By Stephen Smoot
“Golf is an exercise which is much used by gentlemen in Scotland . . . A man would live 10 years longer for using this exercise once or twice a week,” said Dr. Benjamin Rush, Founding Father and President George Washington’s personal physician.
“If it goes left, it’s a hook. If it goes right, it’s a slice. If it goes straight, it’s a miracle.” This saying makes a great T-shirt for golf enthusiasts, circa 1980s.
The sport of golf started in the Appalachian Mountains of Scotland, the same mountain range as ours, just separated by an ocean much younger than it. Highlander gentlemen invented the formalized game, based on a much older pastime of hitting pebbles with a crooked stick.
From the Highlands of Scotland in the 1400s to the Highlands at Fisher Mountain in 2025, the sport just saw another first. Pendleton County’s golf squad earned a full team trip to the state tournament for the first time.
Individual golfers, such as Cam Beachler two years ago, have won their way to Wheeling, but not the full squad.
Sunday, the team sent its qualifiers Barrett Cook, Logan Fisher, Dylan Eye, Hayden Kimble, and Landon Davis, on the road to Wheeling. There, they will compete at the Jones Course of Speidel Golf Club at Oglebay Resort.
To get there, however, they had to outplay strong competition in regionals at another state park resort course, Canaan Valley.
“We didn’t have our best stuff,” shared Mike Eye, head coach. He explained that some jitters and nervousness held them back at first. “We weren’t playing as well. I think they were getting a little frustrated.” He explained to them that if they kept competing, that the opportunities would be there for the team at the end.
And it played out exactly as expected. Eye said, “It came down to the last shot whether or not we’d advance.”
Tygarts Valley took the lead score and the first of two slots for states with a 264. Pendleton County came back to earn a 270, upending Tucker County’s 272 to take the second slot. In golf, the lower score wins.
The Highlands at Fisher Mountain, Pendleton County’s home course, is a true mountain venue. It has the high elevation, the roller coaster-like ups and downs, and the jaw dropping scenery. The low-lying hills of the upper Ohio Valley could not be more different. Only the quaint and well-kept 19th century homes in the nearest town have similarity.
Eye, however, said that the course itself should feel familiar. Many aspects of the playing surface itself, such as the designed slopes, are not very different from what the Pendleton County players have been playing on almost daily since May.
Day one, the Wildcats get an advantage. They will be among the last to hit the course at 1:15. This gives them more time to rest and also allows them to see how the other teams are shaping up before they hit the links.
Coach Eye has handed hefty amounts of credit to this year’s team’s success to others. He said, “I take very little credit for the success we’re having.” He explains now, as he has all year, that former head coach Charlie Burgoyne’s patient instruction and hard work laid the foundation for anything that came next.
The program advanced in 2025, Eye explained, “from the work that Charlie put in starting the middle school program” and teaching the golfers both the right skills and also, just as important, the character of sportsmen.
Burgoyne channeled the praise right back to Eye, explaining that the first year coach “did an excellent job organizing practices, scheduling middle school matches as well as some high school.” He and Eye also both credited Robbie Fisher, first year assistant, for stepping up “big in support of the kids.”
He also noted that the program had its largest number of golfers yet, with 11 competing.
During the year, Dylan Eye had consistently served as the team low scorer with Davis pushing hard as a freshman. Seniors Cook and Fisher provided both solid play and excellent leadership to the younger guys. Burgoyne observed that “Lucas DiFalco kept the pressure on the two seniors fighting for the top four positions.
Burgoyne said of Kimble that he “gained valuable experience in not only improving his golf skills, but learning course management skills necessary to play his way around a difficult course.
Finally, both Burgoyne and Eye expressed appreciation for the support from the Pendleton County Board of Education for their help with transportation.
Burgoyne last had requested an additional event van for the school’s use, which Charles Hedrick, former superintendent, followed, and the board voted to approve. Burgoyne said that the nine-passenger van was a significant help, but still “either parents or coaches assist in transporting the rest of the golfers to some away matches.”
Fisher Mountain not only serves as the home base of the team, but has warmly embraced and supported the squad. Eye and Burgoyne have consistently praised the support as vital for team success.
Laura Brown, director of development and sales for Fisher Mountain, said their support comes “with respect and pride.”
“Coach Mike Eye and his assistants have demonstrated unwavering dedication throughout the summer and fall and this state tournament appearance is a testament to their commitment and the players’ exceptional talents,” Brown said.
Fisher Mountain allows players access to hone their skills in organized and informal practices. They have also hosted a number of events drawing in some of the best teams in the region to play, while showcasing some of Pendleton County’s best scenery.
Brown praised all involved, saying, “These athletes and their families treat Fisher Mountain with respect, and we are happy to be their home course. We wish them the best of luck and success.”
Every team of experienced state qualifiers in any sport has young and hungry competitors pushing them to be better while learning from their experience. Coach Eye praised his non qualifiers, Kolby Kimble, Jax Bennett, Blaine Cook, Alex Adams, and Colton Jackson.
Five current high schoolers, plus four strong middle school players, will form a strong team next year.
“Even though they might not get to go to all the matches,” he noted, “they put in just as much work as anybody on this team.” Eye then added, “They’re out there, they’re practicing, they show up and give 110 percent every time.”
“They do the work, and I couldn’t ask much more than that.”
As the team takes to the links this week, coaches, players, and community alike know that the present is positive and the future looks fantastic for Pendleton County golf.
