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05/16/2019 12:00 AMJulia Raposo is in her third season competing for the North Haven golf team, and she’s progressed into one of the club’s top players throughout that time. Julia, a junior, hits from the white tees just like the boys on the links. This season, she’s worked her way up to the No. 2 spot in the Indians’ lineup.
“At first, I wasn’t used to it, because I used to play off the red [tees], but I think I adjusted to it pretty well. Now, I’m used to it, and I keep up. It’s not difficult,” Julia says. “When the boys see a girl on the team, they think it’ll be easy, but I come out and outplay them. It really boosts my confidence.”
Julia has been consistently shooting in the low 40s this spring and also has a low round of 38 to her name. Head Coach Kevin St. Pierre says that it’s tough to tell how Julia is playing, because she always maintains an even-keel on the greens.
“When it comes to her mannerisms, she is so mellow where you can ask her how she’s doing, and she’s like, ‘I’m doing OK.’ Then she comes in and she finished with a 41,” says St. Pierre. “She’s definitely always dialed in. She’s dialed in consistently on the course.”
Julia believes that her sense for the game stems from her father Brian. Julia’s dad is a golf pro, and she’s picked up on a lot of his traits while working alongside him.
“He’s the person that got me into it, and he knows a lot. It’s really helpful, because I can get another point of view from the game,” Julia says. “He goes over all the rules and gives me tips on the side. When we go to the range, he helps.”
Julia’s extra effort at the range is paying major dividends in her golf game this season. Julia has been displaying excellent accuracy with her driver from the tee—something that many golfers struggle with.
“Driving off the tee is my biggest strength,” says Julia. “I don’t get a lot of distance like the boys do, but it helps to get it in the middle of the fairway. It helps out my game.”
Coach St. Pierre says that Julia’s ability to place her drives is one of the key reasons why she’s producing so many low scores in her junior campaign.
“She’ll hit a straight shot every single time,” St. Pierre says. “It’s one of those things that’s a very hard thing that people want to work on, and she’s just so dialed in that she can feel calm, cool, and collected, and put the ball where it needs to be.”
Aside from golf, Julia plays striker for the North Haven girls’ soccer squad. Julia used to be a defender, but she likes getting more involved in the action while playing on the attack.
“Scoring goals is definitely a really good feeling, and I like how it’s fast-paced up top,” says Julia. “You’re in the game all the time, which I really enjoy.”
Julia is looking to play golf at the collegiate level. She wants to keep trimming her scores during the rest of her high school tenure in order to potentially get that opportunity.
“I’m hoping to maybe get a scholarship for golf and continue to play,” says Julia. “I want to keep lowering my scores next season. Hopefully, I do even better than this season.”