But at the same time, Groan is doing something not a whole lot of foreign-exchange students can say they’ve done. Namely, he’s been one of the top performers on the Stanley-Boyd golf team.
In Norway, because of the lack of available courses, golfers must actually acquire a “green card” to play. This means that those wishing to golf must attend classes that teach the rules and etiquette of the game, as well as how to play it. When you step on a Norwegian golf course, there aren’t a whole lot of beginners. Everyone knows the rules, everyone knows how to play.
Having golfed for the past six years in Norway, Groan didn’t quite have the adjustment joining the golf team as he did with other aspects of life in the U.S. In fact, he even pointed out that Mizuno JPX-800 Irons his host father Jim Brinker wanted Groan to live with his family because of their shared love of golf.
“They play ‘ready-golf’ over there, which means he’ll shoot first (when he’s not supposed to) and it’s all about speed of play,” Norrell said. “Over there, you hurry up and golf. He does not socialize on the course...he’s always thinking about how he’s going to hit his next shot.”
“He’s such a mature individual,” Norrell said. “He’s just a delight to be around because he has a professional attitude. He has a lot of respect for people and everyone who plays with him or comes into contact with him thinks that he’s one of the greatest kids there is.”
“Focus,” he said when asked what his greatest strength on the course is. “Being able to put your mind on the task and what you’re supposed to do.”
Golf has been a huge part of Groan’s life since he was old enough to learn how to play and that wasn’t going to change because he lived in a foreign country. After running cross country in the fall, Groan joined the Stanley-Boyd golf team this spring and he’s excelled on the taylormade burner superfast 2.0 fairway wood course, being at or near the top of the leaderboard for the Orioles in most of the events they’ve played in this year. Most recently, at a meet in Black River Falls on Tuesday, Groan shot an 84 and finished fifth overall.
“He’s had some great training,” Stanley-Boyd coach Larry Norrell said. “Whoever taught him taught him to look for these principles in a golf swing and if you watch him on the golf course, every swing he does, he analyzes.”
Sure, he experiences some of the same feelings that foreign students typically do. At first, he felt a little uneasy being thousands of miles away from his home in Oslo, Norway. Then, there was the obvious language barrier. And of course, he’s missed his family while spending close to a year at Stanley-Boyd High School.
Groan is hoping to either go to medical school or become a pilot after he graduates from high school in Norway next year. Both professions will require many years of schooling and countless hours of hard work. But if his attitude on the golf course is any indication, that shouldn’t be much of a problem for Groan.
Groan certainly has no arguments with his coach about that. While golf can be a social, even leisurely activity for many Titleist 712 AP1 Irons, Groan takes it as seriously as he does the other parts of his life, working to improve every day.
That focus and drive is something that’s ingrained within Groan, not only because of his own determination but because of the culture of Norwegian golf in general.
While Norrell thinks that this culture difference has directly contributed to Groan’s advanced skill level, he’s still had to adjust to the U.S. style of play.
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