Throughout the years, the Roseville High School varsity golf team has found their roster mixed with a variety of ages.

This year the team finds themselves upperclassman heavy with seven seniors, one junior and one freshman standout – Carter Jones.

Jones is a seasoned golfer and although being young, brings a veteran mentality to the team. Jones’ biggest golf accomplishment came two years ago, shooting his lowest score, 73, at major golf tournament State Fair. Carter has a 6 handicap and is already number two on the team.

At the age of seven Jones was encouraged by his father to start playing golf, and he fell in love.

“When I was seven I went out and hit on the driving range a lot with my dad,” Jones said. “My dad taught me how to play golf and really sparked my passion for the sport and I found out I could actually be really good at golf and I started practicing it a lot.”

When Jones was younger he played other sports, but ended up choosing to focus solely on golf in order to become a high level golfer.

“I played a lot of sports growing up but I ended up choosing golf,” Jones said. “Golf was always my main sport. I never really chose any other sport over it, I just found out that I practiced golf so much that I didn’t really have time for playing other sports and still being able to practice golf as much as I wanted to.”

Although he is the youngest golfer on the team, Jones is already improving the team’s scores. Coach Corey Fukuman has seen the impact Jones has made on the team.

“He’s been the second best player on our team and has lowered our team score by a significant number,” Fukuman said.

According to Fukuman, Jones is just what the team needed to amplify the competitive spirit.

“Carter really pushes our seniors,” Fukuman said. “He gives them something to shoot for and challenges them which is something they really needed going into the
season.”

Senior teammate Brad Morin believes that Jones’ leadership and experience can help carry the team to a successful season.

“Carter has played a lot of golf and as a team we can learn a lot from him,” Morin said. “He’s the second best and he’s the only freshman so if he can lead by example while the upperclassmen lead in other ways I think our team can do really well this year and make a playoff run.”

Even though Jones does not lack in golf experience, he recognizes there is still things he can learn from the upperclassmen.

“I think it’s a good learning experience because I get to learn from all the upperclassmen how high school golf works and how to learn to deal with missing class and how to make it up,” Jones said.

In order to become the golfer he is today, Jones has had to work really hard. Jones’ brother, junior Mason Jones, is impressed with his brother’s work ethic.

“Carter is a really hard worker,” Mason said. “He wakes up early on the weekends to go out and play and he always tries to play as much as he can, after school, everyday, he’s out trying to hit balls on the range and practice his putting.”

Mason is proud of his brother and looks forward to seeing his brothers hard work pay off this season.

“I’m really proud of him,” Mason said. “He works so hard and I can’t wait to see the great things he will do this season as a freshman on the golf team.”

This is just the beginning for Jones as he hopes to one day take his golf skills to the collegiate level.