 (07:33):
So is there are are most of your guys using
this break? Now? Did they leave Vegas and kind of
go somewhere to play golf before they returned to school?
Are they? Are they trying to get some golf in
before they could come back here?
Speaker 2 (07:47):
Yes? I mean of the nine players, there's none of
them in town right now. Form are down and Omah
playing together. Okay, some grandfather's plays, yeah. One Grayson's in
Hawaii with his family and scarps and Dominican Republic with
this family brought us clubs. One kids in San Diego
playing golf. So I mean they're all so you know,
it's nice that they're going out and keeping their games
and practicing and playing.
Speaker 1 (08:08):
Wow, it's it's been a real fun thing to read
about and to continue to follow here, everything from the
time that you've been in North Carolina to your time
at the Colin Montgomery Invitational and then the Jacket Rapid
Invitational as a team a second place finish. There, just
really exciting times here for you indie men's golf. And
we'll be following as you head down to Arizona for
(08:29):
the Bell Bank and and the Paying for Collegiate So
that's gonna be great as well. So thanks for dropping
by here. We'll continue to follow all season long.
Speaker 2 (08:36):
Thanks to him, Thanks for having me appreciate it and
go fighting there we go.
Speaker 1 (08:41):
Thank you Todd Shafe for everybody head men's golf coach.
Speaker 3 (08:46):
These got guys down at Omar. Yeah, they'll come to
the hockey.
Speaker 1 (08:49):
Maybe they'll get to the hockey game. That's exactly right.
I tell you what. We had a great show tonight.
We've had great shows all season and we'll wrap it
up next next week for Mel's birthday. So that's gonna
be next week and uh tell you what, all week
long when when we get into tournament season, they'll turn
your favorite games on on these great TVs here, So
(09:11):
make it. Any night of the week is a great
night to drop in at the five oh six Pub,
So come on down to downtown Grand Forks. Where's it located,
Hugo's Pure Market, So make sure you make it to
the five oh six Pub and we'll see you back
here next week from six to seven. For Tim Hennessy,
I'm Paul Ralston, for Mel, for our great fans, for
our coaches who dropped in with us, and for Chris
back at the Flight Ship Studios. Thanks for joining us
here tonight. Have a great night and we'll see you
(09:33):
next week.
Back here. Okay, Yeah, you know I've got the math
guys here. I know he can do the scorecards. Yeah,
we're getting I'm getting there too, all right, everybody, I
tell you what it is. The spring season back on
HOWK Talk here inside the five oh six pub across
the Fighting Hawks Radio Network. Time now to talk to
(00:21):
the head coach of men's golf, our own Todd Shaffer.
Everybody given my warm round of applause for his as
he mentioned his one stop buy basically a year. But
you know what, it's a good week to stop by
because we got some good things to talk about in
men's golf. Grayson wetch is running good right now. The
Some League performer of the week followed it up with
another great outing. Uh the U and D men's golf team,
(00:43):
a great finish out in Vegas as a team. This
is gonna be kind of fun. Yeah yeah, So, I
mean this is going to be kind of fun for you,
coach Schafer.
Speaker 2 (00:55):
Yeah, we're getting a lot more competitive, We have more depth,
So it's kind of fun to be in the hunt
and really enjoying it.
Speaker 3 (01:03):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (01:04):
I mean, you've built this program, You've had to take
a few lumps along the way, and it just seems
like you've got a good core that seemed to push
one another and finish around one another. And usually when
that happens, that that means you're finishing fairly far up
the leaderboard as a team.
Speaker 2 (01:19):
Right right, We've it's been kind of baby steps. Every
year we're getting a little bit better or average has
been going down. I think when I first started, we
were averaging around three eighteen for eighteen holes of golf,
and now we're down to around two ninety seven, so
or about sixty some strokes better per event, and that
gets you from last to competing, and so we're I
like the way we're going. We got to clean up
(01:40):
some areas still, and I think the kids believe in
themselves and feel that they they can go out and
win some golf terms and compete.
Speaker 3 (01:46):
Is that about the uh the competitors that you're or
what's what's led to that drop in the total?
