Enthusiasts often contend that golf is as much of a lifestyle as it is a sport.
That might not be true for all golfers, but it certainly is for Boulder City High’s Emmerson Hinds. Her father is the superintendent at Boulder Creek Golf Club, so golf has always been part of her life.
“We would play and have fun with him when we were young,” said Hinds, who started swinging the clubs when she was 4. “I started golfing and never left. Now I even help my dad with maintenance and mowing. I even move the tees and stuff.”
That’s a lifestyle.
And it’s a lifestyle that has paid off. Despite playing at 3A Boulder City, Hinds is putting up 5A scores. She’s a three-time individual state champion and has led the Eagles to two team titles. There appears to be little keeping her from extending those streaks.
Boulder City golf coach Bobby Reese said he’d like to take credit for Hinds’ success, but admitted he had little to do with it.
“Her mom is a Boulder City alumnus, so I guess we just got lucky,” he said. “Besides everything else — the work ethic, the patience — she has a way of breaking down the game and she knows what she wants to do.”
Hinds summed up her best attributes.
“It’s consistency and hard work,” she said. “And you have to come out even when you don’t feel like it.”
Hinds’ success has risen beyond high school golf. When she was 14, she was among the youngest golfers ever to qualify for the Las Vegas Women’s City Amateur Championship, and she won it.
Her success has not gone unnoticed. She will be joining Faith Lutheran’s Madison Perez next fall to play at UNLV, one of the more successful collegiate programs in the country.
“I wanted to go there because of the coaches,” Hinds said of UNLV’s Amy Bush-Herzer and Luka Mudde. “They’re more focused on developing the person, not the golfer. When you’re a good person, the golf will follow. Plus, I love Las Vegas and the weather here.”
She said she’s not overly intimidated by her move to the next level, as her scores are already pushing the boundary of where they’ll need to be next year.
“That level of play can only make me better,” Hinds said. “I’ve been exposed to high-level collegiate players, so I’m not worried about the level of play.”
For the most part, other players are worrying about playing her.
“My dad is very good,” Hinds said. “But I’ve been able to beat him for a long time now.”
She’s been able to beat just about everyone else as well, winning four of the Desert League’s five matches this season, including a 22-stroke victory when she shot 3-under 69 at Coyote Springs on Sept. 10.
Reese said he’s aware that Hinds has begun turning her attention to the future.
“She knows that there are bigger, better things in her future,” the coach said. “I don’t even think that winning four straight state tournaments drives her. I think playing Division I was her goal.”
He’s also thankful that Hinds is actually attending Boulder City this season, unlike the first three years when she attended Odyssey Charter School while playing golf as an Eagle.
Hinds explained her decision to make the move back to her home school.
“Since I’m already committed, I don’t have to travel as much,” she said, noting that she played countless outside tournaments in the past in an effort to draw the attention of recruiters. “I was able to travel when I went to Odyssey, and that wouldn’t have been possible at Boulder City.”
And perhaps college golf is not her final destination.
“Pro golf has always been my dream, but I try not to get ahead of myself,” she said. “I’m majoring in sports hospitality, and I’d love to stay around sports. If pro golf happens, that’s great.”
Boulder City leads the 3A team standings, with the regional match scheduled for Oct. 7-8 at Aliante. State competition will be held a week later at Ruby View in Elko.
Coronado and Faith Lutheran lead their 5A divisions with regionals to coincide with 3A play. Doral Academy, Foothill and Rancho lead their 4A leagues and will go straight to state competition at Aliante on Oct. 12-13 when the regular season ends.
Contact Jeff Wollard at jwollard@reviewjournal.com.
