Hiking long stretches of green, enduring long hours under the heat of the sun or bracing a cold wind and battling yourself mentally as crowds watch you play, golf requires more physical precision and repetition than meets the eye.

Known as a more laid-back, Sunday afternoon activity, golf is often unrecognized for the difficulty and determination players display.

For junior Alivia Brown, a third-year member of the WSU women’s golf team, the mental side of the sport and the challenges it presents are what motivate her to strive for excellence on the course.

“Being able to align what you want and the process of how to get there can be a challenge,” Brown said, “but that’s what makes it so enjoyable and fun.”

Like any sport, golf takes discipline, patience and persistence. Brown’s passion for golf burns as bright as any athlete’s passion for their sport. Brown finds golf to be a stress-reliever and a great way to have fun. Like all WSU student-athletes, Brown is a student first, which brings about its own set of challenges and stressors.

“I realized I had a passion for golf when it became an escape for me,” Brown said. “No matter what was going on in my day, once I got to the golf course, I was able to flush all my thoughts and have fun. It’s in those moments of quietness that I’m able to refuel my mind.”

The balancing of school and sports is a long-running difficulty for many athletes. However, Brown can testify that WSU accommodates for its athletes and makes it so they can succeed in all areas of school.

“It’s definitely a challenge,” Brown said. “You often hope at the beginning of the semester that your tests don’t align with competition days. Professors are often gracious which makes it much better.”

With the spring golf season running well into the month of April and championships being held at the end of May, Brown and her teammates have a packed season ahead.

“Our main goals as a team and everyone individually are to find ways to build off our last tournament,” Brown said, “and focus on getting better day-by-day and week-by-week.”

In its most recent meet, the women’s golf team tied for ninth with Notre Dame at the Westbrook Spring Invitational Feb. 26-27 in Arizona. The Cougars carded their second-lowest three-round score in school history at five-under par.

“So far, the season has been great,” Brown said. “We’ve really come together as a unit and began figuring out ways that we can get better every day despite some different circumstances.”

Though golf is seen as an individual sport, the women’s golf team remains a unit in their endeavors. Supporting each other and working toward a similar goal has created friendships within the team and a strong sense of comradery.

Brown said that she is constantly learning new things about the sport and life simultaneously by overcoming adversity and growing stronger with her teammates

“The relationships I’ve built are friendships that will last a lifetime,” Brown said. “When you are fighting for a common goal with a group of people by working together, and finding new ways to learn and improve, you come out together as a united front.”