Speaker 2 (01:55):
It's just I think back players, Yeah, we're I mean
actually back in the day with men's golfiers drop twice, right, yeah,
so I mean they didn't know if they're to have
a program or not, so they really just put together,
you know, tryouts walk on tryouts and put together teams
and so forth. But I've been involved with in recruiting
(02:16):
players and trying to get more depth, which we need.
We still need some more depth, and so that's been
the direction, and their numbers are coming down.
Speaker 1 (02:24):
Lucas fatal, he had a couple of seventy threes to
close out, and you know, and so it was nice
to bounce back and close out the tournament that way.
So you look at Grayson's performance, certainly in the last
two individually being right there, but it takes guys like
Lucas to have a couple of strong rounds that really
(02:44):
are our counters basically, or what Joe Corton I think
was up there as well. So really those guys can
make all the difference of Grayson's having some unbelievable individual performances.
Those guys got to follow it right up with them right.
Speaker 2 (02:58):
Kind of the key is, you know, you have five
players and you count four scores, and you got to
have two players just go off right right, And the
better teams will do that to all players that go
real low, and it's kind of habit forming you get
one or two guys going loan everyone on a team
feels they can bring it down load and they're competitive
amongst each other, so sure, so it's really important to
get those guys going out and shooting some low numbers
(03:20):
and they'll follow the leaders.
Speaker 1 (03:22):
Would you describe what a day one of a tournament?
Most of these tournaments are a two day, three round event,
so day one can really sap you. And so you
guys do strength and conditioning because you have to be
able to survive the day. And I don't know if
there's any good way to do it, even strength and
conditioning because you just described you know, I've been a
(03:43):
part of it. Now I've seen it. Day one is
a slog. It really is mentally too right.
Speaker 2 (03:48):
So we like our last event we played in Las Vegas.
We were teaing the ball up at seven am. Yeah,
on a Monday, there's thirty six holes. We're up at
four forty five and we're doing the breakfast thing so forth,
and then they're worming up. Then they're going to tea
times and shot gonna start. You play thirty six holes straight.
You don't stop to eat, well, I mean you get
box lunches the lead on the fly. Yeah, no bathroom breaks.
(04:08):
You know if you put a little heat in that
with that humidity, and you're walking carrying a fifteen pound
bag for you know, up to twelve hours. It's it's
pretty tough.
Speaker 3 (04:17):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (04:17):
And time you get back after dinner, you know, you're
looking at seventy eight o'clock and the kids are so
tired they just go to bed and eat it all
over again.
Speaker 1 (04:25):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (04:25):
Do you have a nutrition program and all that stuff
or can you? No?
Speaker 2 (04:30):
We can. We do have that, and we do have
some trainers on front here. Yeah, but we try to
keep them. You know, we're we're out there trying hydrate
and so forth, and snacks and salting stuff.
Speaker 1 (04:39):
So where to next for because really we're only what
a month away essentially, give or take a little bit
more than a month from the some of league championships
down in the desert this year, I think down in Arizona, Well,
what's left for you and d men in the spring
golf season?
Speaker 2 (04:54):
So we'll leave a week. A week from Saturday, it's
a new golf tournament called the Bell Bank of the
sw Bail Bank from Fargo sponsoring this golf event and
it's an outstanding field. It's probably the best field we've
ever played in. There's gonna be like the Minnesota Gophers
be there in Nebraska, be there, Iowa State, four or
five teams some summer league. So really cool that they're
(05:14):
involved with that bel Bank from Fargo, and and he'll
be a wig Mom in Phoenix, Phoenix. Yeah, so we'll
go down and compete in that, and then from there
the next week we'll go play a Deer Run where
the John Deer Classics at And you've done that one before, Yeah,
we have done that a couple of years in a row,
great golf course. The problem is the weather, you don't
know what you're running Midwest and april's a little rough.
(05:36):
So then from there we have our Summer League conference
and of April it down at Longbow in Mesa, Arizona.
Speaker 1 (05:43):
And you know, when you look at a player like Grayson,
who's had some good tournaments here in recent weeks, and
you look at his development in his career, what did
you think when he came in that he had to
develop the most and what are you starting to see
him get the most out of here in his career?
