Wissahockon’s Noah Harrington is featured in this week’s golf notebook.
By Ben Reese
Wissahickon's Noah Harrington entered Tuesday's second day of the District One golf tournament with high hopes.
He had shot an even-par 72 on the first day at Turtle Creek Golf Course, and every indication was that he could stay within the parameters to reach the Eastern Regionals.
However, things do not always happen as we would like them. Harrington did not have a good day on the course and missed the cut, shooting a 7-over 79 for a two-day total of 151.
"I didn't play well," he said.
But that isn't the end of Harington's athletic work. He has another season coming up very quickly, and that is ice hockey.
Now, Harrington isn't the only golfer who also plays ice hockey. Souderton's Dawson Anders, who did qualify for the Eastern Regional, has played goalie for the Indians for the past two years and plans to continue against this season.
Harrington is the most recent convert to hockey, though. He began playing for the Trojans last year.
That does bring up a question, though. Why ice hockey?
"My dad's played ice hockey for a while and I always played it (when I was) young in the driveway," Harrington said. "I never played ice hockey.
"Once I stopped wrestling and golf is only in the spring, summer and fall, I wanted to do something in the winter. So why not ice hockey?
"I played when I was younger for maybe a year or two but then I didn't keep playing. I wrestled for six years and then came back to it and now it's one of my favorite sports to play."
Harrington had a fairly successful season last year as a hockey player. He scored two goals and handed out nine assists for the Trojans, who won the American Conference title in 2014-15.
He also had a successful golf season this year. He helped lead Wissahickon to the top of the Suburban One League American Conference and participated with the team in the district playoffs.
But the season has now changed for Harrington. And all his action will be on the ice.
Which one is his favorite?
"If I was as good at hockey as I am at golf, I would say hockey," he said. "Since I'm not as strong of a player in hockey, I'd say golf."
It has almost become common knowledge that ice hockey players make good golfers. Do golfers make good hockey players?
"Maybe you'd have a little bit better shot because you have good control with your hands and your arms but I'd say it's more than just the shot, it's skating and just moving," said Harrington. "You have to understand the movements and there's not really any movement of offensive and defensive positions in golf as there is in hockey."
Plus the golf ball isn't moving and no one is trying to check you on the golf course.
"The puck is sliding and moving around," Harrington said. "There is a little more contact."
Be glad there is no such a thing as full-contact golf.
Whither the weather:The conditions for the Eastern Regional tournament were not the best. There was a strong wind, especially at the high spots on the Golden Oaks course, and the temperature was in the 40s as play began.
It might have been a factor in the scoring, depending who you asked.
"It was chilly in the beginning, and it was tough to stay warm but overall it got better," said Central Bucks South's Jake Fitts. "It was a lot better than I thought it would be."
But for others, it proved to be a bit of a problem.
"Thanks to my dad, he really told me what to wear," Jack Melville of Upper Dublin said. "I wasn't cold at all. I didn't really feel much wind except on a couple holes and it didn't really affect me."
Flying Cardinal teammate David Kim had some kind words for Melville's father also.
"It would have (bothered me) but Jack's dad actually brought me some hand warmers so that helped," Kim said. "The practice round was colder I think, so anything was going to be better than that."
Souderton's Quinn Guzman went the hand warmer route, too.
"I had a hand warmer in each pocket," he said. "I wore rain gloves just to stay warm."
It might be a good idea for competitors to take a look at the weather for York for Monday and Tuesday. There will be a high in the 50s but it will start out much colder with rain a possibility.
The final step:The PIAA Golf Championship will be played Monday, Oct. 26, and Tuesday, Oct. 27, for individuals and Wednesday, Oct. 28, for teams. It will be played at Heritage Hills Golf Resort, 2700 Mount Rose Ave., York, PA.
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