Speaker 2 (05:59):
Well, first of all, Grayson, wetch I recruited him during COVID.
I never saw him hit a golf ball. Okay, So
when COVID came on, they did not let us watch
or recruit for a whole year there, and it was
just basically word of mouth. The first time I ever
watched him play was in the state Class B championship
and he was coming here too. He had already committed.
Speaker 1 (06:17):
He's at Oak Grow, Oak Grow.
Speaker 2 (06:19):
Yeah, so kind of a funny story there. But he's
just he's got a lot of talent, uh, more talent
than he believes he has. I mean, he's kind of
getting it now. So if he just puts together his
confidence and believes in his ability, he's I mean, he
can he can do some damage.
Speaker 3 (06:36):
Wow, here's a simple question from a guy who sort
of plays the game. What's the toughest thing for those guys?
Is it off the tee? Is it irons? Is it putty?
Speaker 2 (06:47):
Well, every guy has strength and weaknesses. And Okay, they
might be great drivers the ball and iron player have
a poor you know, short game. They might be good putters.
So every kid is different. What's important for us, I
mean is like we went down and competed this, you know,
a week ago here and hadn't played around to golf,
so our first event, we finished fifth out of fourteen
(07:09):
teams and hadn't played around to golf. I kind of
think to myself, like, what are those other nineteens thinking about?
When the North Conin's come down here and haven't played
and we beat them.
Speaker 1 (07:17):
That's awful.
Speaker 3 (07:17):
We said that the teams got to go art Theakna.
Are you kidding me? What are they doing?
Speaker 2 (07:22):
Yeah? So I was really impressed with that, I mean,
first time out, and then we played really well the
two in Las Big. We're proud of those guys. I mean,
we got to clean up some areas. It's not the
super Bowl, but it's a good process.
Speaker 1 (07:33):
So is there are are most of your guys using
this break? Now? Did they leave Vegas and kind of
go somewhere to play golf before they returned to school?
Are they? Are they trying to get some golf in
before they could come back here?
Speaker 2 (07:47):
Yes? I mean of the nine players, there's none of
them in town right now. Form are down and Omah
playing together. Okay, some grandfather's plays, yeah. One Grayson's in
Hawaii with his family and scarps and Dominican Republic with
this family brought us clubs. One kids in San Diego
playing golf. So I mean they're all so you know,
it's nice that they're going out and keeping their games
and practicing and playing.
Speaker 1 (08:08):
Wow, it's it's been a real fun thing to read
about and to continue to follow here, everything from the
time that you've been in North Carolina to your time
at the Colin Montgomery Invitational and then the Jacket Rapid
Invitational as a team a second place finish. There, just
really exciting times here for you indie men's golf. And
we'll be following as you head down to Arizona for
(08:29):
the Bell Bank and and the Paying for Collegiate So
that's gonna be great as well. So thanks for dropping
by here. We'll continue to follow all season long.
Speaker 2 (08:36):
Thanks to him, Thanks for having me appreciate it and
go fighting there we go.
Speaker 1 (08:41):
Thank you Todd Shafe for everybody head men's golf coach.
Speaker 3 (08:46):
These got guys down at Omar. Yeah, they'll come to
the hockey.
Speaker 1 (08:49):
Maybe they'll get to the hockey game. That's exactly right.
I tell you what. We had a great show tonight.
We've had great shows all season and we'll wrap it
up next next week for Mel's birthday. So that's gonna
be next week and uh tell you what, all week
long when when we get into tournament season, they'll turn
your favorite games on on these great TVs here, So
(09:11):
make it. Any night of the week is a great
night to drop in at the five oh six Pub,
So come on down to downtown Grand Forks. Where's it located,
Hugo's Pure Market, So make sure you make it to
the five oh six Pub and we'll see you back
here next week from six to seven. For Tim Hennessy,
I'm Paul Ralston, for Mel, for our great fans, for
our coaches who dropped in with us, and for Chris
back at the Flight Ship Studios. Thanks for joining us
here tonight. Have a great night and we'll see you
(09:33):
next week.
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